Mariners Hospital in the Florida Keys was evacuated to prepare for Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Experts say cities and counties are assuming a greater role in the state’s response to climate change’s cascading effects on public health. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)
ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida is the hottest state in the contiguous United States, and its residents suffer the most heat-related illness. Older people are most susceptible to the heat, and nearly 4.7 million Floridians — 1 in 5 residents — are older than 65.
The peninsula has 8,436 miles of coastline, and three-quarters of state residents live in coastal counties, imperiled by rising sea levels, extreme rainfall, and more intense hurricanes.
Climate change is making Florida hotter and increasing the risk of flooding and severe storms. Increasingly, the state should expect “adverse public health outcomes, such as heat-related illness and mortality, especially among more vulnerable populations,” according to the state climatologist’s office at Florida State University.