Press Releases
Rep. Waltz Joins American Flood Coalition to Address Flooding and Sea Level Rise
Washington, DC,
March 26, 2019
Representative Michael Waltz (FL-R) today joined the bipartisan American Flood Coalition alongside fellow Floridians Representatives John Rutherford (R-FL) and Al Lawson (D-FL). This group of Congressmen is the largest to collectively join the Coalition, and in their three districts combined represent over 2 million people, including American Flood Coalition member cities St. Augustine, St. Augustine Beach, Port Orange, and Ponce Inlet.
“Floridians know the sea is rising – our beaches are smaller and eroding, flooding is more frequent and threats to our fresh water are increasing,” said Waltz. “It’s a threat to our economy, our national security, and our environment. I’m proud to be a part of the American Flood Coalition and look forward to encouraging more colleagues to put politics aside and work on realistic, bipartisan solutions to protect and strengthen our communities.”
In Florida’s 6th District, represented by Waltz, both business owners and homeowners are increasingly concerned over the severe threat of flooding and sea level rise. Within the district, there is $1.6 billion (~3,600 residential properties) in home value at risk of yearly coastal flooding by 2050. In Volusia County, 26% of business owners noted that their business had flooded due to natural causes, and almost 13% of homeowners recalled their homes flooding. In Flagler County, one third of the land area is located within a flood zone. By joining the Coalition, Waltz signals his commitment to helping reduce the flood risk for property owners in his district.
With the addition of these Federal champions, the Coalition now includes 12 members of Congress from both sides of the aisle and from six states.
“It’s rare and encouraging to see our Congressional leaders take proactive action to address the challenges of flooding and sea level rise in a regional and bipartisan manner,” said Melissa Roberts, Executive Director of the American Flood Coalition. “We’re grateful for the leadership of Congressmen Rutherford, Lawson, and Waltz and look forward to advancing practical national solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect the nation’s residents, economy, and military installations”
The American Flood Coalition is a nonpartisan group of cities, elected officials, military leaders, businesses, and civic groups that have come together to drive adaptation to the reality of higher seas, stronger storms, and more frequent flooding through national solutions that support flood-affected communities and protect our nation’s residents, economy, and military installations.
Read the full press release from American Flood Coalition here.
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