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Ron DeSantis Cuts Stormwater Flooding Funding Amid Florida Deluge [1]
['Jordan King', 'Jason Beardsley', 'John Fenzel']
Date: 2024-06-13 09:00:44-04:00
Communities in Florida were hit with heavy rainfall and intense flooding on the same day Governor Ron DeSantis cut budgets for multiple water projects.
On June 12, DeSantis signed the state budget after cutting almost $1 billion from the fiscal plan, the Tampa Bay Times reported—including about $205 million in stormwater, wastewater and sewer projects.
Read more: Emergency Funds: How to Build One and Where to Keep It
The governor also declared a state of emergency Wednesday in five counties—Broward, Collier, Lee, Miami-Dade and Sarasota—after a deluge affected important infrastructure, including major interstates, roads, schools and airports.
Several Florida counties are under a state of emergency after heavy rainfall and flooding this week. Several Florida counties are under a state of emergency after heavy rainfall and flooding this week. Getty/Newsweek
Democratic state Senator Jason Pizzo criticized the budget cut, telling the Associated Press, "As I'm sitting here stuck on a Brightline train because of flooding in my district, all those storm water projects he cut look pretty stupid right now."
DeSantis said that while he did not oppose the projects, he wanted them financed differently, by having local communities apply for funds through the Department of Environmental Protection, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Read more: Find the Right Type of Savings Account for Your Needs
"All those needs will be met," he added, according to the outlet. Newsweek has contacted DeSantis' office for comment by email.
A bicyclist walking through flooded streets on Stirling Road in Hollywood, Florida, on June 12. Multiple flood watches and warnings are still in place for various areas in the state. A bicyclist walking through flooded streets on Stirling Road in Hollywood, Florida, on June 12. Multiple flood watches and warnings are still in place for various areas in the state. AP
The cuts included money for main replacements, stormwater system repairs and shoreline revitalization, reported Tampa radio station WUSF, which saw the 16 pages' worth of cuts.
Such projects could contribute to the mitigation of flooding and its fallouts, with main replacements making it easier for systems to handle larger volumes of water and newer materials often being more resilient.
Stormwater system repairs could also prevent flooding completely by helping to drain and manage large amounts of water and avoiding cracks that facilitate leaks.
Similarly, shoreline revitalization makes it easier for natural barriers to flooding to work. For example, wetlands can act as a sponge and absorb excess water, and vegetative buffers can provide native vegetation that reduces erosion and runoff.
Flood watches and warnings remain in place for various parts of the Sunshine State, including the Florida Keys, where "excessive runoff may result in flooding of low-lying and flood-prone locations," the National Weather Service said in an advisory.
A separate watch is in place for portions of southeast, southern and southwest Florida—including Broward County, coastal Miami-Dade County and coastal Palm Beach County—until Friday evening.
"Extensive street flooding and flooding of creeks and rivers are possible," the NWS said.
Several of these areas are also under a more serious flood warning, with structures inundated, numerous roads closed and regions with slow-moving or standing water.
Images and videos from earlier this week have shown cars partially submerged in water—some up to their windshields—with drivers forced to abandon their stalled vehicles.
The NWS said: "It will take several hours for all the water from these storms to work through local drainage systems in urban areas. Local media and emergency management have reported water rescues."
The agency's Weather Prediction Center has issued a moderate risk for excessive rainfall until Friday morning, with this threat decreasing for the southern tip as the week goes on. However, there is still a slight risk for excessive rainfall from Friday to Saturday morning.
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[1] Url:
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-ron-desantis-cuts-water-project-funding-amid-rainfall-deluge-1912257
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