The unseen flooding risk in South Florida: Rising water beneath our feet

A no name storm in November 2023 caused compound flooding due to a multi-day rain event and a king tide. Some South Florida canals failed to drain properly and the storm inundated Hialeah with torrential rain. Pedro Portal

Maybe you rent on a Little Havana street where thunderstorms seem to flood apartments every other summer. Maybe you live along a Fort Lauderdale canal where the Intracoastal seems to lap higher up seawalls with annual king tides. Maybe you’re fortunate to be perched on a limestone ridge in Coral Gables, where street ponding seems only an occasional annoyance.

Wherever you live in South Florida, the flooding you see right now is likely to get worse in the years ahead – despite billions of dollars in drainage projects intended to protect communities.

Climate change carries much of the blame in the form of rising seas and wetter storms, but there also are significant holes in how theregion is projecting and preparing for flooding…

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