Abstract
Communities around the United States are at severe risk to flooding. Climate change and sea level rise cause the ongoing development on floodplain to be more risky both nationally and regionally. While development in floodplains results in an increase in impervious surface, it adds to flood risk by increasing the vulnerability of people and property to flood hazards as well as the severity of the threat itself. Floodplain development is significant in the state of Florida because it is already facing severe flood risk due to extreme precipitation and natural hazards. Additionally, Florida's already-present flood risk is increased by climate change and sea level rise. Therefore, restricting development in floodplains is essential to managing flood risk in Florida. However, data on floodplain development has been limited, which limits our understanding of flood risk management trends in Florida. Here, I used the first-of-its-kind dataset measuring floodplain development for communities across the United States. In this study, we used data on floodplain development outcomes in Florida to understand patterns and drivers of hazardous development. Particular focus has been placed on the relationship between geography, race, wealth, and floodplain development in the state. The result showed that most communities in Florida have limited floodplain development, and there is a correlation between geography, race, wealth, and floodplain development.