OLDSMAR, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis traveled Tuesday to Oldsmar to announce plans to prepare the state for future environmental changes.
After getting a late start because of the dense fog across Tampa Bay, the governor laid out how the state plans to handle a different weather phenomenon: sea level rise.
The 3-year plan includes $270 million dedicated from the state's budget to fund more than 76 projects to upgrade our infrastructure.
It's all about fortifying our buildings, roads and bridges to protect Florida's communities in the event of a storm, according to DeSantis.
The governor explained that this is just a small part of SB 1954, which lays out the roadmap to help coastal and inland efforts to make the state more resistant to flooding.
“All the projects included in the plan will enhance efforts to protect our communities, coastlines and shores and that’s very, very important," DeSantis said.
“When you just get a lot of water coming in, I mean, that’s like the worst for damage, and it kind of paralyzes everything. So the more that you can mitigate that, really, you can reduce the impacts that you see when we do have these tropical events."
The governor was joined by Florida DEP Secretary Shawn Hamilton who called this plan “a monumental step to prepare our state for the effects of sea level rise."
He added that resiliency for our communities is a priority for Florida, especially with so many people visiting and moving to the Sunshine State.
“Our environment and our economic success are tied tightly together," Hamilton said. “That's not up for debate."