Florida's Coast: What's at Stake

Posted: 29-May-2007; Updated: 05-Sep-2007

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Maps: Storm surge risk in Florida
See a series of maps showing how storm surge associated with increasing storm intensity can affect Miami.
More maps: Tampa

Florida Snapshot

Coastline*: 1,350 miles (7)

Tidal shoreline*: 8,426 miles (7)

Coastal population: More than 13 million (three-quarters of the state's total) (8)

Percentage of land less than 5 feet above sea level: 9 percent (4,730 square miles) (9)

Property value of coastal counties: Approximately $1.9 trillion (79 percent of state's insured property value) (10)

Insurance rates up 77%: From 2001 to 2006 homeowner premiums rose 77%, more than in any other state.

Storm history since 1992: See a list of tropical storms and hurricanes that have had a direct impact on Florida since 1992.

* Coastline refers to the general outline of a state's sea coast; tidal shoreline refers to the coastline, as well as offshore islands, sounds, bays, rivers, and creeks measured to the head of tidewaters or to a point where tidal waters narrow to a width of 100 feet.

If you live in Florida, you live near the ocean ? no point in the state is more than 80 miles away from either the Atlantic Ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. More than three quarters of the state's population ? over 13 million people ? live in coastal counties (1).

Coastal communities have grown by nearly 6.3 percent since 1999 and nearly 32 percent since 1990, one of the highest rates of growth in the country (2). Floridians are acutely aware of the threats tropical storms and hurricanes pose.

Most of the state's major economic centers ? Jacksonville, Miami and Tampa-St. Petersburg ? lie on the coast. The Florida Keys, the Dry Tortugas and the Everglades are a handful of the many natural resources important to the state's tourist industry.

Beach tourism brought in $41.6 billion in 2000 and supported 442,000 jobs (3). For example, the coral reefs of the Keys generate over $1 billion in tourism dollars each year (4). Activities such as reef diving are at risk, since coral reefs are vulnerable to both damage from storms and excessively warm water caused by global warming (5).

The most hurricane-battered coast

As an arm of land separating the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, Florida receives more than its share of severe weather. Since the 1970s, Florida has been hit by more tropical storms and hurricanes than any other state. Since 1990, Florida has been hit directly by 22 tropical storms and hurricanes.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew hit Dade County with Category 4 force, generating 17-foot storm surges. The storm system killed 23 people. Property damage in the state of Florida from Andrew was estimated at $25.5 billion, and the marine ecosystem, including the natural reefs of the upper Keys and along the eastern coast, was also heavily damaged (6).

The year 2004 was particularly active for storms and hurricanes in Florida. Tropical Storm Bonnie and Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne all struck the Florida coast between August and September of that year. In total, 45 people were killed and estimated damages across the southeastern United States totaled over $21.1 billion.

See a list of tropical storms and hurricanes that have done damage in Florida since 1992.

More destructive storms are projected because of global warming

Recent studies show that hurricanes are becoming more powerful?for example, there are twice as many Category 4 and 5 hurricanes today than there were 35 years ago. This trend is expected to continue as global warming gets worse. For coastal residents, another alarming consequence of global warming is sea level rise, which will affect storm surges. These powerful, fast-moving walls of water often accompany tropical storms and hurricanes, and can devastate coastal communities, taking lives and destroying property. Higher sea levels will mean higher storm surges that reach further inland.

Many Floridians are still rebuilding their homes and lives after past years' storms. The devastation of more intense tropical storms and hurricanes on Florida could be tremendous. See this series of maps showing how the storm surge associated with increasing storm intensity can affect Miami.