Governor Ron DeSantis Allocates $120 Million for Coastal Resiliency and Tidal Flood Gates

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Monday the award of $120 million in state capital grants through the Resilient Florida Grant Program to fund twenty critical coastal flood mitigation, storm surge barrier, and stormwater pumping projects across twelve coastal counties.

The investments, administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), provide matched funding for municipal and county governments to elevate critical transportation corridors, install automated tidal backflow prevention valves, and construct hardened seawalls and wave-attenuation living shorelines.

Protecting Coastal Communities from Severe Weather With Florida's 8,400 miles of coastline supporting dense residential and commercial populations, structural mitigation against king tides, tropical storm surges, and sea-level rise is vital to protecting economic assets and maintaining commercial insurability.

"Florida's coastal communities are the foundation of our state's economy and quality of life," Governor DeSantis said in St. Petersburg. "Through the Resilient Florida program, we have committed more than $1.8 billion to fortify our infrastructure against storm surge and tidal flooding. These twenty projects will protect critical roads, wastewater treatment facilities, and neighborhood homes from flooding, safeguarding billions in property value."

Key Infrastructure Grants Awarded Major projects funded under the $120 million round include:

• Tampa Bay & St. Petersburg: $22 million for elevated stormwater pump stations and seawall raising along Shore Acres.
• Miami-Dade County (Biscayne Bay): $18 million for automated canal tidal control gates and mangrove living reef buffers.
• Key West & Monroe County: $14 million to elevate critical emergency evacuation road segments.
• Duval County (Jacksonville): $12 million for downtown St. Johns River bulkhead hardening.
• Lee & Charlotte Counties: $16 million for post-hurricane drainage canal widening and stormwater storage basins.
• Seven additional Gulf and Atlantic coastal communities receiving between $4 million and $8 million.

Local mayors and emergency management directors praised the timely grant disbursements, noting that engineered flood barriers significantly reduce insurance claim losses and prevent prolonged business interruptions during tropical storm events.