Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are underwater in a couple of decades, according to the chairman of the University of Miami’s geological-sciences department
It is time to consider a re-settlement of the millions that live there.
During high tides that have been worsened by sea-level rise, Miami has seen flooding in its Upper Eastside and Brickell neighborhoods. Hal Wanless, the chairman of the University of Miami’s geological-sciences department, has spent nearly half a century studying South Florida. From this, he’s concluded that the region may have less than half a century more to go. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicts sea levels could rise by more than three feet by the end of this century. The United States Army Corps of Engineers projects that they could rise by as much as five feet, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts up to six and a half feet. According to Wanless, all these projections are all too low.
“We’re looking at the possibility of a ten-to-thirty-foot range by the end of the century,” he told me.
Florida Mayors Tell GOP Climate-Deniers They’ve Had Enough.
Fifteen mayors from cities in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties wrote a letter asking them to meet with local leaders to “discuss the risks facing Florida communities due to climate change and help us chart a path forward to protect our state and the entire United States.”
“As mayors representing municipalities across Florida, we call on you to acknowledge the reality and urgency of climate change and to address the upcoming crisis it presents our communities,” both letters begin. “Our cities and towns are already coping with the impacts of climate change today. We will need leadership and concrete solutions from our next president.”
Got a plan?
