The state of Florida was basically considered a wasteland until developers figured out that they could transform swampland into promised land. Its economy over history has been a pyramid scheme of developers and people marketing “a bewildering dreamscape forged by greed, flimflam, and absurdly grandiose visions that somehow stumbled into heavily populated realities.” Swindlers sold swampland to homesteaders, turning Florida real estate into a land-by-the-gallon punchline. Pioneers flocked to the “tropical wonderland,” buying lots that looked great in the dry season only to find that they still flood regularly during the rainy season. Once Henry Flagler built a railroad to Key West in 1912, a Floridian version of manifest destiny took hold and real estate exploded. There was a land boom, then bust, in the 1920s. After World War II, settlers and retirees beelined in again, on new highways built in the 1950s and ‘60s. Cubans fleeing communism arrived around the same time. Between 1960 and 1980, the state population nearly doubled, from 4.9 million to 9.7 million.
But the fundamental issue is that South Florida is an artificial civilization, engineered and air-conditioned to insulate its residents and tourists from the realities of its natural landscape. From sea level rise to habitat loss, the effects of the climate crisis are on the verge of making South Florida uninhabitable. Few places on the planet are more at risk from the climate crisis than South Florida, where more than 8 million residents are affected by the convergence of almost every modern environmental challenge – from rising seas to contaminated drinking water, more frequent and powerful hurricanes, coastal erosion, flooding and vanishing wildlife and habitat. If scientists are right, the lower third of the state will be underwater by the end of the century. Will this stop people relocating here? Probably not—there’s still going to be a market for paradise. And most came here to escape reality, not to deal with it.
Miami’s tech boom is heating up as cutting-edge companies flee Silicon Valley, New York and other areas to join start-ups and investors here that are turning the “Magic City” into a prime innovation hub — called so because people who lived at the time recounted how it was as if a major city had popped up overnight, almost like magic. Miami would love to be the crypto, tech hub of the future if you can forget that Miami is sinking and will not have much of a future, but how long before transplants get wise to the fact that Mother Nature never intended us to live here? The Miami condo collapse is a crisis for the entire state, casting doubt over the desirability of living in South Florida. Many condo owners are going to have to bear the costs of special assessments and stricter building codes. These buildings take a beating from the weather, and with rising sea levels, it could become increasingly difficult to get insurance.
Understanding the causes of economic inequality are important but one thing is clear: climate change disproportionately affects poor people in low-income communities. The impact of global warming is going to hit some populations in Miami harder than others — especially retirees on limited incomes. Market experts in South Florida are anticipating that the lagging interest in older condos will cause prices to sink, while the push for more engineering reports will likely put lower-income condo owners in untenable positions, forcing many to take on assessments they can’t afford or sell as quickly as possible. That could lead to significant changes in condo ownership and even the Miami skyline. My heart goes out to anyone who was involved in the collapse, and any condo owners who now feel a sense of impending doom. Meanwhile, here are some sobering stats to ponder on:
Miami is considered the most vulnerable coastal city in the world. What were once called “100-year floods” could occur regularly — meaning every couple of years.
Miami is predicted to see 6 inches of sea-level rise by 2030 and 2 ft by 2060.
Miami, which is built on silt, is also sinking into the sea. When sea levels rise, saltwater also infiltrates water supplies and septic systems.
Miami, already the warmest city in the U.S. year-round, has warmed over 2.3°F since 1970. By 2050, expect 151 days/year to feel like 105°F or higher.