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Miami Herald
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Florida climate risks: Heat, flooding and insurance changes
South Florida 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 A damaged home caused by Hurricane Ian seen along Fort Myers Beach on Monday, October 3, 2022. By Al Diaz 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.
Miami Herald
04-04-2025
- Climate
- Miami Herald
How to get money to protect your home from flooding in Miami Beach
Miami Beach resident Laurie Davis is used to seeing water from time to time inside her converted garage on Lincoln Road. But after June's torrential rainstorm, the water time seeped past her French glass doors into the house for the first time — her towels and blankets unable to stem the flow. 'This is our home. We've been here since 2001 we can't afford to raise a house,' Davis said after attending a meeting for a new city program to help residents offset the cost of flood control measures. 'Just whatever I can get, whatever I can do if there's another heavy rain like this.' She has already bought an EzDam flood barrier for $900 but says she would need at least four more to protect all the glass doors around her house. Davis hopes applying to a Miami Beach grant program called 'Fight the Flood Property Adaptation' could help with that purchase and also provide expert advice on how to best protect her home in the future. The Fight the Flood program, which is open to apply to until April 25, offers up to $20,000 matched for flood adaptation projects in private homes and commercial buildings in Miami Beach, with a priority on historic properties. Applicants considered low-to-moderate income will not be required to match the reimbursement. 'To make the city resilient in a holistic way it's important to look at the private side as well ... we have to work together to do that,' Juanita Ballesteros, the City of Miami Beach sustainability and resilience manager said during a panel to discuss the program this month at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens. Mitigation projects the program could support include short-term solutions like permeable pavement with gaps between the gravel that act as a reservoir for passing water, electrical system protection and rain gardens with native plants that absorb the water. It's also open to larger projects like seawalls and home-raising. '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,' Amy Knowles, the Chief Resilience Officer of Miami Beach said. Miami Beach is a barrier island for the mainland and 93% of properties are in FEMA flood protection zones — which means all mortgages are required to have flood insurance. So far, 55 Miami Beach properties have received funding from the program including six historic homes, nine multifamily, two commercial properties and five low to moderate-income residences. Ballesteros said that they were working with two homeowners interested in elevating their homes but have been waiting on the FEMA applications to move forward for two years. The first part of the program is about education and expert advice. The city funds a $2,500 property consultation which evaluates the home and gives residents a menu of flood adaptation items to choose from at different price ranges. In the second half of the program, residents are required to find their own contractors, with up to $17,500 of the project being reimbursed. 'You don't have to spend $17,500 and can get a $1,000 flood barrier that can save you for the next rainstorm,' Alec Bogdanoff, a principal at the engineering consulting firm Brizaga, who leads the assessments said. 'Flooding is a little like high blood pressure, in that most of the time you may not be able to actually solve the high blood pressure problem. It's just a matter of, how do we control it for as long as we can,' he said. Make sure to allow extra time to collect documents before applying: property elevation certificate, flood insurance and proof of ownership, ID and income information and historic designation if applicable. The state also has an application open for a residential flood mitigation program called Elevate Florida created to physically raise existing homes, rebuild homes taller and strengthen roofs, roofs and windows from wind damage. The application closes on April 11. The property does not need to have experienced flooding to apply to the Elevate Florida Program led by the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) but houses with a history of flood loss are prioritized. Ashley Miznazi is a climate change reporter for the Miami Herald funded by the Lynn and Louis Wolfson II Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners.
