RESIDENTS FOR RESILIENCE
Connecting People • Sharing Knowledge • Building Resilience
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Helping people understand the connections between our water, our environment, our health, our infrastructure, and our communities—and then bringing the right people together to create solutions.
Suzee Bailey
Founder/CEO
Residents for Resilience
"It's hard to care about what you don't know about."
WELCOME TO RESIDENTS FOR RESILIENCE
At Residents for Resilience (R4R), we’re all about water — the water we drink, the water we live around, the water we manage when it rains, and the waterways and marine ecosystems that make South Florida such a special place to call home.
We often say, “It’s hard to care about what you don’t know about.” That’s why R4R works to be the missing link — helping bridge the information gap between residents and the scientists, experts, government leaders, universities, organizations and others working on the issues that affect our water, our environment and our communities.
R4R was born from a personal experience, but it quickly became about something much bigger. It became a journey to better understand how South Florida's most important water challenges—from safe drinking water and water quality to flooding, stormwater management, coastal resilience, and marine ecosystem restoration—are all interconnected, and how connecting people, science, information, and solutions can help build healthier waterways, stronger communities, and a more resilient future.
REGISTER NOW!
WATERLOGGED: BENEATH THE SURFACE
Featuring the award-winning film
Descent: Into the Blue
Residents for Resilience invites you to a special evening exploring the beauty,
the challenges, and the hopeful future of Florida's Coral Reef.
Wednesday, November 18, 2026
6:15 – 9:00 PM (program begins at 7:00 PM)
Savor Cinema Fort Lauderdale
503 SE 6th Street, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Admission is Complimentary but seating is limited.
🚗 FREE PARKING
Courthouse Parking – Lot 4 | 216 SE 6th Street
THE EVENING
6:15 PM – Doors open
6:30 PM – Networking and light bites
7:00 PM – Film screening, with an introduction by Director Rory Fielding
8:00 PM – Expert post-film panel and audience Q&A
8:45 PM – Meet the director and panelists
OUR PANEL
Moderated by Suzee Bailey, Founder & CEO, Residents for Resilience
• Dr. Diego Lirman — Professor & Research Scientist, University of Miami Rosenstiel School
• Dr. Kylie Smith — Co-Founder, I.CARE
• Jessica Ganim, M.S. — Environmental Policy Specialist, Miami Waterkeeper
• Frazier Nivens — Underwater Cinematographer
WHY IT MATTERS
Healthy reefs protect our coastlines, support marine life, contribute to our ocean economy, and are essential to the future of our communities. As we like to say, “It’s hard to care about what you don’t know about.” This evening is a chance to see what’s beneath the surface, ask questions, and discover the work being done to protect and restore Florida’s Coral Reef — and how we can all be part of the solution.
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED!
Want to learn more about the film, our panelists, and R4R Waterlogged?
LEARN MORE ABOUT R4R WATERLOGGED HERE
HELP MAKE R4R WATERLOGGED POSSIBLE
R4R Waterlogged is made possible through the support of sponsors and underwriters who help us bring educational programs like this to our community.
BECOME A SPONSOR OR UNDERWRITER
Please feel free to share this invitation with friends, neighbors, and
colleagues who care about our waters.
Questions? Contact us at info@residentsforresilience.org
"It's hard to care about what you don't know about."
Come with us beneath the surface to find out why you should care! 🌊
We hope to see you there!
Suzee Bailey
Founder/CEO, Residents for Resilience
residentsforresilience.org
Stay Informed ~ Stay Connected ~ Stay Resilient
WHEN THE SEWERS CAN’T KEEP UP
Extreme rainfall doesn’t only create flooding. When rainwater and groundwater enter sanitary sewer systems, overwhelmed infrastructure can contribute to sewer overflows, backups and potential impacts to our waterways.
What is happening beneath our streets — and what can we do about it?
R4R IN ACTION
From Information to Conversation to Collaboration - and Solutions
At Residents for Resilience, we believe knowledge is powerful —
but what we do with that knowledge is what makes a difference.
Through education, advocacy, and collaboration, we're connecting residents, scientists, environmental organizations, businesses, and government leaders to explore solutions, inspire action, and help build healthier, safer, and more
resilient communities throughout South Florida.
Filling the Information Gap!
TO RECEIVE OUR FREE NEWSLETTERS
AND INVITES TO SPECIAL RESILIENCY MEETINGS AND EVENTS!
AND THERE'S A LOT MORE HAPPENING...
Issues • Projects • Partnerships • Solutions
🤝 COLLABORATION IN ACTION
Connecting residents, scientists, environmental organizations, businesses, and government leaders to turn knowledge, partnerships, and ideas into meaningful action.
CLICK EACH PICTURE FOR DIRECT LINKS TO THOSE PAGES
BUT OUR WORK DOESN'T STOP IN
FORT LAUDERDALE!
R4R is expanding its advocacy throughout South Florida, encouraging Broward County
and local municipalities to make critical health and safety information easier for everyone to access.
Our vision is a centralized, easy-to-find, easy-to-use, and regularly updated public information
platform where residents can quickly check waterway quality, boil-water notices, flooding conditions,
and other important advisories.
And just as importantly, residents should know when those advisories have been updated
or officially lifted — as close to real time as possible.
Because access to critical health and safety information shouldn't depend on your ZIP code!
I
🌿 AIDA NESIMI,LEED AP ND
The Next Two Years Decide
Who Is Still Here in Ten...
Read more!
🐬 KENNA-FAITH HOVEY
Marine Conservation | University of Miami Rosenstiel School
From South Florida to Sardinia, Kenna spent her summer working alongside marine researchers studying wild bottlenose dolphins in the Mediterranean —
🐬 ANNA FINNERAN
S4R
ADOPT-A-WATERWAY:
One Cleanup at a Time
What can one student do to help protect the waterways in her own community? Quite a lot.
FROM ADVOCACY TO ACTION
Making Water Quality Data More Accessible
Residents for Resilience has continued to advocate for greater transparency and public access to water-quality data that is easier to find, easier to use and easier to understand.
Working collaboratively with Vice Mayor Sorensen and Fort Lauderdale’s new Chief Waterways Officer, Stefan Perritano, we’re excited to see the City of Fort Lauderdale developing a new water-quality dashboard designed to make important information about our waterways easier for residents to find, understand and use.
Fort Lauderdale is also the only city in Broward County participating in Miami Waterkeeper’s Waterway Monitoring Program, providing weekly water-quality sampling at
locations throughout the city.
For R4R, this is an important step forward. Residents shouldn’t have to search multiple websites or file public-records requests simply to understand what is happening in
the waters surrounding their community.
We hope Fort Lauderdale’s efforts will also encourage other cities and counties throughout South Florida to provide the same kind of easy, centralized public access to water-quality information.
Better information builds trust, leads to greater awareness — and greater awareness helps all of us become better stewards of the waterways we share.
STAY TUNED — WATER QUALITY DASHBOARD COMING SOON
💦 IMPORTANT FYI!
🌊 KING TIDE SEASON IS HERE
South Florida's King Tide season brings periods of unusually high tides that
can increase the risk of coastal and neighborhood flooding.
When higher tides combine with heavy rainfall, elevated groundwater levels,
and other conditions, flooding can become more severe.
King Tide dates and water levels vary by location, so we encourage residents
to check the latest forecasts and flood information for their communities.
Why It Matters
King Tides alone don’t always mean flooding. But when higher tides combine
with heavy rainfall, already-high groundwater levels, wind and other conditions,
the risk of localized flooding can increase. This is known as compound flooding
— when multiple conditions come together to increase flood risk.
And the bigger picture matters.
As sea levels rise, South Florida communities face increasing challenges
from high-tide flooding, drainage and saltwater intrusion.
🌊 Why Do Local King Tide Dates Sometimes Look Different?
You may notice that SFWMD’s outlook doesn’t always match the King Tide
dates listed by your city or county. That doesn’t mean one is wrong.
SFWMD provides broader regional outlook periods, while local governments provide more location-specific information based on tides expected to affect their communities. Tidal peaks can occur at different times and reach different elevations
from one location to another.
And remember: astronomical tides are only part of the picture. Rainfall, wind, ocean conditions and groundwater levels can all influence the water levels
communities actually experience.
💧 THE BOTTOM LINE
Use SFWMD for the regional outlook — and your local city or county for
information specific to where you live.
👉 CHECK THE LATEST SFWMD KING TIDE FORECAST
👉 CHECK YOUR LOCAL TIDE & FLOOD INFORMATION:
Broward County Resilience Dashboard
Know Before You Go — and Know Before the Water Rises. 🌊💙
“It’s hard to care about what you don’t know about.”
And as you can see, some issues are simply too important NOT to know about —
or to ignore! Because what we don't know CAN affect our health, our safety, our communities, and our way of life.
Stay informed. Stay prepared. Stay safe.