Story at a glance:
- Extreme floods in Southwest Florida point to an increased need for quick recovery after a catastrophic event.
- Resilient design and construction is quickly evolving to address urgent needs after natural disasters like floods.
- Experts share the engineering lessons they learned recovering from two “100-year” storms in two weeks.
The recent “100-year” floods in Southwest Florida have highlighted the urgent need to rethink how we design, build, and retrofit homes and commercial properties. As an envelope engineer with extensive experience in water management, I witnessed firsthand how these events serve as a wake-up call. It’s no longer enough to prevent water from entering—what matters most is how quickly and effectively we can recover.
The lessons we’ve learned highlight a critical evolution in resilient design and construction. While we can’t stop disasters from happening, we can design buildings and infrastructure to be more adaptive and robust in the face of these challenges. By focusing on resilience we can ensure both people and the built environment are better equipped to withstand and recover from the increasing frequency of extreme weather events.
The New Normal in Flood Risk
What were once thought of as rare events, 100-year floods are becoming far more frequent. In my experience with both Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, storm surges reached far higher than anticipated, with floodwaters remaining dangerously high for hours. This change in the frequency and severity of storms isn’t an anomaly; it reflects broader trends linked to climate change.
Rising sea levels and shifting precipitation patterns are creating conditions where both coastal and inland flooding are now far more likely to occur, according to Berkley Design Professional. For homeowners and commercial property owners, the lesson is clear: The old methods of flood protection are no longer enough. It’s essential to adapt and implement resilient solutions that address not only the initial impact of floodwaters but also the recovery process.
Water Management Over Water Prevention
Photo courtesy of Pinchin
One key insight from the recent floods is that no matter how well a building is designed to keep water out, during extreme events like those in Florida, water will find its way inside. The focus needs to shift to water management—specifically, systems that can effectively pump water out of the building once it enters.
For both residential and commercial properties, this means installing sump pumps, perimeter drainage systems, and backup power solutions that remain operational during floods. These systems can significantly reduce the damage by removing water quickly, minimizing the time it spends inside the building. For commercial properties, where downtime can be costly, restoring critical systems like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing as soon as possible is paramount.
Infrastructure Challenges in Flood-Prone Areas
Photo courtesy of Pinchin
The recent flooding events also underscored the importance of infrastructure in flood resilience. Even the most resilient buildings can suffer significant damage if the surrounding infrastructure—such as stormwater systems and roads—fails. Many communities in Florida are facing the reality that their existing infrastructure simply wasn’t designed to handle the volume of water seen in these storms. This creates additional risks for buildings, as floodwaters often back up into homes and businesses through compromised storm drains or overwhelmed roadways, according to Berkley Design Professional.
Property owners, especially in urban areas, should consider working with local governments to advocate for infrastructure upgrades that better handle these more frequent flood events. Investing in stormwater management systems, permeable pavements, and even green infrastructure solutions like bioswales can help divert and absorb floodwaters, reducing the burden on individual properties.
Design for Resilience: A Holistic Approach
Photo courtesy of Pinchin
To ensure homes and commercial properties are truly resilient to future floods, resilience must be integrated into every stage of design, construction, and renovation. This involves using water-resistant materials, elevating critical building systems above potential flood levels, and designing buildings that are adaptable to changing flood risks.
For new builds, incorporating sustainable public infrastructure can reduce surface water runoff and provide natural flood mitigation. For retrofits, property owners should look at elevating electrical systems, using water-resistant materials for flooring and walls, and ensuring backup power systems are in place to keep critical functions running during a flood.
We should look to understand the critical operations needed during and after a flood. We should have pumps available with remote starts that are adaptable based on the timing of the storm as well as the length of the critical high point of water volume at a given site. There are many more technologies available to us, but we need to think about them in advance of a disaster, which is why a new critical service is needed—a resilience audit and evaluation on a regular cadence to ensure buildings are prepared in the face of a disaster.
The Path Forward
As climate change continues to drive more frequent and severe weather events, the need for resilient building practices is more urgent than ever. Property owners—both residential and commercial—must begin to prioritize resilience not just as a defensive measure but as a proactive strategy for recovery.
The focus needs to shift from trying to prevent every drop of water from entering to designing systems that help properties recover quickly when water inevitably does get in. By integrating water management systems, advocating for improved infrastructure, and adopting resilience-focused design practices, property owners can reduce their risks and safeguard their investments for the future.
The New Metrics of Success
Success will be measured by key outcomes like minimizing the time needed to restore functionality to buildings—ensuring they can be reoccupied within 72 hours following a flood event. By doing so buildings can retain critical operations like HVAC, electrical, and plumbing systems, thereby reducing the overall impact of flooding. Additionally, keeping monetary damage below thresholds like $20,000 and ensuring interior water lines remain no more than 15% of the exterior flood height will demonstrate effective resilience strategies.
Applying these measures proactively will not only mitigate flood risk but also reduce insurance claims and the long-term economic burden on property owners, proving resilience planning is not just a necessity but a cost-effective solution for the built environment’s future.
Julia Rogers, senior vice president at Pinchin, contributed to this article.
