And Sohail Al Jamea made this lovely animation explaining the process we're talking about. Notice how the higher groundwater levels make it even easier for rainfall to cause flooding

Adding in the groundwater connection doesn't necessarily show flooding in new areas. @semerriam.bsky.social overlaid flood complaints in Fort Lauderdale with Broward's future scenarios mapping and found they match pretty well

The reason South Florida is so vulnerable to sea level rise lies beneath our feet. When heavy rains fall or seas rise, groundwater levels do too.

But most local, state and fed agencies in Florida don't account for this. It could mean we see more flooding, faster, than expected.

It could also raise flood insurance costs -- by about 5% -- for 44k Floridians in 12 different communities, including Hialeah, Hollywood and Orange County.

A Florida bill that slashes red tape for hurricane recovery efforts also has some provisions that local govs say will make it more difficult to rebuild stronger -- and higher -- after a hurricane.

With @rballogg.bsky.social, who's been watching this already unfold in Manatee

There's evidence that could be changing, both from new academic studies and some anecdotal evidence from spots whalloped by storms last year -- like the beautiful but floodprone neighborhood of Shore Acres in St. Petersburg.

“Perhaps the tides are shifting," said one researcher

But why??? Simply, it's because people will still pony up for waterfront property, despite models showing a steadily encroaching tide, because they see that tide as far away.

We had an analyst look at home sales in neighborhoods touched by intense flooding: the 90-day flood in the Keys, hurricanes in Miami or a 'rain bomb' in Fort Lauderdale. (Un)surprisingly, they went up after a flood event. Way up.

I get this question alll the time. If sea level rise is going to flood more Miami houses, why on earth is the market still so red hot?

Let's get into it. [With @semerriam.bsky.social]

We heard from people who lost their homes in unexpected flooding, people whose realtors encouraged them to lie about flooding on their seller disclosure and people who were stuck in court for years trying to hold their sellers accountable.

In part one of my new series, @semerriam.bsky.social and I found a culture of secrecy for flood histories. It's a problem that is only expected to worsen as climate change makes flooding more common in the Sunshine State

I’ve covered a lot of road raising meetings in the last few years. I’ve noticed it’s one of the few spaces where genuine questions about cost/efficacy are mixed with outright climate denial from residents

This week, Key Biscayne got a new estimate — $56 million for road raising and drainage for just two miles of road. That’s pretty on par for what other communities are paying

And research from FIU suggests that even the "good" replanting plans (100+ more trees and $$$$ to replant more elsewhere) aren't enough