Hurricane-Irma Impacted Communities To Receive Millions For Improved Infrastructure and Flooding Prevention

KEY LARGO (CBSMiami) – Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced on Friday that the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity's Rebuild Florida Program is putting $100 million toward infrastructure improvements and hardening projects to make Florida more resilient to storms and flooding.

The governor made his remarks while speaking at the Murray Nelson Government Center in Key Largo.

Of that $100 million, Monroe County is getting $16.7 million.

"We're doing $1.3 million to assist the City of Key Largo to protect vulnerable homes against storm surge, $10.4 million for Monroe County to prevent flooding and protect against sea level rise and $5 million to improve wastewater and storm water infrastructure in Key West," said DeSantis. "We also have some other areas in other parts of Florida that are getting significant amounts of money. But Rebuild Florida, just to remind people, is a long term recovery program. It allows the state to make significant investments into the resiliency of areas previously impacted by storms."

DeSantis said with parts of the state still recovering from Hurricanes Irma and Michael, "We've got to build back stronger than before. That's what this investment is all about."

Rebuild Florida is a program of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) created to help Florida's long-term recovery efforts from recent hurricanes.

In all, the money will go to 24 communities around the state.

Here's the breakdown of the Rebuild Florida Infrastructure Repair Program:

• City of Bonita Springs ($2,958,297) – to increase storage pond drainage capacity.
• City of Cocoa Beach ($3,332,323) – to repair underground sanitary sewers by slip-lining damaged areas.
• City of Edgewater ($14,697,665) – to improve the G-2 and G-11 canals which flooded during Hurricane Irma.
• City of Fellsmere ($4,068,300) – to increase the accessibility to the City's water plant.
• City of Florida City ($16,668,544) – to convert a stormwater canal to a culvert system.
• City of Gainesville ($512,073) – to improve a creek bed which has a high risk of erosion.
• City of Hallandale Beach ($2,813,471) – to increase the capacity for a lift station and force main to be more resilient.
• City of Hollywood ($3,435,000) – to repair and replace wastewater infrastructure.
• City of Key West ($3,563,054) – to improve an existing sewage force main bridge crossing.
• City of Key West ($1,376,270) – to install stormwater infrastructure to alleviate future damage to residential areas.
• City of Kissimmee ($3,400,000) – to repair stormwater facilities in order to prevent flooding in residential neighborhoods.
• City of Miami Gardens ($1,701,380) – to improve stormwater infrastructure and roadways in Vista Verde.
• City of North Port ($1,150,000) – to improve inflow and infiltration wastewater collection systems.
• City of North Port ($650,440) – to install permanent generators for lift stations.
• City of Palatka ($1,537,633) – to make flood and drainage improvements in service areas across the City.
• City of South Bay ($2,080,000) – to build a larger, more resilient community center that serves as an emergency shelter.
• City of Sweetwater ($1,500,000) – to install a stormwater system and stormwater pump station.
• Collier County ($602,786.32) – to improve drainage systems to mitigation future flooding.
• Columbia County ($3,614,118.75) – to add elevation, paving, and drain controls to prevent future flooding in the community.
• Columbia County ($4,762,257.50) – to elevate, pave, and install drainage swales and culverts to prevent repetitive flooding.
• Flagler County ($517,368) – to improve a drainage canal to be more resilient to future storms.
• Fort Pierce Utilities Authority ($3,792,768) – to reconstruct a damaged sewer connection system.
• Hendry County ($1,635,610) – to improve conveyance and pumping capacity to move stormwater to a larger detention area.
• Lee County ($2,718,577) – to replace sidewalks and roadside drainage systems damaged by the storm.
• Lee County ($732,540) – to clear five canals of vegetation debris and sediment.
• Lee County ($678,566) – to replace the pedestrian bridge and Richmond Avenue over Able Canal and Lehigh Acres.
• Monroe County ($8,181,489) – to install a stormwater collection, treatment, and disposal system designed to assist neighborhoods with repetitive flooding.
• Monroe County ($1,353,986) – to assist the city of Key Largo mitigate the potential of destroyed or heavily damaged homes from future storm surge during a storm event.
• Monroe County ($2,194,599) – to prevent flooding and sea level rise and maintain better water quality.
• Orange County ($2,506,371) – to install preventative flooding measures to protect the landlocked Orlo Vista neighborhood.
• Town of Cross City ($994,622.59) – to install curb inlets and drainage pipe to allow positive drainage in low-lying areas.