By Trimmel Gomes, Florida News Connection
A community on Jacksonville’s Northside is facing down rising water. As climate change contributes to higher tides and stronger storms, residents in the Ribault River area are seeing floodwaters creep closer to their homes.
Dana Maule, a community ambassador for Northside Pride who showcased the real impacts during a Florida Climate Week boat tour last week, said the issue is urgent in a neighborhood where 87% of residents are Black, highlighting the intersection of environmental justice and cultural preservation.
“The river and the high tide was right in people’s back yards, and we saw one house where the water was right up to the bricks,” she said. “So a lot of these homeowners suffer from a lot of water damage, flooding, and we’re trying to use Florida Climate Week to talk about the issues so that we can find solutions.”
Maule pointed to the area’s significance as part of the Gullah Geechee cultural corridor, with Jacksonville home to the highest number of descendants of these historically significant communities.
She said the solution requires both addressing the root causes of climate change and fostering a deeper connection to the threatened environment.
“We all are sharing the same water, the same air and the same soil, and so it does not matter the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, where you work, where you live,” she said. “We are all on this planet together, and I think that if we get to enjoy the planet together, then we should protect the planet together.”
She touted small actions such as ensuring zero waste and having greener building materials in infrastructure. Other efforts include teaching youths to swim and fish and integrating recreation with conservation to build resilience and natural solutions.
For Maule, her response is rooted in community pride and a shared responsibility for the planet.
Florida News Connection is a bureau of the Public News Service. Banner photo: According to the St. Johns Riverkeeper, areas around the Ribault River is highly vulnerable to flooding and pollution problems, in addition to numerous socioeconomic factors (Trimmel Gomes photo).
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