There's quite an array of perks enticing buyers to splurge on luxury residences in Miami Beach -- from cars to private-jet memberships -- but maybe it's time developers start seriously considering boats.
The Miami Herald shined light on a new study from the University of Miami that found flooding in Miami Beach has been increasingly prevalent since 2006, mostly attributed to high tides as Climate Change continues its assault.
From 1998 to 2006, tidal gauges in South Florida show sea rise keeping up with global averages of about .04 to .20 inches a year. But in 2006, local sea rise suddenly underwent a rapid acceleration, researchers found, averaging about .20 inches to a half inch a year.
At that pace, we're looking at a rise between 6.8 inches and 17 inches by 2050, which is substantial considering how close the bay currently is to ground level during high tide. This of course is under the assumption the rate will hold, which is anything but certain.
Another troubling issue is assigning cause for sea rise in a specific area, because it "involves a variety of factors including local changes in salinity, difference in ocean warming, changes in currents and circulation, and ice melt."
Miami Beach is certainly investing the time and money into counteracting the effects of Climate Change but for how long will the current measures help? The band-aids that are the raising of roads and installation of pumps may not buy as much time as initially expected.