In the heart of Florida, what was once a refuge of endless summer is now a frontline in the climate change crisis. In late October, AP News reported that Central Florida saw nearly 20 inches of rain within 24 hours, comparable to what the region saw from Hurricane Ian in 2022. Many homes were flooded, water systems were damaged and several roads had collapsed, forcing widespread closures. These rains were largely a result of climate change, where rising global temperatures intensify storms and amplify their destruction. Florida’s low-lying land and long coastlines further heightens these risks, as sea levels rise and floods push inland. For communities across the state, the consequences of climate change are beginning to take hold as its effects unfold in real time.
Environmental
As Florida’s climate continues to warm, the state is expected to face more extreme weather patterns, similar to the floods from October.
“When it’s supposed to be cold, it’s going to be more intensely cold,” science teacher Emily Massey-Burmeister said. “When it’s supposed to be warm, it’s going to be more intensely warm. When it’s supposed to be raining, we’re going to see more intense rainfall.”
This extreme weather will become increasingly threatening to Florida’s ecosystems, especially in coastal areas.
“Sea level rise is going to impact coastal communities and areas,” Massey-Burmeister said. “More intense storm surge is going to lead to more flooding occurring around those coastal regions.”
Increased flooding also raises the risk of invasive species spreading and forcing wildlife into new areas.
“You’re going to start causing species to migrate into higher elevations,” science teacher Brandon McDermed said. “It would mean they’re encroaching on other territories they aren’t normally supposed to be in.”
Additionally, ocean ecosystems are facing pressure as pH levels become more acidic, endangering coral reefs and the vast number of species that depend on them.
“The pH is going to get out of a range to where the coral is going to die off,” McDermed said. “Coral is a biosphere in itself (and) a total food chain where all these animals rely (on it) not only for shelter, but for food. And if they die off, then all of those animals follow behind them.”
This loss of biodiversity extends beyond the ocean too. As climate change rapidly alters other habitats, many species across Florida will struggle to survive.
As the floods that occurred in Central Florida destroyed key infrastructure, such as roads and water systems, they also highlighted the need to update and improve existing systems.
Infrastructure
As the floods that occurred in Central Florida destroyed key infrastructure, such as roads and water systems, they also highlighted the need to update and improve existing systems.
“Some of the systems we’ve built in the past to withstand flooding are very outdated now,” Massey-Burmeister said. “And because sea level rise has occurred, you’re going to have to start seeing either communities or the federal government start to invest more in fixing what we currently have.”
Without these improvements, regions at high risk of flooding, particularly coastal cities, could face even more severe consequences.
“As the seas become warmer, it’s melting the polar ice caps and those polar ice caps are filling the ocean,” McDermed said. “So places like Miami and South Florida are slowly going underwater.”
Climate change also threatens public funding for infrastructure. The EDF stated that Florida coastal counties could lose over $100 million in property taxes due to flooding, a number expected to reach nearly $350 million by 2045. Since Florida relies heavily on property taxes to fund schools, police, and road systems, these losses could hinder efforts to maintain and strengthen critical infrastructure.
