Florida Flood Hub for Applied Research and Innovation

The Florida Flood Hub was established by the state within the University of South Florida College of Marine Science to coordinate efforts between the academic and research institutions of the state.

The University of South Florida College of Marine Science serves as the lead institution and engages other academic and research institutions, private partners, and financial sponsors to coordinate efforts to support applied research and innovation to address the flooding and sea level rise challenges of the state.

The Florida Flood Hub is funded through the Resilient Florida program and works in conjunction with it to support statewide efforts to protect people, businesses, natural resources and coastal infrastructure.

The Florida Flood Hub has been tasked with the following (through Florida Statute 380.0933):

• Organizing existing data needs for a comprehensive statewide flood vulnerability and sea level rise analysis and performing a gap analysis to determine data needs.
• Developing statewide open-source hydrologic models for physically based flood frequency estimation and real-time forecasting of floods, including hydraulic models of floodplain inundation mapping, real-time compound and tidal flooding forecasts, future groundwater elevation conditions, and economic damage and loss estimates.
• Coordinating research funds from the state, the federal government, or other funding sources for related hub activities across all participating entities.
• Establishing community-based programs to improve flood monitoring and prediction along major waterways, including intracoastal waterways and coastlines, of the state and to support ongoing flood research.
• Coordinating with agencies, including, but not limited to, the Department of Environmental Protection and water management districts.
• Sharing its resources and expertise.
• Assisting in the development of a workforce in the state that is knowledgeable about flood and sea level rise research, prediction, and adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• Developing opportunities to partner with other flood and sea level rise research and innovation leaders for sharing technology or research.
• Conducting the activities under this subsection in cooperation with various local, state and federal government entities as well as other flood and sea level rise research centers.

Resources:

• Florida Flood Hub One-Pager.
• The Flood Hub at the USF College of Marine Science.