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Climate Change Issues <br />Numerous scientific studies on climate change show that, among other effects on <br />the global ecosystem, sea levels may rise, extreme temperatures may become more <br />common, and extreme weather events may become more frequent as a result of increasing <br />global temperatures attributable to atmospheric pollution. Sea levels may continue to rise <br />in the future due to the increasing temperature of the oceans causing thermal expansion <br />and growing ocean volume from glaciers and ice caps melting into the ocean. Coastal areas <br />like the County are at risk of substantial flood damage over time, affecting private <br />development and public infrastructure, including roads, utilities, emergency services, <br />schools, and parks. If this were to happen, the County could lose considerable tax revenues <br />and many residents, businesses, and governmental operations along the waterfront could <br />be displaced, and the County could be required to mitigate these effects at a potentially <br />material cost. The County is unable to predict whether sea level rise or other impacts of <br />climate change will occur, when they may occur, and if any such events occur, whether <br />they will have a material adverse effect on the business operations or financial condition <br />of the County. Additionally, climate change concerns have led, and may continue to lead, <br />to new laws and regulations at the federal and state levels (including but not limited to air, <br />water, hazardous substances and solid waste regulations) that could have a material adverse <br />effect on the operations and/or financial condition of the County. The County has <br />established a Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and Local Mitigation Strategy <br />Plan which identifies the natural hazards that may affect the County. The County has <br />commenced a Vulnerability Assessment which is intended to inform and guide policies <br />and responses to natural hazards. <br />Future Natural Disasters <br />The State of Florida is naturally susceptible to the effects of extreme weather events <br />and natural disasters, including floods, droughts, and hurricanes, which could result in <br />negative economic impacts on coastal communities such as the County. Such effects can <br />be exacerbated by a longer term shift in the climate over several decades (commonly <br />referred to as climate changes, as generally described in the immediately preceding <br />paragraph), including increasing global temperatures and rising sea levels. The occurrence <br />of such extreme weather events could damage local infrastructure that provides essential <br />services to the County. The economic impacts resulting from extreme weather events <br />could include a loss of revenue, interruption of service, and escalated recovery costs. <br />Cybersecurity <br />Computer networks and systems used for data transmission and collection are vital <br />to the efficient operations of the County. County systems provide support to departmental <br />operations and constituent services by collecting and storing sensitive data, including <br />intellectual property, security information, proprietary business process information, <br />information applying to suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable <br />