MIAMI — Seaports and airports are the lifeblood of South Florida’s tourism-based economy. But as the relentless rains that swamped Fort Lauderdale last week illustrated, those critical transit and supply chain hubs are vulnerable to debilitating flooding.
Local authorities, state legislators, airlines and seaport managers have understood the risks for years — and they’ve already committed to spend millions of dollars to protect against storm surge, king tides and downpours.
But the Fort Lauderdale deluge also underlines that upgrades can’t come quickly enough. Scientists warn that as climate change causes sea levels to rise and rainfall to intensify, it raises the chances of events like last week’s. Meteorologists classified the rain as a 1,000-year event — up to 26 inches in just a day — but epic rains have occurred more frequently in the last few decades.
