Jupiter Island leaders say they are prepared for future storms despite a new state vulnerability assessment warning that 103 critical town assets face flooding risk, including the town's Emergency Operations Center, which could see up to 9 feet of floodwater.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection report identified 68 stormwater facilities, 17 historic sites, conservation lands, and key evacuation routes at risk. Jupiter Island Commissioner Marshall Field told investigators the findings confirm what town leaders already knew. "The town's been working for a long time on an assessment of our erosion issues, our vulnerability issues," Field said. Beach District Director John Duchok said the assessment will create a roadmap to prioritize improvements.
The report comes after a separate state study warned severe erosion could one day split the island. Field said the goal is to document risks and compete for state and federal funding to address vulnerabilities. "We absolutely intend to do that. There's a window that opened up June 1 for applications for funding for this year, and we will certainly take advantage of that," Field said. He added that evacuation orders would be issued well before floodwaters threaten roadways and that the town has a backup facility on the mainland to maintain operations during emergencies.