SAVI SAINT >> NOW TO FORECASTING CHANGE IN SAVING SAINT AUGUSTINE,
FLORIDA’S OLDEST CITY. AND FOR
MANY FLORIDA’S FAVORITE CITY
IS IN DANGER. YEAH, WE’VE SEEN
THE POPULAR TOURIST STOP TAKEN
OVER BY STORMS EVEN ON A
SUNDAY. WATER CAN FILL THE
STREETS. METEOROLOGIST
DANIELLE ULIANO TAKES A LOOK
AT HOW THIS CONSTANT FLOODING
HAS CHANGED SAINT AUGUSTINE
AND ALSO THE PLAN TO PROTECT
SOME OF THE MOST HISTORIC
LOCATIONS FROM THE RISING SEA.
>> THE WATER IS POURING IN AND
SOMETIMES THE WATER DOES NOT
GO BACK OUT. FLOODING IS A
COMMON OCCURRENCE IN SAINT
AUGUSTINE, EVEN ON A SUNNY
DAY. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE
TIDES RISE AND PUSHED THE
WATER INTO THE STORM DRAINS
AND HIGH WAVES CRASH OVER THE
SEA WALL AS POLLUTION TRAPS.
MORE HEAT ON EARTH OCEANS ARE
RISING AND FLOODING IS
STRIKING HERE. MORE
FREQUENTLY, JESSICA BEACH, THE
CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER OF
SAINT AUGUSTINE BELIEVES THE
FLOODING WILL BE A CONSTANT
PROBLEM EVERY YEAR SINCE 2000,
16, WE HAVE HAD A FLOOD EVENT.
>> THERE’S BEEN SUBSTANTIAL
AND THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO
BE THE NEW NORMAL.
>> SAINT AUGUSTINE IS FILLED
WITH HISTORY DATING BACK TO
SEPTEMBER OF 15. 65 MAKING IT
ONE OF THE OLDEST CITIES IN
THE UNITED STATES WITH
HISTORIC SITES ON EVERY CORNER
THAT MAKES SAINT AUGUSTINE, A
LARGE TOURIST ATTRACTION.
RESILIENT HERITAGE REPORT
RELEASED IN 2020 STATES THAT
THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE
HERITAGE RESOURCE IN SAINT
AUGUSTINE.
>> IS NEARLY 3 BILLION DOLLARS
FLOODING IN SAINT AUGUSTINE IS
A COMMON OCCURRENCE AND IT
IMPACTS THE HISTORICAL SITES.
THE QUESTION IS WHAT ARE THEY
GOING TO DO ABOUT IT? LESLIE
KEYS, A VISITING SCHOLAR WITH
FLAGLER COLLEGE, ASKED SOME
GOOD QUESTIONS. WHAT CAN WE
WHAT CAN WE LEFT? WHAT OTHER
KINDS OF ENGINEERING METHODS
CAN WE TAKE? LET’S TAKE THE
CASTILLO DE SAN MARCOS, FOR
EXAMPLE, A 4TH THAT’S BEEN
THERE IN THE HEART OF THE CITY
SINCE 16. 72, IT HAS BEEN A
SILENT WITNESS TO OVER 450
YEARS OF HISTORY.
>> THE FORT IS MADE OF
COCAINE. A STONE LIMESTONE
MIXTURE OF SHELLS THAT’S VERY
ABSORBENT, MAKING IT GREAT FOR
BATTLE, BUT NOT SO GREAT FOR
RISING SEA LEVELS AND CONSTANT
FLOODING WITH CLIMATE CENTRAL
NOW SAYS SHOWING FLOOD WATERS
LIKE THIS REACHING PARTS OF
THE STRUCTURE ONCE EVERY YEAR
ON AVERAGE BY 2050, UP FROM
ONCE EVERY 10 YEARS. RIGHT
NOW.
>> HOW CAN A LAKE IN THE
LIMESTONE CAN BE DAMAGED BY BY
WATER? THERE’S USUALLY NOT
WATER THERE’S NOT SUPPOSED TO
BE WATER IN THERE. SO DRY YES,
WE MET WITH KEYS AFTER THE
LATEST NOR’EASTER.
>> WHICH PUSHED FLOOD WATERS
OVER THE SEA WALL INTO THE
MOAT WITH NOWHERE TO DRAIN ANY
TIME WE CAN. WE GET SUNNY DAY
FLOODING.
>> WE GET NOR’EASTERS. WE GET
HURRICANES. HE FLED THE
DOWNTOWN AREA. MAKE THE AREA
IMPASSABLE IN AUSTIN, CREATE A
LOT OF DAMAGE TO THE LOCAL
COMMUNITY. COASTAL
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
COMPLETED IN 2016 HIGHLIGHTED
SOME OF THE CLIMATE RELATED
THREATS FACING SAINT
AUGUSTINE. SINCE THEN, THE
CITY HAS PURSUED SEVERAL
ADAPTATION STRATEGIES.
>> LIKE RETROFITTING THE
CITY’S DRAINAGE SYSTEM WITH
WHAT ARE KNOWN AS TIDE CHECK
VALVES. THE VALVES, ALLOW
STREET WATER TO FLOW OUT, BUT
KEEP THE SALT WATER FROM
FLOWING IN. AND THAT’S
ESSENTIALLY RETROFITTING OUR
STORM PACE WITH THESE ONE-WAY
VALVES THAT KEEPS THE SALT
WATER OUT OF THE ROAD. THERE
ARE 103 DRAINS THROUGHOUT THE
CITY WITH 43 TIED CHECK VALVES
INSTALLED SO FAR.
>> SO WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE IS
AREAS WHERE THERE MAY BE MORE
HISTORICAL RESOURCES TO MAKE
SURE WE’RE PUTTING SOME
INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE THERE
TO HELP PROTECT IT. THE CITY
ALONGSIDE ARCHAEOLOGISTS ARE
MAPPING SHORELINE. LOOKING AT
RAISING SEA WALLS.
>> AND DOCUMENTING THESE
HISTORICAL SITES IN GREAT
DETAIL. THE CASTEEL ALONG WITH
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH
FLORIDA.
>> ARE WORKING ON A 3 D
IMAGING PROJECT TO VIRTUALLY
PRESERVE THE FORT. SO THEY
HAVE SCANNED.
>> THE INSIDE OF EACH ROOM,
THEY’VE STAND THE EXTERIOR.
THEY SCANNED THE LANDSCAPE.
CAN BE. THE SEAWALLS SO THAT
WE HAVE THIS DATA THAT WE CAN
SHARE DIGITALLY FOR
GENERATIONS TO COME. WHATEVER
HAPPENS WITH SEA LEVEL RISE
THAT WAY. THE CASTILLO WILL
LIVE ON FOREVER. DESPITE ARE