Rebuilding stronger after disaster: Environmental reviews supporting resilient recovery

In the wake of Hurricanes Ian (2022) and Helene (2024), Lee County, Florida received more than $1.1 billion in US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding to address long-term recovery needs, including housing, critical infrastructure, and community resilience initiatives. As communities moved from emergency response to recovery, federal environmental review requirements became a critical step in ensuring that projects could access funding while supporting safer, more resilient outcomes.

Ramboll has been working with Lee County for several years in support of disaster recovery efforts. Our experts provide thorough, science-backed, and risk-based environmental reviews for HUD-funded recovery projects as part of the County’s CDBG-DR program. We evaluate projects for compliance with federal environmental requirements, enabling recovery investments to move forward while considering potential environmental risks and long-term community impacts.

Our work spans a diverse portfolio of recovery projects designed to strengthen the foundations of community resilience, including reviews for resilient housing initiatives that help residents recover from storm damage while reducing future vulnerability to flooding, hurricanes, and other hazards. In addition to housing, Ramboll’s work supports projects involving the restoration, upgrade, and replacement of public and critical infrastructure.

Examples of projects we’ve provided environmental reviews for include:

• New construction of four, four-story multi-family buildings and one leasing office with amenities
• New construction of 26 affordable housing units in an area designated by the City of Fort Myers to support low-income families through Habitat for Humanity
• Enhancement of flood management, water quality, and system operability by replacing aging infrastructure with automated weirs equipped with underflow gates, which allow for more rapid and controlled water flow
• Replacement of existing leased tower sites with Lee County designed and managed public safety communications towers

Through careful environmental review and risk-informed planning, Ramboll is supporting Lee County and grant applicants with rebuilding in a way that not only restores what was lost, but creates stronger, more resilient communities prepared for future climate risks. This work helps ensure recovery investments deliver lasting value for residents, strengthen critical infrastructure, and support a long-term vision for resilience.