Water, Water, Everywhere: Sea Level Rise in Miami
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The mean sea level has risen noticeably in the Miami and Miami Beach areas just in the past decade. Flooding events are getting more frequent, and some areas flood during particularly high tides now: no rain or storm surge necessary. Perhaps most alarming is that the rate of sea level rise is accelerating.
The Miami metropolitan region has the greatest amount of exposed financial assets and 4th-largest population vulnerable to sea level rise in the world. The only other cities with a higher combined (financial assets and population) risk are Hong Kong and Calcutta [2].
In the next 20 years, what should we reasonably expect in southeast Florida? The median value of sea level from various observed trends in 2034 is around 5 inches, with a realistic range of 3-7 inches.
Year by year, flooding due to heavy rain, storm surge, and high tides will become more frequent and more severe. Water tables will continue to rise, and saltwater intrusion will continue to contaminate fresh water supplies.
This is not an issue that will simply go away. Even without any additional anthropogenic contributions, sea level will continue to rise, perhaps for thousands of years. But anthropogenic contributions are speeding up the process, giving us less time to react and plan.
Coastal cities were built relatively recently, without any knowledge of or regard for rising seas and evolving coastlines. As sea level rises, coastlines will retreat inward. Sea level rise is a very serious issue for civilization, but getting everyone to take it seriously is a challenge. As Dutch urban planner Steven Slabbers said, “Sea level rise is a … storm surge in slow motion that never creates a sense of crisis”. It will take some creative, expensive, and aggressive planning to be able to adapt in the coming decades and centuries.