Sea Level Rise and Flooding

For planning purposes, the county relies upon the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact's Unified Sea Level Rise Projection for Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact. By 2040, sea levels are expected to be 10 to 17 inches higher than 2000 levels.

Miami-Dade County’s flooding vulnerability viewer allows people to explore several flood risk layers including ground elevation, hurricane storm surge, sea level rise for various scenarios, flood zones and more alongside property-level data. 

Miami-Dade County's 3-D sea level rise viewer allows planners and residents to view buildings that could be affected by one foot to six feet of sea level rise.

Learn about how different parts of our community are being impacted by rising sea levels, from the people and the natural environment to our buildings and infrastructure systems.

As Miami-Dade County works to reduce its carbon footprint and stop fueling climate change, it must also prepare for the impacts that we know are unavoidable, including sea level rise. The County is working to strengthen infrastructure, plan for more resilient communities, enhance natural protections and promote economic resilience through policies, task forces, and various grant funds.

The County is now implementing its Sea Level Rise Strategy through Adaptation Action Areas (AAAs). AAAs allow for a more customized and detailed approach to adapting to sea level rise and other resilience issues for individual areas and neighborhoods. The first AAA is in the Little River area of Miami-Dade County which has seen early implementation success with over $40 million moving forward to support projects such as converting vulnerable septic systems to new sewer infrastructure, improving stormwater management and water quality, and completing a resilient retrofit and expansion of affordable housing units. As the efforts continue in the Little River AAA, the County is working closely with partners to launch another AAA in the Biscayne Canal basin which also faces combined challenges of compound flood risk, water quality, extreme heat, and other resilience challenges. 

Local Mitigation Strategy
Local mitigation strategy projects handled by Miami-Dade County Fire Rescue and Emergency Management are designed to reduce our vulnerability to short-term risks like hurricanes and long-term stresses like sea level rise

Infrastructure Improvements
Infrastructure improvements include raising roads, installing pump stations, protecting existing buildings with temporary flood panels, and building new infrastructures higher. Saltwater intrusion is also being addressed. Saltwater is pushing further landward into the freshwater Biscayne Aquifer, which is increasing the vulnerability of the region’s drinking water. Rising sea levels also push saltwater further into the Everglades, potentially causing the loss of wetland plants and habitat. Salinity control structures have been built at the entrances of major canals to separate fresh water and salt water and canals have been restored through plug barriers. Explore the Sea Level Rise story map to learn more.

Resilient Florida Program 
In 2021, Miami-Dade County took another step towards the implementation of its Sea Level Rise Strategy and related departmental efforts by successfully applying for and receiving funds for a range of projects under the new state Resilient Florida Grant Program administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Several projects are being funded through the combined support of grant funds and local matching dollars from Miami-Dade County.

Through a mix of federal and state funding sources, Miami-Dade County expects to receive an estimated $122 million for 29 projects, administered across nine County departments, to build resilience to our vulnerable stormwater and wastewater systems, fire stations, libraries, public affordable housing, and environmentally endangered lands, among other critical assets. A Miami-Dade County Resilient Florida Grant Projects Interactive Map is coming soon and will provide more details about each project. 

A few of these are also priority projects for advancing efforts in the County’s Little River Adaptation Action Area. The County continues to collaborate with its partners, including municipalities, to identify and seek funding from DEP and other sources for joint resilience projects that provide communitywide benefits.

Miami-Dade County ‘Back Bay’ Study 
Beginning in 2018, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) along with the non-federal sponsor, Miami-Dade County, conducted a 3-year federally funded ‘Back Bay’ Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) Feasibility Study to help explore opportunities to protect our most vulnerable areas from future storm surge damage. Following extensive public engagement, feedback from various state and federal resource agencies, and discussions with the USACE, the study was put on pause in 2021.

Then, after further discussions, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced on Sept. 6, 2022, an extension for the study after making a formal request to Assistant Secretary Connor and the USACE. The USCAE expressed support for the development and consideration of locally identified alternatives that provide comprehensive benefits for the natural environment and Biscayne Bay, producing more equitable outcomes in addition to reducing potential economic or property damage from storm surges. 

The goal is to develop an acceptable alternative for further study by August of 2023 that is supported by the USACE, and most importantly the local governments and communities in Miami-Dade County. Following this decision point, refreshed and expanded feasibility work will be required before Congressional authorization of any project is considered, and more detailed design work can take place. The next phase of design could be several years away and implementation afterward with each phase subject to extensive multi-level review and approval. The County is committed to expediting any supported measures as much as possible through the USACE while also leveraging the data and feedback produced as a result of the process to take action using other funding and implementation avenues.

This effort is being conducted in coordination with numerous other water management, water quality, environmental restoration, and other climate resilience initiatives being led by various local, state and federal entities. 

To view past public meeting recordings, presentations and other background information on the study, visit the USACE website for the study. 

Nature-Based Solutions
Nature-based solutions such as beach renourishment, shoreline restoration for living shorelines like mangroves and dune restoration, protection of open buffer space through parks and the Environmentally Endangered Lands (EEL) Program, and protection of mangrove forests and other wetlands of the Everglades to provide a protective buffer against storms and long-term sea level rise. The County has also built artificial reefs to keep ecosystems healthy and support fishing industries.

Preparing for sea level rise and flooding

• Sea levels have been rising globally and similar changes have been seen in Miami-Dade County.
• Visit the Miami-Dade County Flooding Vulnerability Viewer to determine if your neighborhood is prone to flooding, vulnerable to storm surge or likely to be affected by sea level rise
• Learn how to protect your home against flooding risks with insurance or protective measures.
• South Florida is a unique geographical area and particularly susceptible to flooding.
• The US Climate Resilience Toolkit from NOAA helps you understand and address your climate risks.

Preparing for storm surge and hurricanes

• Know your Storm Surge Planning Zone
• View projected storm surge depths by hurricane intensity on the storm surge simulator map
• Prepare for hurricanes before, during and after a storm

The Business Case for Resilience
The public and private sectors have a shared interest in investing in proactive flood protection and climate adaptation. In October 2020, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) released a study— “The Business Case for Resilience in Southeast Florida” – commissioned by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact and the business community to systematically assess the economic impact of investments in resilience in Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Broward, and Monroe Counties.

The study seeks to answer key questions about how to respond to flooding from sea level rise, including  the costs and benefits of different adaptation actions, and what actions can be taken today to promote economic resilience.

Key findings include:

• Lack of adaptation investment now will have major consequences for the economic wellbeing of the region. Adaptation implemented now will avoid $3.2 billion in structural losses regionally from tidal inundation in 2040. 
  
  
• Additionally, it can protect $7.7 million in tax revenue losses from 10-year storm events and $385 million in tax revenue from daily tidal inundation by 2070. Damage and losses can be reduced. Investing in adaptation provides direct benefits in the form of avoided losses to property, as well as indirect benefits such as reductions in insurance premiums, stable property values, and tax revenues.
  
  
• Community-wide adaptation measures have net benefits for the region. Investing in sea walls, dune restoration and beach nourishment, and berm construction provide significant benefits in the form of avoided tax losses and broad economic benefits to the community, demonstrating a 2:1 return on investment (ROI).
  
  
• Property and real estate values can be preserved and increase in value with building-level adaptation. The ROI for individual adaptation strategies is 4:1.  
  
  
• Jobs and economic activity can be preserved and generated. Adaptation investments will support new construction, operations, and maintenance jobs. 

Key findings for Miami-Dade County:

• Building-level adaptations such as floodproofing, elevation, and the addition of permeable surfaces will generate $9 for every $1 invested and support 3,190 job years, which is one job per person each year, through 2040.
  
  
• Community-wide adaptations, including green infrastructure, sea walls, and dune enhancement, will generate $5 for each $1 invested and support 15,200 job years through 2040.

In 2014, the Sea Level Rise Task Force provided direction for the County’s sea level rise adaptation efforts, resulting in a series of reports developed in the last 10 years:

• Executive summary
• Flooding and saltwater intrusion
• Adaptation action
• Environmentally endangered lands
• Enhanced capital plan
• Climate Change Advisory Task Force
• Resilient transportation system
• Septic Systems vulnerable to sea level rise
• Vulnerability of Sanitary Sewer and Stormwater Infrastructure to Sea Level Rise
• Regarding Sea Level Rise Impacts on the Agricultural Community
• Vulnerability of Water and Sewer Infrastructure and Road Infrastructure to Sea Level Rise

Capital Project Overview and the Rapid Action Plan
Miami-Dade County requires that all capital projects consider the impacts of sea level rise, per Resolution No. R-451-14. In 2017, the County assessed the vulnerability of its assets to ensure the capital planning process incorporated changing flood risks due to sea level rise and heightened storm surge. Dubbed the Rapid Action Plan, the project analyzed the vulnerability of more than 700 County-owned assets and evaluated their criticality to departmental operations

Adaptation Action Areas
The County's pilot Adaptation Action Area was the Arch Creek Basin. In 2016, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) hosted an advisory services panel that produced a final report which focused on the area’s flood challenges. In advance of that panel, the County published a briefing book. In 2015, ULI’s recommendations were taken further through a Resilient Redesign III charrette aimed at enhancing the resilience of three low-lying areas within the Arch Creek basin. The final presentation showcases the ideas of the design teams. In 2017, with support from the Knight Foundation, the County partnered with Citymart to launch a Flood Resilience Challenge.