Florida is one of the most exposed states in the country to sea level rise and coastal storms, with its low-lying coastal topography and over 8,400 miles of shoreline making much of its coastal population vulnerable. Satellite altimetry data indicates that the average rate of sea level rise in the Southeast U.S. region has been about 3.0 mm (0.12 inches) per year since the early 1990s, roughly equal to the global rate of sea level rise. Sea levels across Florida are as much as 8 inches higher than they were in 1950, and the rate of sea level rise is accelerating.
According to the latest science on sea level rise projections for the United States, sea level rise over the next 30 years along the U.S. coastline is projected to be 10-12 inches (0.3 – 0.4 inches per year), on average, which will be as much as what has been measured over the past 100 years from 1920 to 2020. Confidence in relative sea level projections in the near term out to the year 2050 has increased, but greater uncertainty remains for long-term projections out to the end of this century.
Coastal communities across Florida are already seeing the impacts from rising sea levels and are taking steps to address these impacts. In some places, sea level rise threatens to disrupt daily life, such as where increased street flooding with saltwater can impact people, infrastructure, and vehicles. As sea level rise continues and accelerates, greater adaptation actions will be needed to minimize impacts and prepare communities for increased flood risks.