Nassau County held an open house at the Callahan Community Center on June 20 to discuss plans to manage and mitigate flooding in the Thomas Creek area. This effort is part of the Thomas Creek Implementation Plan, funded by the Resilient Florida Program, which was created to protect Florida’s coastlines and waterways from sea level rise, storms and flooding.
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The Resilient Florida program was established by 1954 Senate bill signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 12, 2021. For the 2023/24 fiscal year, Nassau County received two grants under this program, including $2.8 million to build homes buy in the Thomas Creek watershed. The county will cover some of the costs, with $1 million approved by the Board of County Commissioners and another $400,000 from in-kind operating funds.
Thomas Creek watershed management has been a focus for Nassau County since 2007. A study with the Army Corps of Engineers recommended a voluntary home buyout program for flood-prone areas. In March 2023, the county presented the Thomas Creek Implementation Plan to the Board of County Commissioners, outlining steps to address the issue.
During the open house, residents learned about ongoing flood mitigation efforts. County staff were on hand to answer questions and provide information. Attendees also discussed the county’s Bicentennial efforts, the Nassau Vision 2050 initiative, and the Conservation Land Acquisition and Management (CLAM) program, which includes Thomas Creek lands among the top 25 priority projects.
Those who had already signed up for the buyout program received more details about the purchasing process, while new volunteers were added to the list. Residents also viewed preliminary floodplain elevations that will be submitted to FEMA later this year.
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