; Whereas the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that roughly 40 to 60 percent of small businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster; Whereas sea level rise along the coast of Florida has risen 6 inches in the last 30 years, and its speed has increased threefold in recent years, with scientific projections forecasting another 8 inches of sea level rise in the next 20 years; Whereas sea level rise of just 3 inches since 2000 has increased flooding, statewide, in Florida by 300 percent; Whereas sea level rise, hurricane storm surge, and flooding currently threaten millions of homes in Florida alone; Whereas sea level rise poses a unique threat to Florida given the limestone bedrock beneath much of the State which allows rising seawater to infiltrate sewage systems and threaten ground water supplies through saltwater intrusion; Whereas the Everglades, a unique ecosystem and the jewel of Florida, is at significant risk of saltwater intrusion due to sea level rise, which would kill the mangroves and threaten coastal Florida’s most important source of freshwater and protection from storm surge; Whereas cities in Florida alone are already spending over $4 billion to harden infrastructure, improve drainage, nourish beaches, and combat tidal flooding from 6 inches of sea level rise over the last 30 years; Whereas Hurricane Irma caused $50 billion in damage; Whereas proactively investing to prevent flooding is a wiser use of resources than spending on flooding recovery, as exemplified by FEMA research showing that $1 spent on disaster prevention can save up to $7 in recovery costs; and Whereas national coordination, support, and funding are necessary for flood-prone communities to address the challenges of sea level rise and flooding: Now, therefore, be it