Preparing for Storms by Learning from Others
Emergency Management
One of the most effective ways to improve a community ’ s response to emergency situations is to learn from the experiences of others .
In 2023 , staff attended seminars held by emergency managers from communities that sustained hurricane damage in recent years . Their lessons learned illustrated where things went well , but also highlighted areas for improvement .
Among the opportunities discussed at the seminars were communications that should be performed well in advance of a tropical storm to increase residents ’ preparation . Following the seminars , the City ’ s Emergency Management team developed storm preparation messages and launched an outreach campaign to provide information that can help Port St . Lucie be better prepared the next time a storm approaches .
2,600
Reducing Flood Insurance Premiums
Emergency Management
Port St . Lucie residents who carry flood insurance received a 10-25 % discount on their policies after the City improved our Community Ratings System ( CRS ) by three classes .
CRS is a voluntary program coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency ( FEMA ) that local governments can opt into to improve their jurisdiction ’ s flood mitigation practices . The better the rating , the larger the flood insurance discount residents receive .
Departments across the City collaborated on several actions that ultimately improved the CRS rating , including :
• Education , training and information distribution for residents and staff .
• Actively monitoring elevation certificates of structures built or substantially improved within the Special Flood Hazard Area .
The number of people who attended the 2023 Hurricane Expo .
20
The number of named storms in the Atlantic basin this year , the fourth most in a season since 1950 .
14
The average number of named storms per season .
• Maintaining open spaces and water catchment areas , which decreases flooding in residential areas .
30 | 2023 City Manager ’ s Annual Report