Transcript Highlights:

• Their house was flooding. It was flooding. It was flooding. He's a home builder in that area.
• The flood was so bad this time that two cabins on Senior Hill also flooded.
• “It was a flash flood.
• It was a flash flood.
• flood point.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• There's no instruction about evacuating in response to flooding.
• That flood watch specifically included Kerr County.
• At no time during the flood event was the PA system used.
• They had no barriers during the flood. Creek.
• The others all were swept away in the flood.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The next few flood...
• That was an unprecedented flood, the worst flood we've had.
• We have known that flooding and flash flooding has been a...
• The flood was so bad this time that two cabins on Senior Hill also flooded.
• It was a flash flood.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• We did have moderate flooding.
• Stayed in the same during that flood.
• Um, we are not directly impacted by the flood, though we were in a county that had a flash flood watch
• Lakes flood differently than rivers. Rivers flood differently than creeks.
• We were above the flood.

Transcript Highlights:

• from this tremendous flooding event. from this tremendous flooding event.
• , the February flood.
• we're going to have flooding 101. Ann we're going to have flooding 101.
• . flooding. flooding.
• You know, there's nothing I love as a flood professional more than to see a flooded greenway or a flooded

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The first meeting of the Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force focused on the task force’s mission and on recent Kentucky flooding disasters. The co-chairs described the need to better prepare for increasingly frequent and costly natural disasters, including flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, and ice storms, and emphasized coordination among local, state, federal, and interstate partners. The discussion also stressed the importance of budgeting for mitigation, infrastructure resilience, housing, insurance, and recovery planning, with several members sharing personal experiences with disaster impacts in their districts. Kentucky Emergency Management Director Eric Gibson gave the main presentation, responding to questions about the February and April flooding events. He said the February event affected the entire state, with 11,825 individuals registering for assistance and 1,194 public-assistance projects written so far; he also reported 134 households still sheltered, 190 households moved to permanent housing, and three disaster recovery centers still open after a regional consolidation. For the April event, he said 37 counties had individual assistance, 83 counties were still pending public assistance, and no hazard mitigation had yet been declared; 5,893 people had registered for individual assistance, and 144 households were sheltered, with 83 families already moved to permanent solutions. He noted that counties without public assistance would have to cover expenses locally unless state or federal aid is approved. Gibson also outlined Kentucky Emergency Management’s tools and resources, including a 24/7 state operations center and warning point, embedded National Weather Service meteorologists, five regional warehouses stocked with water, MREs, blankets, and kits, a statewide web-based damage reporting system, laundry trailers, generators, a disaster needs hotline that has received 6,972 calls, and a mutual aid system used to deploy resources such as water tankers. He highlighted ongoing work on urban search and rescue, qualification systems for emergency operations personnel, and aerial documentation of storm damage. No votes or formal actions were taken at this meeting.

Transcript Highlights:

• on Disaster Preparedness and flooding Select.
• Disaster preparedness and flooding select.
• plains for the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and flooding Select.
• referred to the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and flooding select.
• civil penalty for the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and flooding select.

Transcript Highlights:

• , challenges, different types of flooding, challenges, different types of flooding, different<00:
• Pikeville, the Lice flood is one.
• the American Flood Coalition.
• <00:53:13.599> Well, flooding or to prevent flooding.
• Well, flooding or to prevent flooding.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The Disaster Prevention and Resiliency Task Force opened its sixth meeting by approving the minutes and then taking up a presentation from University of Pikeville representatives and local leaders on an Eastern Kentucky Disaster Relief Center at Bear Mountain in Pike County. Speakers included Greg May, Rep. Ashley Tacket Laferty, Lori Worth, and Laura Damron. They described repeated flooding and other disasters in eastern Kentucky, the lack of a single prepared relief location, and the need for a centralized, elevated site that could serve as a flood and broader natural-disaster hub. The presenters said the Bear Mountain property, about 530 acres and well above flood levels, could support a multi-use facility combining disaster response functions with university and community uses. Proposed features included a command and communications center, distribution space, emergency shelter, medical and clinic support, food service, restroom facilities, RV hookups, and an indoor track/distribution building. They emphasized that the project would help avoid disrupting existing venues such as the Pikeville Expo Center and Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, while also supporting tourism and economic recovery. Committee members asked about community and emergency-management support, annual operating costs, and resilience standards such as tornado-related building codes. In response, the presenters said local stakeholders, including Appalachian Wireless, Pikeville Medical Center, Community Trust Bank, the city of Pikeville, and emergency management officials, had expressed support. They said the university planned to absorb some operating costs through multiple uses of the facility, community camps, and budgeted maintenance, and that construction documents were nearly complete with plans to begin building within months. After the presentation, the chair thanked the presenters and moved the committee into its recommendations discussion, noting the broader fiscal and humanitarian importance of disaster preparedness and resiliency and indicating that future legislation would likely follow from the task force’s work.

Transcript Highlights:

• protection and flood predictions.
• We partner with USGS and work with local governments so that during floods and after floods, we can coordinate
• work with the local governments so that during floods and after floods, we can kind of coordinate and
• data and support flood management.
• Flood hazard information and allows local governments to take this data and support flood management.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from the Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida water management districts for FY 2026-2027. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and priorities within the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Common themes included reduced budgets from the prior year due to completion of major projects, continued reliance on state appropriations and ad valorem revenue, rising construction and maintenance costs, and the need to maintain aging infrastructure while advancing alternative water supply, springs restoration, flood control, and land management projects. Committee members repeatedly asked how much of each district’s budget and personnel were devoted to the core missions, how maintenance and operating projections were developed, and how projects were selected. The districts generally said most spending was tied to core responsibilities, with administrative overhead relatively small, and explained that budgets are built through a mix of staff analysis, governing board direction, strategic basin planning, and cooperative funding with local, state, and federal partners. Several districts highlighted specific projects, including Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Taylor Creek Reservoir improvements, Crane Creek, Everglades restoration, and various springs and watershed projects. The districts also noted challenges from hurricanes, inflation, cybersecurity, and aging water control structures. South Florida Water Management District’s presentation focused on Everglades restoration and the large-scale infrastructure needed to move, store, and clean water in South Florida. The director said the district’s $1.05 billion preliminary budget is largely for flood control, water supply, ecosystem restoration, and maintenance of extensive canals, levees, pumps, and reservoirs, and emphasized that recent restoration investments are producing measurable water quality and salinity improvements. No votes were taken on the district budgets, and the committee adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• That flood watch specifically included Kerr County.
• I'm sorry, flood watch alert that you've seen.
• The point of the flood watch is, you know...
• At no time during the flood event was the PA system used.
• Either during the flood or immediately afterward.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Following the Blanco floods, we saw the need to act.
• Are they in the flash flood plain?
• We were not directly impacted by the flood, although we were in a county that had a flash flood watch
• Localities differ in terms of flooding; lakes flood differently than rivers, and rivers flood differently
• In our FEMA maps, we have special flood hazard areas.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• This flood, we did not see coming. This flood we did not see coming, and Ms.
• , which is a large flood.
• And that was the kind of flood he was looking for. Still a very serious flood.
• the scale of the flooding, said minor flooding is occurring and moderate flooding is forecast.
• You know, we consider a big flood 10, 15 feet. A big flood is 10, 15 feet.

Keywords: 1184, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• In the 2022 floods, only 5% of households had flood insurance.
• is flood in the inaccessibility of flood is flood in the inaccessibility of flood insurance<02:02
• households to recover from flood floods. households to recover from flood floods.
• Flood Insurance Program around 350. So Flood Insurance Program around 350.
• risk of flooding. risk of flooding.

Keywords: 958, all

Summary: The task force met with a quorum, approved the August meeting minutes, and heard a presentation from Dr. Jerry Brosky of the Kentucky Mesonet and Kentucky Climate Center. He described the Mesonet’s statewide weather network, now with 84 stations in 78 counties, real-time data used by the National Weather Service, mobile apps, and more than a billion observations. He said recent legislative funding has allowed upgrades such as soil temperature and moisture sensors, cameras at every site, and improved communications and power systems, and has enabled expansion into new counties. He also highlighted products used for flooding, drought, and heat safety, including a wet bulb globe temperature tool being developed with the Department of Public Health. In response to questions, he said counties interested in a station should contact his center, that a station typically costs about $50,000, and that the program is already considering a second Pike County site. The committee then heard from Ryan Drain of Blue Skies and Chris McGee of the American Red Cross on long-term disaster recovery and a software platform called Darcy, short for Disaster Aware and Ready Communities Initiative. McGee explained the Red Cross’s long-term recovery work, including support for recovery groups, direct financial assistance, grantmaking, and coordination with local and federal partners. He emphasized that disasters are occurring more frequently and with repeated impacts, and shared examples from Kentucky and other states showing the need for organized recovery and storm shelter support. Drain said Darcy was developed after the 2021 Mayfield-Graves tornado recovery to replace fragmented spreadsheets and PDFs with a centralized, survivor-led system for preparedness, response, and recovery, designed to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and shorten recovery time. No votes or formal actions were taken beyond adoption of the minutes.

Transcript Highlights:

• We received federal funding to support water flow measurements associated with flood protection and flood
• We partner with USGS and work with the local governments so that during floods and after floods, we can
• work with the local governments so that during floods and after floods, we can kind of coordinate and
• Flood hazard information and allows local governments to take this data and support flood management.
• Our route is flood control and water supply.

Summary: The Appropriations Committee on Agriculture, Environment, and General Government heard budget presentations from all five water management districts for FY 2026-2027: Northwest Florida, Suwannee River, St. Johns River, Southwest Florida, and South Florida. Each district described its preliminary budget, major funding sources, staffing levels, and how most of its spending is tied to the four core missions of water supply, water quality, natural systems, and flood protection. Several directors noted budget reductions from the prior year largely because major projects were completed or because grant/appropriation funding is not yet fully reflected in preliminary budgets. Committee members repeatedly asked how districts project operations and maintenance costs, how projects are selected, and what share of staff and spending is devoted to core missions versus administration or regulatory work. Northwest Florida Water Management District said its preliminary budget is $93.4 million, down about 15%, with 97% of spending tied to core responsibilities and a request for additional regulatory services funding. Suwannee River Water Management District presented a $70.4 million budget, emphasized its rural/agricultural character and spring protection work, and highlighted the Water First North Florida reclaimed-water recharge project; members also discussed its need for an additional FTE to handle consumptive use permit reviews tied to a new lower Santa Fe rule. St. Johns River Water Management District presented a $181 million budget, highlighted major water supply, water quality, flood protection, and land management projects such as Taylor Creek Reservoir, Water First North Florida, Black Creek, Crane Creek, and Lake Jessup restoration, and said about 93% of its budget supports core missions. Southwest Florida Water Management District presented a $227.6 million budget, with major spending on alternative water supply, water control structure repairs, watershed projects, and land management; officials said 93.4% of the budget supports core missions and discussed rising construction costs for aging infrastructure. South Florida Water Management District presented the largest budget at $1.05 billion, focused on Everglades restoration, flood control, water supply, and ecosystem recovery; the director described major reservoirs and treatment projects, the EAA Reservoir, and ongoing efforts to improve water quality and restore flows to the Everglades and Florida Bay. The committee took no formal votes on the district budgets and adjourned after the presentations and questions.

Transcript Highlights:

• Communications systems for the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
• , referred to the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
• to the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
• This is referred to the Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding.
• Committee on Disaster Preparedness and Flooding Select.

Keywords: 997, house, all

Transcript Highlights:

• by using flood panels.
• But also on that same building, we put on flood panels to mitigate for flood issues.
• they experienced flooding.
• I'm not in the flood zone, by the way. I do have flood insurance.
• I'm not in a flood zone, by the way. I do have flood insurance.

Summary: The Banking and Insurance Committee heard a series of presentations focused on mitigation, flood and wind resilience, and insurance discounts. Kevin Guthrie of the Florida Division of Emergency Management outlined several funding streams for mitigation, including federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program dollars, BRIC grants, flood mitigation assistance, and the state hurricane loss mitigation program. He emphasized the new Elevate Florida initiative, which will use about $400 million initially to elevate or reconstruct flood-prone homes, starting with National Flood Insurance Program properties and severe repetitive-loss homes, with no current per-home cap. Guthrie said the state will contract directly with licensed vendors and aims to reduce future flood losses, lower insurance costs, and keep properties on the tax rolls rather than relying on buyouts. Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworski described Florida’s windstorm mitigation discount program, explaining that the 1802 inspection form is used to assess a home’s overall “envelope” and determine statutory discounts. He said the office is updating the program based on a new wind loss study, with likely changes including greater recognition of roof types such as metal roofs and possible territorial risk adjustments. He also said the Legislature now requires the office to revisit the study every five years. Stephen Fielder of the Department of Financial Services reported on My Safe Florida Home, noting that the program offers inspections and grants for roof and opening protections, has completed more than 100,000 inspections, and has reimbursed hundreds of millions of dollars. He said the department has validated its discount calculations with insurers and that the program is intended to help homeowners reduce premiums through verified mitigation work. Michael Newman of the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety said Florida’s building code is nationally leading and that post-Ian surveys found no wind-driven structural damage in buildings built after adoption of the code. He argued that mitigation should be treated as a system, not isolated upgrades, and suggested adding Fortified designation to the state’s mitigation form to better document verified resilience improvements. Bill Truex, a county commissioner and builder, stressed the need to educate homeowners about floodproofing and roof choices, citing examples where flood panels prevented damage and noting that asphalt shingles often do not last as long in Florida as their marketing suggests. In panel discussion, senators asked about program eligibility, outreach to elderly and digitally challenged residents, contractor vetting, roof-life disclosures, and whether flood insurance should be more broadly required. Officials said outreach will include call centers and in-person assistance, and several participants urged better consumer disclosure and more data-driven guidance on roof and mitigation choices.

Transcript Highlights:

• flooding in recent years. flooding in recent years.
• financial impacts of flooding. financial impacts of flooding.
• more flooding? more flooding?
• When you look at flooding.
• spring flood events.

Keywords: 1187, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• The idea being it’s a base level flash flood warning, roads that normally flood would flood, but you
• > would<00:32:20.480> flood, roads that normally flood would flood, roads that normally
• flood<01:20:44.240> warning<01:20:44.560> was But then flood flash flood warning was
• the flood plains.
• to flood at 8:52. to flood at 8:52.

Bills: SCR21, SCR75, SCR50, SCR149, SCR47, SCR163, SCR169, SCR170

Keywords: healthcare, rural clinic, feasibility study, access to care, community health, Volcano community, Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, emergency services, health assessment, Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, health care, interdepartmental collaboration, public awareness, support services, education, health insurance, affordable healthcare, working group, Hawaii Health Plan, Medicaid expansion

Transcript Highlights:

• This flood, we did not see coming. This flood we did not see coming, and Ms.
• , which is a large flood.
• , which is a large flood.
• , which is a large flood.
• flash flooding; source, radar.

Keywords: 1185, senate, all

Transcript Highlights:

• Here at home, we are seeing many flash floods, and we know that floods are becoming more dangerous and
• We can get at the flooding issue.
• How we're addressing the flooding issue.
• For properties that have experienced repeated flooding or are at risk of future severe flooding, there
• In Essex, the causeway chronically floods and splits the town in two, while Salem faces regular floods

Keywords: 995, all

Summary: The hearing focused on the Healey-Driscoll administration’s Mass Ready Act, a $3 billion environmental bond bill. Administration officials said the bill would fund climate resilience, clean water, land conservation, parks, PFAS remediation, food security infrastructure, and coastal and inland flood protection, while also streamlining permitting for housing, restoration, and other resilience projects. They emphasized that the bond authorizes spending but does not itself obligate it, and said the proposal includes deauthorizations as housekeeping. Committee members asked about the new Resilience Revolving Fund, flood and drought management, MVP funding, land acquisition, Chapter 61 right-of-first-refusal changes, salt marsh carbon sequestration, and how the bill would help smaller municipalities and offset expected federal funding losses. Officials said the revolving fund would be managed through EEA and the Clean Water Trust, with criteria aimed at directing aid to communities most in need, and noted that drought issues would continue to be handled through existing DEP and drought commission tools. Several committee members and witnesses discussed specific policy provisions, including flood disclosure requirements for homebuyers and renters, expanded authority for regional planning and small-town access to grants, and permitting reforms that would exempt or expedite certain environmental restoration and priority housing projects from more time-consuming review processes. Administration witnesses defended the reforms as a way to achieve the same environmental outcomes faster and with more certainty, while some advocates argued the bill should go further, especially on Chapter 91 and restoration permitting. The administration also described investments in DCR facilities, water and wastewater systems, open space, agricultural easements, and a new focus on blue carbon and salt marsh restoration. Public testimony largely supported the bill. Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, the Environmental League of Massachusetts, The Nature Conservancy, MAPC, the Massachusetts Municipal Association, municipal officials, and others praised the bill’s resilience, conservation, and water infrastructure investments. Some witnesses urged additional funding for land protection, coastal resilience, buyouts, and restoration, and several called for stronger or simpler permitting reforms. Municipal witnesses from Boston, Beckett, Beverly, Conway, and regional planning organizations stressed the need for flexible financing, especially for small and rural communities facing costly infrastructure and climate adaptation projects. No votes were taken during the portion of the hearing provided; the committee heard testimony and asked questions before moving on to additional panels.

Transcript Highlights:

• USING FLOOD PANELS.
• BUT ALSO ON THAT SAME BUILDING WE PUT FLOOD PANELS TO MITIGATE FOR FLOOD ISSUES.
• FLOODING.
• AND AS A QUALIFIER AND HOME WAS NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE AND THEY'VE NEVER HAD A FLOOD IN
• I KNOW WITH MILTON I HAD SANDBAGS AT MY HOUSE AND I AM NOT IN A FLOOD ZONE AND I DO HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE

Keywords: 999, senate, all