Florida's coastal communities create a distinct challenge to managing stormwater. The ongoing threat of hurricanes and heavy rainfall exacerbates that challenge. Funding and financial sustainability, storm preparedness and the need for efficiency in operations and maintenance are all necessary measures that need to be taken to successfully mitigate flooding. Public communication and interagency communication is also key for proper implementation.
Funding and financial sustainability
The financial strain that municipalities face to maintain and upgrade aging stormwater infrastructure was a key topic during a panel discussion at StormCon 2025 in Orlando. The presentation, titled “Disaster preparedness: What the country can learn from Florida’s stormwater management,” focused on the challenges that three separate cities face when managing Florida’s stormwater.
Michelle Monteclaro, environmental program manager for the City of Dunedin, stated that the 10-square-mile district has fixed stormwater funding which makes it difficult to prioritize projects. The city implemented a project prioritization process that looks at each project individually and numerically rates them.
Michael Perry, P.E., lakes manager, senior stormwater operations manager for the City of St. Petersburg, noted that the city had difficulty obtaining new equipment on time and under budget. It also has a need for construction repairs as most of the team is cross-trained with other departments. Like Dunedin, St. Petersburg came out with a capital plan that numerically ranks projects.
Athena Tipaldos, stormwater assistant division manager for the City of Orlando, echoed the issues of the other two cities, stating that they face staffing shortages and increasing prices for equipment. Orlando is also dealing with annexation, which, as Tipaldos put it, requires the city “to do more with less.”
Proactive storm preparedness and resiliency
The three presenters stressed a shift from reactive to proactive measures. This includes preventative maintenance, annual city-wide hurricane drills and community education efforts.
Monteclaro stated that resiliency is “interwoven in the city’s fabric.” Perry highlighted the concept of “agility” in adapting to changing weather patterns, and referenced SPAR, or St. Pete Agile Resilience. He also noted the need for better organization of personnel and shared data to speed up response efforts.
Communication and collaboration
All three speakers underscored the critical role of communication. This involves educating the public through various platforms, including PSAs, social media and community meetings, and ensuring coordination between different city departments, neighboring municipalities and private entities like HOAs and developers.
The trio shares a goal to build trust and empower residents to be part of the solution.
Ultimately, the future of Florida’s coastal communities lies in a multi-faceted approach to stormwater management. One that strategically combines financial sustainability, proactive engineering and open communication to build a truly resilient future.
