Florida climate risks: Heat, flooding and insurance changes

Florida faces increasingly complex climate threats, as seen in stories about extreme heat, flooding and contested insurance reforms.

In Miami, nearly half of native trees are threatened by heat stress, putting cherished oaks and sabal palms at risk and prompting debate over whether to plant more heat-tolerant species. Communities scramble for resilience, from grassroots campaigns providing water for outdoor workers to city programs like Miami Beach's Fight the Flood initiative, which helps residents adapt their homes.

On the coast, new research warns that over 23,000 people and 17,000 homes may face annual flooding by 2050, while FEMA pressures cities like Fort Myers Beach to rebuild higher or risk losing federal flood insurance.

Meanwhile, a secret study exposes how insurers shifted billions to affiliates even as lawmakers debated reforms and residents endured soaring premiums and tightening eligibility.

Jean Wilfred, 70, enjoys a bottle of water as the outreach team from the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust handed out bottles of water to individuals living on the street on Aug. 1, 2024, in Miami, Florida, during a period of sweltering heat. By Carl Juste

NO. 1: ‘WE NEED WATER.’ HOW SOUTH FLORIDA GROUPS ARE HELPING THOSE HARDEST HIT BY EXTREME HEAT

Miami-area nonprofits are helping those most vulnerable to the extreme heat South Florida is facing. | Published October 30, 2024 | Read Full Story by Mimi Whitefield

A damaged home caused by Hurricane Ian seen along Fort Myers Beach on Monday, October 3, 2022. By Al Diaz

NO. 2: FEMA TO FLORIDA CITIES HIT BY HURRICANES: REBUILD HIGHER OR LOSE YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE

Fort Myers Beach loses flood insurance discounts after a problematic rebuild from Hurricane Ian. | Published November 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Alex Harris

Kenneth Feeley, UM biology professor and Director of the Gifford Arboretum Department of Biology, measures a tree on campus. His research found that more than half of Miami’s trees will be stressed by rising temperatures. By Ashley Miznazi

NO. 3: ABOUT HALF OF MIAMI’S NATIVE TREES AT RISK FROM RISING TEMPS. WHAT SHOULD WE PLANT NOW?

“Unfortunately many trees will be lost and that’s a consequence of modern climate change” | Published December 6, 2024 | Read Full Story by Ashley Miznazi

NO. 4: SECRET STUDY FOUND FLORIDA INSURERS SENT BILLIONS TO AFFILIATES WHILE CRYING POOR

The 2022 study, which has never been made public, was released to the Herald/Times after a two-year wait for public records. | Published February 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Lawrence Mower

A light dusting of pollen is seen on the hood of a vehicle on April 1 in Dunedin. By Chris Urso

NO. 5: WHAT’S THE MIAMI ALLERGY FORECAST? JUST FOLLOW THE SNEEZING — AND THE WEATHER PATTERN

Take a look at what the medical experts are saying. | Published March 12, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante

A resident walks with her belongings through the flooded N 15th St in North Tampa, on Thursday, October 10, 2024, a day after Hurricane Milton crossed Florida’s Gulf Coast. By Pedro Portal

NO. 6: FLORIDA MOST AT RISK OF ‘SEVERE COASTAL FLOODING.’ NEW RESEARCH SHOWS WHERE

‘This is a level of exposure that’s going to require a massive amount of planning and investment in coastal resilience.’ | Published April 2, 2025 | Read Full Story by Denise Hruby

Victor Corone, 66, pushes his wife Maria Diaz, 64, in a wheelchair through more than a foot of flood water on 84th street in Miami Beach on Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Diaz had a doctor’s appointment, and they had to ditch the car in the parking lot on Collins Ave and walk more than 20 minutes to get home. By Photograph by Al Diaz

NO. 7: HOW TO GET MONEY TO PROTECT YOUR HOME FROM FLOODING IN MIAMI BEACH

“We want to do incremental adaptation, you know, things that we can build upon over time, and things that are going to stand the test of time” | Published April 4, 2025 | Read Full Story by Ashley Miznazi

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