July 26, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Diane G. Papadakos, Director of Communications
City of West Palm Beach – Mayor’s Office
dpapadakos@wpb.org
(561) 822-1411 (TTY: 800-955-8771)

City of West Palm Beach’s Office of Sustainability to Hold an Open House 
To Gather Public Feedback on the City’s Vulnerability Assessment

WEST PALM BEACH, FL —The City of West Palm Beach’s Office of Sustainability is holding a public feedback session for community members to share their thoughts on planning for a resilient and sustainable future. The Vulnerability Assessment Open House will be on Wednesday, July 31, from 5 – 7 p.m. in Mandel Public Library’s third-floor auditorium.

In compliance with Section 380.093, Florida Statute (F.S.), the City of West Palm Beach has undertaken a Critical Facilities and Assets Vulnerability Assessment. This assessment, funded by a grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection through the Resilient Florida program, aims to evaluate the resilience of our City’s critical facilities and assets, both public and private, against current and future flood risks.

The assessment, initiated in 2021, has identified and analyzed critical facilities essential for community functionality under varying flood conditions including sea level rise, storm surge, rain induced flooding, and the compounding of each.

A presentation is scheduled toward the middle of the Open House, which will give a high-level overview of the modeling and findings of the official Vulnerability Assessment.

Assessment objectives:

• Evaluate risks to assets owned or maintained by the City of West Palm Beach and community resources.
• Measure the impacts of potential climate threats on the area and identify the level at which selected assets may be affected.
• Understand the potential magnitude, severity and extent of rainfall flooding, tidal flooding, and current and future storm surge flooding in combination with various sea level rise projection scenarios.
• Identify future State and Federal grant funding.

The Vulnerability Assessment Open House is an opportunity for interested parties to view flood data maps and critical assists that have been identified. Participants can also see how their homes/properties could potentially be impacted and are encouraged to provide helpful feedback on the areas that require priority protection and adaptation in response to sea-level rise and flooding.

For more information about the Office of Sustainability’s City Initiatives, visit the webpage here, or call (561) 804-4994.

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About The City of West Palm Beach

The City of West Palm Beach is a vibrant and dynamic City located on the Atlantic coast of Florida. With a rich history, a thriving arts and cultural scene, and a commitment to sustainability, the City of West Palm Beach is a great place to live, work, and play. As one of the three largest cities making up the South Florida region, and the central City of Palm Beach County, West Palm Beach is a vibrant, growing, waterfront City that seamlessly blends the business advantages available in the region with a more refined and relaxed environment for living and working, making it an exceptional destination for both residents and professionals alike. To learn more about the City of West Palm Beach, visit us on our official website, or follow us on our social media: Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and/or LinkedIn.