Nearly 300 people turned out to the Flooding and Development Community Forum on Saturday, September 7th. With an incredible speaking line-up of local activists and experts, the forum addressed the current realities of the flooding in Parrish and parts of Lakewood Ranch, how to research and understand some of the related water infrastructure and land development issues, and then recommended practical steps to move forward and demand action from our local government officials.
The forum called residents to actions on three pressing issues related to the recent flooding. Residents should contact their county commissioners and demand the following:
--> 1.) Study our current stormwater management infrastructure AND work with FEMA and SWFWMD to make sure topographical and hydrological maps of our area are accurate and up-to-date
--> 2.) Update and our outdated Stormwater Management Design Manual and fix the infrastructure problems identified from the new study and map data (from Item 1).
--> 3.) STOP approving new development projects in eastern Manatee County (especially in flood-prone areas) until the first two steps are completed and we have a better understanding of what's going on and how to mitigate future flood risks for EXISTING residents and their businesses.
You can sign the petition here: http://manateeflooding.org
The EMPA "Resources for Residents" handout with information on how individuals in our community can find resources to help with flooding, understand water flow and land development issues, or advocate with our county government was also distributed during the forum and available below.
We are so thankful to all the amazing speakers and residents who participated in the forum on Saturday. We are so proud to be part of this resilient, resourceful, and caring community!
You Can Watch the Full Forum Below
News Media Coverage
https://www.mysuncoast.com/2024/09/06/suncoast-residents-meeting-address-infrastructure-concerns