Aerial View of Miami Beach, Florida, showing sea levels – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Mia2you
A new map highlights the areas of Florida that are most at risk from rising sea levels and more frequent floods as a result of climate change.
Researchers at Climate Central created the map, which illustrates the regions that might be at risk by 2050 using sophisticated predictive modeling. Because of its long coastline and low-lying terrain, Florida is among the states most at risk from increasing sea levels.
According to the map, the southern Florida coast is most vulnerable, especially the low-lying Florida Keys and state parks and reserves. The Everglades National Park, which covers more than 1.5 million acres and is home to hundreds of species of birds, animals, and reptiles, might be completely drowned, along with other parts of Florida’s southwest coast.
Cape Coral’s surrounding coastal regions, especially its vast canal system, would also be susceptible to flooding.
The rising sea would also impact the eastern coast of the Sunshine State.
A portion of Fort Lauderdale would be under water, especially the Las Olas Isles waterfront community. In a similar vein, Jacksonville’s river and waterway-front neighborhoods will likewise be inundated.
According to the map’s forecasts, Miami and Tampa would be less severely impacted, but their green coastal areas would still see some water incursion.
By 2050, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the sea level along the U.S. coastline will have risen by an average of 10 to 12 inches. This growth is the same as the entire rise that was seen between 1920 and 2020.
“The 20–40 cm [7.9–15.7 inches] of sea level rise recorded along U.S. beaches over the past several decades has already increased the risk of flooding for those living on low-lying coastal terrain, such as river mouths. As water levels continue to rise, their communities may anticipate the worst effects,” Peter Girard, a spokesman for the group Climate Central, previously told Newsweek.
According to a recent article by Climate Central president and CEO Ben Strauss, storm surges are expected to reach at least five feet in height in many areas of the United States by 2050.
Around 2.4 million people and 1.3 million dwellings, or nearly half of the national danger, are situated within four feet of the high tide line, making South Florida especially vulnerable, according to Strauss.
“Overall, sea level rise is making the odds of a South Florida flood reaching more than 4 feet above high tide, by 2050, on par with the odds of losing at Russian roulette,” he stated.
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Chris began his writing as a hobby while attending Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida. Today he and his wife live in the Orlando area with their three children and dog.
