Three newspapers confront one challenge: Sea-level rise is real

In August, 2017, a woman walks along a flooded sidewalk along Alton Road near Michigan Avenue in Miami Beach. New research from NOAA suggests this kind of flooding could happen every day by 2070 under most climate models. Emily Michot MIAMI HERALD

South Florida needs all hands on deck — now

No graver threat faces the future of South Florida than the accelerating pace of sea-level rise. In the past century, the sea has risen 9 inches in Key West. In the past 23 years, it’s risen 3 inches. By 2060, it’s predicted to rise another 2 feet, with no sign of slowing down.

Think about that. Water levels could easily be 2 feet higher in 40 years. And scientists say that’s a conservative estimate. Because of melting ice sheets and how oceans circulate, there’s a chance South Florida’s sea level could be 3 feet higher by 2060 and as much as 8 feet by 2100, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

It’s not just a matter of how much land we’re going to lose, though the barrier islands and low-lying communities will be largely uninhabitable once the ocean rises by 3 feet. It’s a matter of what can be saved. And elsewhere, how we’re going to manage the retreat.

To that end, the editorial boards of the Miami Herald, South Florida Sun Sentinel and Palm Beach Post — with reporting help from WLRN Public Media — are joining hands in an unprecedented collaboration this […]

Full article: Three newspapers confront one challenge: Sea-level rise is real, South Florida needs all hands on deck — now

More about sea-level rise, coastal flooding and more:

From Atlantic City to Key West: 21 beach towns that will soon be under water

Fast and Getting Faster: The Verdict on Sea Level Rise from the Latest National Climate Assessment

Water World: Sea Level Rise, Coastal Floods and Storm Surges

Satellite Snafu Masked True Sea Level Rise for Decades

The lesser-known threat from sea-level rise? Saltwater intrusion into Florida’s freshwater wells.

‘Sunny day flooding’ worsens at NC beaches — a sign sea rise is decades too soon