Because of increasing inundation of low-lying areas from rising sea levels, especially during the yearly king tides, mainland Miami is considering abandoning some of the lowest-lying areas and letting them serve as natural barriers to the effects of the rising sea levels. A variety of options for dealing with rising sea level are being considered, including building higher sea walls, buying out properties in the lowest elevation areas and returning them to nature, and raising roads to reduce the number of days they are closed due to high tides.
As you can imagine, it’s a complicated problem because of all the layers of thought that have to go into making these decisions and especially considering the people that live in the lowest areas, who both see the effects of the rising tides and have to consider whether or not it is worth it to stay. Similar discussions are expected to occur at all cities along the coasts, including many in the Southeast. You can read more at the Miami Herald here.
