King tides are flooding Jupiter Island, submerging mangrove forests, closing trails and knocking out internet service at the education center at the Nature Conservancy’s Blowing Rocks Preserve on Monday.
Black mangroves that normally have their roots above water are sitting about 2 feet under water at peak high tide. Drainage pipes are also submerged, according to the conservancy.
James Byrne, the group’s director of strategy in Florida, called it some of the most extreme flooding he has seen outside hurricane season. He said seawater can move through Florida’s limestone and raise water levels miles inland, not just along the shoreline.
Byrne tied the problem to funding. Voters will decide Amendment 3 on Nov. 3, a measure that would lower property taxes for certain homeowners. Property taxes also pay for water management districts and flood-protection infrastructure, and Byrne warned that less money could mean more flooding, property damage and pollution.
“Property tax relief, in these economic times, it’s important, but at what cost?” Byrne said.
The conservancy is urging residents to look at what property taxes fund before they vote.
