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rising sea levels in South Florida. “Unless we can come up with a solution, it’s kind of depressing to think about this. The future is dismal for South Florida.”
Pilkey is not the only scientist sounding the alarm.
‘Nuisance’ Tidal Flooding Increases According to William V. Sweet, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) in Silver Spring, Maryland, so- called “nuisance” tidal flooding or “sunny day” flooding is increasing in many coastal communities, particularly along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts. “As relative sea level increases, it no longer takes a strong storm or a hurricane to cause flooding,” said Sweet, a leading scientist researching coastal inundation. “Flooding now occurs with high tides in many locations due to climate-related sea level rise, land subsidence and the loss of natural barriers. The effects of rising sea levels along most of the continental U.S. coastline are only going to become more noticeable and much more severe in the coming decades, probably more so than any other climate-change related factor.” Nuisance tidal flooding results in public inconveniences such as frequent road closures, overwhelmed storm drains and compromised infrastructures.
Florida International University researchers and journalism students developed an online tool to visualize what South Florida would look like with different levels of sea level rise. This map, drawn from that tool, shows South Beach with two feet of sea rise. To see FIU’s project, visit www.eyesontherise.org
Miami is doomed . It surprises me to see the amount of development there.” Orrin H. Pilkey | Professor emeritus of geology at Duke University
development in low-lying coastal areas like South Florida. “It surprises me to see the amount of development there.” Pilkey, the author of numerous books on climate change, including ”Retreat from a Rising Sea” , (Columbia University Press, 2016), said the twin threats of an ever- encroaching ocean and the area’s porous limestone foundation makes drastic mitigation efforts nearly impossible. He said for cities like Miami Beach it could
be a slow catastrophe, involving a myriad of difficult decisions: whether to build infrastructure to keep the water out or whether to retreat from the coast to higher ground. The only solution, he said, was a moratorium on development along the coast areas and to compel residents to move inland. “I think that by 2050, the situation will be very clear that the game is lost,” predicted Pilkey, referring to the risk of
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