Amelia Riverfront Engineering / Resiliency Study

Background: Prompted by recent hurricane near-misses to northeast Florida, the City began a resiliency master plan assessing vulnerabilities and developing methodologies to protect the historic downtown area. In 2019, the City of Fernandina Beach hired Passero Associates to lead a Resiliency / Hurricane protection study to further understand the City's risk, impact and provide viable solutions to improve the City's resilience to rising waters and future natural disasters. The study is a culmination of previous studies with an intent to provide the City a path forward.

Study Findings: A Shoreline Protection Plan was developed utilizing sea-level rise simulations. These simulations reflect increased flooding due to sea-level rise combined with storm surge and annual high tide events. Each scenario unveiling how downtown Fernandina Beach would be further devastated by rising waters, further reinforcing the need for shoreline resiliency protection.

The shoreline Protection Plan also provided protection methodologies for 7.0’ NAVD 88 and 9.0’ NAVD 88 through proposed upgrades to Front Street right of ways and City-owned property generally consisting of: Living Shorelines, Rip-Rap, reinforced concrete bulkheads, increasing small craft launch ramp elevation, backflow protection for outflow storm drainage and flood defense systems.

Preferred Solution: The preferred solution is based on finding the most economical mitigation methodology to reduce property damage, business interruption/losses, environmental and historical site damage as a result of rising waters and natural disasters.

The engineering / resiliency study resulted in a phased approach (nine potential phases) for hazard mitigation improvements to the City’s waterfront along the Amelia River, consisting of living shorelines, new (enhanced) raised bulkheads, improved stormwater systems (with flood protection) and upgrades to the boat launch ramp, for a 1.1 mile section along Front Street, including the City’s historic district. All protection measures are provided to an elevation of +9.0’ NAVD 88 to reduce long-term risk to people and property from rising waters and natural disasters.

The proposed shoreline protection plan would increase the City’s resilience to natural disasters, protect the City’s well-preserved historic buildings, and maintain resident quality of life.