On January 22nd, TBRPC staff were presented with an award for the Best Plan, Report, or Study for the Debby, Helene and Milton: Post Hurricane Impacts and Recovery Session from the Sun Coast APA. The award ceremony was held at the Gasparilla Distillery in Ybor. Amy Bidwell and Alison Prater accepted the award on behalf of the TBRPC and Taryn Sabia and Elizabeth Dunn accepted the award on behalf of our partners at USF.
On December 2, 2024, TBRPC and USF hosted the Debby, Helene, and Milton: Hurricane Impacts and Recovery Session at the Patel College of Global Sustainability in Tampa. The session included an in-depth panel discussion with the region’s County Emergency Management Directors, and local, regional, state, and federal agencies reflecting on the impacts and response to recent storms, best practices, and lessons learned. Afternoon breakout sessions were held with a deeper focus into hazardous material and debris management, water system impacts, economic and supply chain issues, and post-disaster redevelopment.
From this event, there was a clear need for continued regional collaboration. Several long-term planning issues were identified, including insufficient funding for resilience and recovery efforts. High costs of rebuilding, especially for uninsured property owners. Participants also identified a lack of affordable housing options due to disaster gentrification and the displacement of vulnerable communities. Future opportunities include a regional emergency management strategy, regional food systems planning, and additional training.
