Resilience and Disaster Mitigation in Real Estate Development - The real estate industry acknowledges that hurricane categories, based solely on wind speeds, don't fully represent the potential for water damage [1] - Responsible development involves building resilience to extreme weather events, enabling quicker recovery [8] - The industry recognizes the need for proactive measures to mitigate destruction caused by hurricanes [7] Water Management Strategies - Babcock Ranch utilized existing water systems and mimicked them to manage water levels [2] - The development implemented a network of bowls (ponds and lakes) to control water levels, allowing drainage before hurricanes [3] - Slowing down water flow enables wetlands to absorb water, preventing storm water inundation [3] Location and Elevation Considerations - Location about 20 miles (32.18 kilometers) inland provides protection from storm surge [5] - Elevation strategies, raising the development footprint overall and directing water to specific collection points, are crucial [4] Hurricane Impact and Risk Assessment - Since 1980, hurricanes have caused over 7,000 deaths and $1.5 trillion (1.5 million million) in damages [7] - Inland counties account for approximately 25% of hurricane-related deaths in the US [6] - There is a 1% annual chance of a 100-year storm event occurring [6]