Investing in Preparedness to Manage the Impacts of Rising Seas

Miami-Dade County faces significant risks from sea level rise, including a projected increase in tidal flooding from six events per year currently to over 380 by 2045. The document highlights threats to real estate, drinking water via the Biscayne Aquifer, electricity infrastructure, and the Everglades ecosystem. It emphasizes that pre-disaster investments are fiscally responsible, potentially saving four dollars for every dollar spent on mitigation, and calls for federal support to protect disadvantaged communities and reduce global emissions.

• Tidal flooding in Miami-Dade County is projected to increase dramatically over the next few decades. Based on US Army Corps of Engineers data, the frequency of these events is expected to rise from approximately six per year currently to about 80 per year by 2030 and more than 380 per year by 2045.
• Sea level rise poses a severe financial threat to the county's real estate. A one-foot increase in sea level is estimated to endanger up to $6.4 billion in taxable real estate, with a one-foot rise projected to occur by approximately 2040.
• Critical energy infrastructure is vulnerable to flooding. Analysis shows that 31 out of 152 substations and two out of seven power plants in Miami-Dade could be flooded by a Category 3 storm today; by 2050, the number of exposed substations is projected to more than double to 67.
• Rising seas threaten the region's fresh water supply and ecological health. Saltwater is infiltrating the Biscayne Aquifer, the primary drinking water resource, and pushing into the Everglades, where it contributes to the loss of peat soil and mangroves.
• Climate vulnerability is unevenly distributed, with low-income communities facing unique challenges. In Hialeah, the reliance on gravity-dependent canals makes drainage impossible during high tides, contributing to the city being second only to Miami in 'repetitive flood losses' within the county.
• Investment in hazard mitigation is presented as a cost-effective strategy, with national and regional studies suggesting that every dollar invested in pre-disaster mitigation saves approximately four dollars in avoided damages and recovery costs.

APA

Union of Concerned Scientists (2016). Investing in Preparedness to Manage the Impacts of Rising Seas. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/miami-dade-sea-level-rise-tidal-flooding-fact-sheet.pdf

Chicago

Union of Concerned Scientists. Investing in Preparedness to Manage the Impacts of Rising Seas. 2016. https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/miami-dade-sea-level-rise-tidal-flooding-fact-sheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Union of Concerned Scientists |title=Investing in Preparedness to Manage the Impacts of Rising Seas |date=April 2016 |url=https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/miami-dade-sea-level-rise-tidal-flooding-fact-sheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{unionofconcernedscientists2016investing, author = {{Union of Concerned Scientists}}, title = {{Investing in Preparedness to Manage the Impacts of Rising Seas}}, institution = {Union of Concerned Scientists}, year = {2016}, month = apr, url = {https://www.ucs.org/sites/default/files/attach/2016/04/miami-dade-sea-level-rise-tidal-flooding-fact-sheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }