Florida’s coming decades could be more turbulent than any other time in its history. Warmer seas will usher in more powerful, slower-moving, and more destructive storms and hurricanes.
Climate science and Florida
- More severe weather: The frequency of hurricanes in the North Atlantic has increased due to climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests that an increase of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes is likely, with windspeeds increasing by up to 10%.
- Devastating infrastructure damage and costs: Miami, on the Atlantic Coast, is already suffering from rising sea levels. Buildings that were built 40 years ago were not designed to withstand the rising sea levels and corrosive damage that not only causes destruction when it storms but also seeps underground. According to a report from Resilient Analytics and the Center for Climate Integrity, it could cost approximately $76 billion by 2040 to build the sea walls to mitigate the effects of climate change.
- Wetter weather: Florida is about 5% wetter annually than the previous 30-year average, according to a study from Florida State University. Climate change will bring “100 year floods” that occur every few years.
- Residential impact: According to Scientific American, nearly a half-million Floridians living less than 3 feet above current high-water levels could experience regular flooding, experts said, threatening $145 billion in real estate value.
