Climate change and big storms cause major problems for Florida already, but a recent collaboration has found just how bad that effect will be in 30 years.
The Tampa Bay Times recently published a series called “Rising Threat,” partnering with data from the National Hurricane Center, to show just how Tampa Bay and its communities will become increasingly vulnerable as climate change causes rising tides.
Two of its reporters spoke with Florida Focus about their findings.
“Unless you’ve experienced a flood, it’s hard to know how damaging it is,” said Zach Sampson, one of the Times’ reporters on the story. “And even 2 inches really upended some people’s lives. You have families who were out of their homes for at least months. You know, we talked to one family that’s still out of their home. And that that’s just difficult to hear. You know, it’s a painful experience for those people, but we’re grateful that they shared it with us.”
The Times reported that it was the first time the hurricane researchers shared their models publicly so the newspaper could do its investigation.
“The National Hurricane Center has been great partners,” said Langton Taylor, a reporter and data analyst for the Times. “We reached out to get their advice on handling some other data, and they volunteered.”
The Times wrote of the impact of Hurricane Eta in 2020 and said:
If the same storm struck again 30 years later, 17,000 properties might flood, nearly twice as many.
That’s the best case. The worst would be more than 40,000 properties inundated, almost five times as bruising.
Tampa Bay faces an inescapable, and growing, threat.
Flooding will get worse in Tampa Bay. Tropical Storm Eta showed how. Tampa Bay Times, Jan. 20, 2022
To read the entire Times story, go to the paper’s website and subscribe.
Credits
Reporter/Producer: Eduardo Reksiedler
Anchor: Jessica Perlaza
Show Editor: Alice Barlow
