Florida gets another $404 million for climate change prep

Five projects in Pinellas County got funding, as did a project in Hillsborough County and one in Pasco County.

The most vulnerable state in the nation is finally getting a billion-dollar boost to its plans to protect itself against the rising sea, the tip of the trillion-dollar iceberg of climate change expenses the state faces.

On Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced funding for another 113 projects that will install new stormwater pumps and drains in flood-prone cities, convert leaky septic tanks to sewer lines, elevate and floodproof critical buildings and restore wetlands over the next three years.

It’s the largest amount of money for climate change preparation ever seen in Florida — and all $404 million is from the federal American Rescue Plan, the multitrillion-dollar COVID-19 relief act championed by the Biden administration.

Combined with the $270 million three-year funding announced by Florida late last year for 76 similar projects, it’s the most significant investment in resilience in Florida. With local matching funds, the total investment tops $1.2 billion.