Gulf of Mexico
A portion of Madeira Beach is seen before, with a turtle nest in the distance, and after Hurricane Idalia. [ Photo courtesy of Ping Wang ]
FL - Guest Column: Climate change will be a fiscal disaster for many Tampa Bay beach towns
This municipal fiscal impact assessment of sea-level rise in Florida should be a wake-up call for Pinellas beach towns.
Climate change is affecting communities nationwide, but Florida often seems like ground zero. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian devastated southwest Florida, killing at least 156 people and causing an estimated $113 billion in damages. Then in late August this year, Idalia hit the Big Bend region as a Category 3 hurricane, with record storm surge reaching all the way south to Tampa Bay.
Communities can adapt to some of these effects, or at least buy time, by taking steps such as upgrading stormwater systems and raising roads and sidewalks.
