The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council (TBRPC) is developing the region’s first-ever Coastal Master Plan — a unified effort to map flood risks in seven coastal counties and identify resiliency projects to protect vulnerable communities.

“This coastal master plan is the region’s first united effort,” said Alana Todd, principal environmental planner at TBRPC. “It’s the first of its kind in Florida.”

Modeled after a similar initiative in Louisiana that brought in billions in grant funding, the plan will cover Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Todd noted that half the region’s population lives at or below 10 feet above sea level, with some neighborhoods flooding even on sunny days.

Currently, flood control projects lack regional coordination and a long-term strategy. The plan will give priority to underserved areas like Progress Village in Hillsborough County, where about 200 of the community’s 920 homes were damaged by Hurricane Milton last October.

Hillsborough County has already begun a $16 million stormwater project in Progress Village that includes a large retention pond, slated for completion in early 2026. Civic Council President Twanda Bradley said she’s eager to see the area included in the master plan.

Resiliency projects will range from structural solutions, such as living shorelines, wetland restoration, and stormwater upgrades, to non-structural measures, including updating building codes and development practices.

Living shorelines, such as the one installed by the Ecosphere Restoration Institute along the Hillsborough River, have proven to be more affordable and more resilient than seawalls, while also improving water quality.

The four-year master plan, launched in May, will help local governments secure funding for major projects. “For every dollar invested in adaptation and resilience, we can save more than $2 in avoided damages long term,” Todd said.

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