South Florida

How Miami is dealing with climate change, including insurance and sinking buildings

Stories by Miami Herald journalists, with AI summarization

Miami faces challenges from climate change, spanning rising sea levels, sinking buildings and surging groundwater risks.

Models show accelerating sea-level rise, which could inundate infrastructure within decades. Insurance relief, such as recent flood premium discounts to ease financial strains on property owners.

Let's take a look at some of the challenges.

The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.

Aerial view of floods affecting West 29 Street and 14th Avenue in Hialeah as South Florida is getting drenched Wednesday night as torrential downpours inundate the region due to a disturbance off Florida’s coast affecting, on Wednesday November 16, 2023. By Pedro Portal

NO. 1: 100,000 MIAMI-DADE RESIDENTS WILL GET A BIG DISCOUNT ON FLOOD INSURANCE. ARE YOU ONE?

The discount is thanks to change from FEMA. | Published January 12, 2024 | Read Full Story by Alex Harris

Late model luxury Land Rover speeds through as a stranded driver tries to tow his car out of the flooded intersection. Tropical Storm Eta slammed into Miami leaving motorists crossing the intersection of SW 13th Street and Brickell Avenue stuck in flood water in heavy rains due to the storms weather bands on Monday, November 9, 2020. By Carl Juste

NO. 2: SEA LEVELS ARE STARTING TO RISE FASTER. HERE’S HOW MUCH SOUTH FLORIDA IS EXPECTING

The pace is expected to speed up — dramatically. | Published May 17, 2024 | Read Full Story by Alex Harris

A driver blinks their hazard lights on Arthur Street in Hollywood, Florida, as heavy rain floods the surrounding neighborhood on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. By MATIAS J. OCNER

NO. 3: THE TRILLION-DOLLAR HIDDEN THREAT FROM CLIMATE CHANGE: RISING GROUNDWATER

Up to 70% of residents between North Carolina and Florida could be impacted by the end of the century with just over three feet of sea rise. | Published December 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Jenny Staletovich

A view of the Sunny Isles Beach skyline on Tuesday, July 23, 2019. By DAVID SANTIAGO

NO. 4: SURFSIDE WEIGHS TIGHTER MONITORING OF NEW CONSTRUCTION IN WAKE OF SINKING BUILDINGS STUDY

‘There’s a lot of flaws, a lot of loopholes there, because they (developers) just go through the motions,’ said Vice Mayor Tina Paul | Published January 31, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Hruby

This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.