Abstract

Miami Dade County is one of the most vulnerable geographic locations in the world with respect to sea level rise and storm surge. The frequency of severe weather further exacerbates that vulnerability and increases the need for well-informed planning and well-protected infrastructure. As part of that planning, the County has been very active in the Southeast Florida Climate Compact (Compact). The Compact has developed a Regional Climate Action Plan and developed regional sea level rise projections. The County also passed Resolution No. R-451-14 in 2014 requiring that all of the County’s capital projects consider the impact of sea level rise based on these projections.

This Miami-Dade County Rapid Action Plan (RAP) is intended to develop a standardized process by which the County can assess the resilience of its existing assets and planned capital projects. This effort focused on quickly evaluating the vulnerability of the County’s own critical facilities and projects in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP). This project utilized Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology and Geospatial Information Systems (GIS) data to determine vulnerability. This project also relied upon input from Department staff to help determine the criticality rankings which were then used to prioritize projects.

Ultimately, the goal of this effort was to create a standard approach to evaluate future projects and ensure they are protected against future flooding hazards.