Weather Resiliency Across Southwest Florida

EVEN THOUGH OUR HURRICANE SEASON HAS BEEN QUIET SO FAR IN THE ATLANTIC BASIN, FIRST RESPONDERS, GOVERNMENT LEADERS AND NONPROFIT GROUPS STILL MADE A POINT TO COME TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT PREPAREDNESS FOR THE NEXT STORM. WGCU’S SENIOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTER TOM BAYLES REPORTS. >> I'M AT THIS YEAR'S SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RESILIENCY SUMMIT WHERE LEADERS FROM PRETTY MUCH EVERY AGENCY INVOLVED IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND WATER PLANNING HAVE COME TOGETHER TO FIND A WAY TO DO THE EFFECTS FOR THE COMMUNITY OF THE UPCOMING CHANGES DUE TO GLOBAL WARMING. JENNIFER HECTOR IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE COASTAL AND HEARTLAND ESTUARY PARTNERSHIP. >> THIS SUMMIT HAS TAKEN ON A FLAVOR OF THE PRIOR YEAR'S EVENTS EACH YEAR IT'S BEEN HELD IN. AND IN PRIOR YEARS AT FOCUS VERY MUCH ON HURRICANE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY AND WHAT WE'VE LEARNED WORKED OR DIDN'T WORK SO THAT WE CAN TRANSFER THAT INFORMATION AND PREPARE BETTER FOR FUTURE STORM EVENTS. >> THIS IS THE 6TH YEAR FOR THE SOUTHWEST FLORIDA RESILIENCY SUMMIT. IN PAST YEARS. THE CONVERSATION OFTEN FOCUSED ON RESPONSE AND RECOVERY AFTER MAJOR STORMS. WHAT WORKED? WHAT DIDN'T AND WHAT COMMUNITIES LEARNED AFTER HURRICANES FLOODING, DROUGHT AND WILDFIRE. THIS YEAR WITHOUT A MAJOR HURRICANE STRIKE IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. ORGANIZERS SAY IS THE SUMMIT COULD FINALLY LOOK FARTHER AHEAD. THAT MEANS LOOKING AT WHAT HAS TO BE STRENGTHENED NOW BEFORE THE NEXT DISASTER DRIVES. >> OUR ENVIRONMENT, OUR ECONOMY, OUR WAY OF LIFE IS AT STAKE AT THIS POINT. WE KNOW THAT. IT'S CONDITIONS ARE CHANGING FOR HAVING MORE EXTREME HEAT. WE'RE HAVING DROUGHTS. WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF WILDFIRES WERE HAVING A LOT OF HURRICANES, THOUGH, THANKFULLY, NOT THIS YEAR. WE KNOW THAT THAT IS JUST GOING TO GET MORE AND MORE PREVALENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE NEED TO BE BETTER PREPARED BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE THINGS TO AFFECT OUR BUSINESSES, OUR HOMES, OUR COMMUNITIES. >> ANCHOR SAYS MUCH OF WHAT COMMUNITIES RELY ON WAS BUILT FOR CONDITIONS OF THE PAST. THAT INCLUDES ROADS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS, DRAINAGE SYSTEMS, EVACUATION ROUTES AND CRITICAL OPERATIONS LIKE FIRE AND POLICE STATIONS AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS. THE QUESTION NOW IS WHETHER THOSE SYSTEMS CAN KEEP WORKING AS CONDITIONS CHANGE. THE SUMMIT ALSO LOOK TO BE ON CONCRETE AND STEEL. HECKER SAYS COMMUNITIES ARE LOOKING AT PLACES WHERE NATURE ALREADY PROVIDES PROTECTION THAT CAN INCLUDE UNDEVELOPED LAND. THAT STORES FLOOD WATER DUES LIVING SHORELINES IN PROJECTS THAT COMBINE ENGINEERING WITH NATURAL SYSTEMS. RECENT STORMS HAVE ALSO SHOWN WHAT HOLDS UP AND WHAT DOES NOT THE MESSAGE IS TO SHARE THOSE LESSONS. NOW BEFORE NEW PROJECTS ARE DESIGNED AND BEFORE THE NEXT MAJOR STORM ARRIVES. >> PEOPLE OUGHT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THESE DIFFERENT EVENTS. WE'VE EXPERIENCE THAT HAVE IMPACTED. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE NOT ONE-OFFS THAT UNFORTUNATELY, WE KNOW SCIENTIFICALLY THAT THESE ARE NOT ANOMALIES, THAT WE'RE LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE MORE AND MORE OF THESE EVENTS OVER TIME. AND SO WE NEED TO SHIFT A LOT OF OUR DESIGN AND HISTORICAL INFRASTRUCTURE WAS BUILT FOR HISTORICAL CONDITIONS AND THOSE CONDITIONS ARE NOT GOING TO OCCUR AGAIN. >> THE TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY. >> IS WHAT NATURE CAN PROVIDE AND WHAT MANKIND CAN BUILD NEED TO COME TOGETHER. AND PRODUCE THINGS THAT CAN PROTECT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE FROM THE CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO OCCUR WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND BE REALISTIC THAT IN OTHER AREAS DEVELOPMENT NEEDS TO STOP. BECAUSE WHAT CLIMATE CHANGE IS GOING TO BRING IN THE FUTURE WILL BE TOO GREAT FOR CERTAIN AREAS TO CONTINUE TO BE OCCUPIED. FOR WGCU NEWS, IN PUNTA GORDA, I'M TOM BAYLES.