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Florida Flood Preparations Slammed in National Report

A study, called States at Risk, says Florida lacks a long-term plan for dealing with rising sea levels, despite being the nation's most vulnerable state as oceans inch higher.

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(TNS) - Florida received a failing grade on its long-term preparations for coastal flooding, in a study released Wednesday that assessed how well the 50 states were gearing up for the impact of climate change.

The study, called States at Risk, says Florida lacks a long-term plan for dealing with rising sea levels, despite being the nation's most vulnerable state as oceans inch higher. The report gave Florida a C- overall, with B+ grades on preparing for drought and wildfires – for which the report says the state faces average or below-average risk – a D on preparing for extreme heat and a D- grade on preparing for inland flooding.

"Florida has a lot of work to do," stated the report, prepared by the environmental group Climate Central, which publishes peer-reviewed articles on climate change, and ICF International, a 5,000-employee consulting firm with 70 offices worldwide. "Even though the state has plans in place to face today's threats, Florida has not taken sufficient steps to prepare for the serious threats posed by future climate change, particularly coastal flooding."

Oceans have risen about eight inches over the past century, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, because water expands as it warms and the melting of glaciers raises sea levels. This has been the hottest year since records were kept in 1880, with October becoming the sixth consecutive month to break a global heat record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Contrary to the state, the four counties of southeast Florida have undertaken extensive preparations for climate change. Members of the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact, which consists of Broward, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, held a news conference Wednesday at Florida Atlantic University to discuss the report. Although they largely concurred with the conclusions, they said it appeared to have ignored work by the state's water management districts in preparing for sea-level rise, as well as the extensive work being done in South Florida at the city and county levels to adapt to high sea levels.

"From an economic standpoint, it is critical that we take advantage of the opportunity to invest in preparedness today in order to avoid paying the higher costs of later," said one of the speakers, Julio Fuentes, president and CEO of the Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. "Spending a small amount before this happens is a better use of government funds than paying out a massive amount later on."

Low-lying coastal neighborhoods in Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Delray Beach and other cities already experience occasional fair-weather flooding during high tides, particularly during the king tides of October and November.

The Southeast Florida compact recently raised its projection of future sea level rise, calculating the ocean could rise 31 inches by 2060, about two inches more than was estimated five years ago. It predicted seas up to 46 inches higher by 2075, enough to submerge extensive areas of South Florida.

Four states received A's in the new report; five received F's. California received an A for an "exceptional level of preparedness" in facing some of the "most severe climate threats of any states," with an elaborate climate preparedness plan and the requirement that major construction project in vulnerable areas address climate risks. Texas received an F for doing little to prepare, despite facing the highest threats in the lower 48 states for heat, drought and wildfires.

On coastal flooding, the report said Florida has worked hard on dealing with current problems but falls short on future threats. Although the Florida Department of Transportation has written sea-level rise preparations into its plans, the report says the state as a whole lacks a plan for preparing for the extensive flooding expected to strike low-lying coastal neighborhoods in the coming decades.

"Florida earns an F for its average level of preparedness in the face of a far-above-average coastal flooding threat," the report stated.

Here's how Florida did on the other criteria.

Extreme heat: Although Florida currently averages 25 days a year of dangerous or extremely dangerous heat, that number is projected to rise to 130 days by 2050. The Department of Health has assessed how higher temperatures could affect the state but no action has been taken.

Wildfire: The state has taken extensive action to prepare for current risks and has included wildfires in a plan for dealing with climate change. By 2050 the wildfire threat to the state is expected to increase by 57 percent.

Drought: The state faces one of the lowest risks in the nation for future drought and has undertaken a drought vulnerability assessment.

Inland flooding: The report says by 2050 Florida's inland flooding threat will increase more than any other states, yet Florida has taken only limited action to plan for its future risks.

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©2015 the Sun Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

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