The 2019–2021 project focuses on the City of Port St. Joe and the surrounding region’s recovery from Hurricane Michael and their long-term resilience. On October 10, 2018, Hurricane Michael, the first Category 5 storm to hit the U.S. mainland since 1992, made landfall near Mexico Beach, twelve miles west of Port St. Joe, devastating communities across the Florida Panhandle and into Georgia.

The FRC process began with community workshops that identified the values, goals, and needs of Port St. Joe residents. The information gathered was shared with UF faculty through a Request for Proposals to encourage faculty- and student-led research initiatives exploring community resilience. These initiatives, undertaken during Spring 2020, focused on built environment, social, and cultural resilience.

The research initiatives culminated in a community workshop held in August 2020, where findings were shared and reviewed with community members. The Spring 2020 process also led to the prioritization of three projects for further development and potential implementation: Urban Connection: The Civic Center, Environment: Parks and Open Space, and Shelter: Affordable and Resilient Housing. These projects continued through Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 with ongoing community stakeholder involvement to support resilient design and policy development for future implementation.