Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning: Addressing Adaptation During Long-Term Recovery

This report provides guidance to Florida communities on how to incorporate adaptation measures to address sea-level rise impacts into post-disaster redevelopment plans. Developed by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity and Division of Emergency Management, “Addressing Adaptation During Long-Term Recovery” is an addendum to Florida’s Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning Guidebook. The Addendum was developed as part of Florida’s Statewide Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning Initiative that began in 2007 to provide a process and guidelines to help ensure resilient redevelopment of local communities.

The report focuses on Palm Beach County, which was used as a pilot community to test the planning process and a range of the adaptation strategies. While Palm Beach County was selected as the pilot community, the adaptation strategies explored in the report may be useful for any community seeking strategies to enhance community sustainability.

The Addendum provides guidance on assessing existing community planning processes that could support adaptation; a process for assessing vulnerabilities related to sea-level rise and storm surge; and recommendations of adaptation strategies for local governments to consider implementing in the aftermath of a disaster. 

Palm Beach County was selected due to it being in the early stages of updating its existing Post-Disaster Redevelopment Plan, and its involvement in the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, which has worked to develop sea-level rise scenarios and adaptation policy options that could be integrated into post-disaster planning processes. 

Chapter 3 of the Addendum reviews many adaptation strategies for incorporating enhanced resilience to sea-level rise and increased storm surge. It discusses the potential for 'Adaptation Action Areas' in local comprehensive plans to guide redevelopment decisions in a resilient manner. Resilient redevelopment strategies are presented for each of the same planning topics covered by the full Guidebook: Land Use, Housing, Economic Redevelopment, Infrastructure, Public Facilities, Health and Social Services, and Environment. The response strategies for developed areas fall into three general strategy types: protection, accommodation, and retreat. 

Chapter 4 contains implementation considerations and suggestions for actions that communities may wish to undertake both prior to and after a disaster in order to ensure integration of sea-level rise impacts into the process.

The Post-Disaster Redevelopment Planning Initiative was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through the Florida Coastal Management Program, by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through a Hazard Mitigation Grant administered by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, and by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Publication Date: 2011

Related Organizations:

  • Palm Beach County, Florida
  • Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO)
  • Florida Division of Emergency Management

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  • Planning guides

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