Freedom. 

That’s the word Bill Marlow used after the murky waters finally subsided on Nov. 26. It all began as a king tide rolled in months earlier, covering roads and streets inside the Stillwright Point community at MM 105, bayside, in Key Largo.

“It really impacted life here,” said the full-time resident as he looked back at one of the more trying times for the neighborhood. “I would ride my bike every morning in the water. I’d come home and have this giant stripe going up my back — the water just kept kicking up.”

How long were residents dealing with wet roads when a king tide came? Just over 90 days, said Emilie Stewart, who bought her home on North Blackwater Lane in 1995. Stewart documented the roads from when flooding began in early September to when it went away in late November. 

“There were people who were coming over here parking on a grassy area on the side of the road to walk the dog because this section wasn’t flooded,” she said. “There was no other place to walk your dog.”

Residents like Stewart and Mary Kathleen Magrath say they’ve dealt with flooded roads in the past with king tides, but nothing like they experienced this fall. What’s to blame? It’s the offshore storms that impacted the Gulf Stream, which caused the Florida Bay to fill. Magrath bought her home 25 years ago on Middle Street, one of the lower spots next to the mangrove, and Sexton Way. 

“I was just enjoying riding my bike just now going ‘Wow,’” Magrath said with elation as she visited with fellow neighbors at Stewart’s residence. 

Despite their relief, the neighbors were quick to point out that the respite from flood waters couldn’t detract from the overall message: 91 days underwater was too long. They would plead their case before the county commissioners, calling for studies to stop and action to start to prevent another flood like this the next king tide. 

At the Dec. 11 BOCC meeting, discussions between the county commissoners and residents were solution-driven and future-focused. Kim Sikora, another Stillwright neighbor, spoke to the commission and news cameras in the room. “We will not be retreating. We understand it’s challenging, but we need your help and we urge you to start.”

Resident Pam Shockey urged the commissioners to take swift action. She said, “Governments have a way of postponing things. And what I know from living life is it’s always better to get ahead of things rather than chase it.” Shockey gave the examples of a small cut left untreated becoming infected and a small leak flooding your house. She added, “possibly, if global warming had been addressed 30 years ago, we wouldn’t even need a meeting to talk about what we’re doing. I’m asking you to be forward-thinking and get ahead of what we’re doing.”

Flood-free finally for Key Largo community - A screen shot of a living room - Academic conference
Following impassioned pleas for action from the Stillwright community at the BOCC meeting, county commissioners voted unanimously to expedite studies for the neighborhood. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly

George Smyth, speaking for the neighborhood, said, “We’re the canary in the coal mine. We need to get moving on elevating our roads, providing mitigation to those who can’t move, and to cope with the rising ride. Are we up to the challenge to do that? Can we find the funding?” 

Mayor Heather Carruthers agreed that the issue is much bigger than Stillwright Point or even the Keys. “Frankly, this is a global issue. And what we’re dealing with right now are difficult decisions that governments and communities around the world will have to start dealing with.”

Carruthers noted there would be solutions that no one has thought of yet and that the overall fix would include much more than just elevating roads. Remaining hopeful and realistic, she brainstormed, “Is elevation the only solution? Have we considered in certain areas how to grant access? Pontoon bridges?” Met with gasps and some laughter from the crowd, Carruthers interjected. “No, I’m serious. It might not work in your neighborhood, but in others, it just might.”

Rhonda Haag, the county’s chief resiliency officer, agreed, noting that no single solution would work for every road in the county. Rather, each will need its own, tailored solution based on the unique situation of that section of road. And, Haag added, elevating roads is just one of the tools the county can consider to keep the community intact. “We’re looking at 2100 to see what the Keys will look like. This isn’t just roads elevation, this is a holistic view of the Keys and how we will live with water.”“Because we can’t keep it away,” said Commissioner Michelle Coldiron. Heads in the room nodded, acknowledging this “new normal” for the Keys. Coldiron added, “We can’t stop the seawater from rising, so how can we help our residents keep living here and have quality of life?” 

Commissioner David Rice chimed in. “We’re faced with unprecedented issues. It’s happening faster than anticipated, but we’re problem-solving at an unprecedented level too,” he said. “There are no bad ideas – like when everyone laughed at the pontoon bridges. That might be a good idea! We need creativity.”

Flood-free finally for Key Largo community - A group of people in a room - Community
Stillwright Point residents filled the Nelson Government Center to ask for help from the county commissioners. They donned shirts and brought posters printed with images of the roads to their homes flooded. TIFFANY DUONG/Keys Weekly

The proactive mindset toward resiliency against sea level rise comes on the heels of the recent Southeast Florida Regional Climate Leadership Summit. The summit and new sea level projections catalyzed the BOCC to act now. 

Rather than accept and resign the community to a soggy future, the commissioners used Stillwright to set the tone for future climate adaptations in the county. Carruthers instructed staff, “Expedite the analysis so we can expedite the solution.” 

The commissioners voted unanimously to prioritize the modeling of the Stillwright neighborhood to determine recommended road adaptations, cost and related policy decisions in the Road Vulnerability Analysis. These findings will be presented at the April/May 2020 BOCC meeting, where the BOCC will determine if and how to proceed with Stillwright as a pilot project for adaptation.

Updates on the sustainability efforts of Monroe County are available at www.monroecounty-FL.gov/sustainability and www.keysroadplan.com.