Tragic Florida condo collapse, whatever caused it, warns us we must adapt to rising seas
Living by the ocean is hard to resist, but it now comes with considerable risk. We can't just cut emissions. We have to plan for climate challenges.
The search for the cause of the catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium building in Surfside, Florida, continues. The cause remains unknown, but multiple factors may have coalesced, including design, structural or maintenance deficiencies, rising sea levels, uneven subsidence, soil liquefaction and saltwater intrusion that weakened a potentially faulty foundation. Identifying a cause or the interplay of multiple factors could take weeks.
Whatever the cause turns out to be, this heartbreaking event brings new urgency to the issue of sea level rise and its impacts on coastal development. Our conversations about climate change have largely focused on reducing emissions, but there is a critical need to consider adaptation planning – how we can adapt to climatic changes from searing heat in the Northwest to rising seas in the Southeast. Government entities must act, but so must private citizens and developers.
A tragedy and an urgent warning
My state of Florida has 1,350 miles of coastline, second only to Alaska and far longer than the California and Hawaii coasts. Rising sea levels, increases in storm surges and greater rainfall intensity and frequency all have elevated the risk of flooding and thus saltwater intrusion in coastal areas. Florida’s low elevation makes it particularly vulnerable to flooding, but other states face similar challenges due to rising seas.
Globally, the sea level has risen about 8 inches since 1900 – and especially during the 40 years since Champlain Towers South was built. These higher sea levels are already causing havoc with Florida’s septic systems, aquifers, roads, inland rivers and eroding shorelines. And the rise is accelerating.
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According to state projections, by 2100 the sea level along Florida’s southeast coast will rise between 2.6 feet and 6.8 feet; in the Tampa Bay region, the rise will be between 2 feet and 8.5 feet. The Sea Level Rise organization says the rise is as much as 1 inch every three years. The same state report states just a 1-foot additional rise in sea level would impact 65,000 homes, $300 billion in property value and nearly 122,000 people.
Of course, the impact on coastal communities nationwide is exponentially greater. Coastal structures built 30 or more years ago used different construction materials and techniques, which make them more vulnerable to saltwater corrosion and, again, raise the urgency of these difficult but necessary conversations.
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In Florida, two new laws require sea level rise impact studies for coastal public construction projects. The Statewide Flooding and Sea Level Rise Resilience legislation, approved this year, establishes a grant program to assist communities in assessing and addressing their risk. An initial statewide plan is due by Dec. 1; cities and counties may submit resilience projects beginning in September. The program will be fully operational by July 2023, once data and assessment analyses are completed.
The other law, adopted last year, requires state-financed projects in coastal areas to conduct a sea level impact projection – a SLIP study – to assess flooding, inundation and wave-action damage risks over a structure’s expected life or 50 years, whichever is less. A rule governing the process is being written.
Don't leave out private sector projects
But private developments are left out of the requirements. A sea level rise impact study should be required for any coastal construction project, public or private.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has called for audits of all buildings in the county constructed 40 years ago or more, as was Champlain Towers South. With this wake-up call, all coastal properties should undergo new inspections. And local cities and counties should reexamine land-use plans, zoning and building codes and insurance policies with the reality of rising sea levels and sunny-day flooding due to king tides, which are typically a foot higher than normal tidal changes, in mind.
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And more questions need consideration. Should coastal developments be restricted in vulnerable areas? What changes are needed in land-use and transportation planning and zoning laws to accommodate sea level rise and coastal flooding? What environmental hazard declarations should be made to potential property and land buyers given those risks?
The allure to live by the ocean is hard to resist, but it now comes with considerable risk. By making adaptation planning and design a priority, we might be able to do so safely for years to come.
Zhong-Ren Peng is the director of iAdapt, the International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design, at the University of Florida.