South Florida is grappling with severe flooding following a once-in-200-years storm, marking the fourth such massive rainfall in as many years. The recent tropical rainstorm, described as a rain bomb, has led to significant damage, prompting Miami-Dade County officials to urge residents to complete a damage assessment survey. The flooding has also caused sewage spills and tainted water, exacerbating public health concerns. Experts argue that Miami, home to 6 million people, cannot handle such storms, and adaptation efforts may be insufficient in the face of climate change. The city's unique geography, built on a drained swamp and porous limestone, makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding, with sunny-day flooding increasing by 400% since 1998. Some officials and commentators suggest that retreat might be the only viable long-term solution for the region. Efforts to make Florida more resilient are ongoing, but the root cause, climate change, remains unaddressed.
The flooding of Miami was predictable, and indeed widely predicted https://t.co/y4cPDKEMgn
A week after a tropical rainstorm caused flooding throughout South Florida, Miami-Dade County officials are urging residents to fill out a damage assessment survey. https://t.co/yYe7SKOPXw
"That water is coming for greater Miami and the 6 million people who live here. This glittering city was built on a drained swamp and sits atop porous limestone ... Sunny-day flooding, when high tides gurgle up and soak low-lying ground, has increased 400% since 1998 ... a major…
Rain bombs, or massive amount of rain fall, caused serious flooding in many parts of South Florida a few days ago. @TheAtlantic: “That water is coming for greater Miami and the six million people who live here.” https://t.co/zqzGceFDo2
This South #Florida city is entering a state of unreality: Adaptation efforts for climate change can’t fix the city’s rising water woes https://t.co/Sat1HRHqja via @FloodlightNews
“Eventually, Florida’s policies of agnostic adaptation will have to deal with this looming reality, where adaptation is clearly impossible, and retreat may be the only option left.” No one writes about Miami’s flooding problem quite like @marioarizabaez https://t.co/JpHlCAVZdI
One nasty ripple effect from South Florida floods: Sewage spills, tainted water https://t.co/uRYsCY6yeG
The County is asking residents to complete an online survey on how flooding has affected them and their community. https://t.co/q4mLVEzVww
A recent storm that hit South Florida was a once-in-200-years event. It was also the fourth such massive rainfall to hit the region in as many years. Miami cannot handle storms like this, nor can it be built to, @marioarizabaez of @FloodlightNews writes: https://t.co/xAjWysXgB4
"Florida is entering a subtropical state of unreality..." "Eventually, Florida’s policies of agnostic adaptation will have to deal with this looming reality, where adaptation is clearly impossible, and retreat is the only option left." https://t.co/JBJ2vlQrzZ
“He likes the optics of saying, ‘Look at all of these things that I’m doing to help make #Florida more resilient.' But he refuses to acknowledge the root cause here, which is climate change.” https://t.co/fJkbHlhSuB via @ninamoske
The storm that hit South Florida last week was a once-in-200-years event. It was also the fourth such massive rainfall to hit the region in as many years. Miami cannot handle storms like this one, nor can it be built to, @marioarizabaez writes: https://t.co/2zMOX5ehXO
As more wet weather is in the forecast for South Florida this week, residents and city officials aren’t taking any chances. https://t.co/bVXzqyZK8J