© 2024 WLRN
MIAMI | SOUTH FLORIDA
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
When it comes to climate change, one thing is certain: our oceans are rising. And South Florida is expected to be among the first regions on Earth to experience the impact. In fact, some initial preparations are already underway. WLRN-Miami Herald News presents a series of stories about the effects of sea-level rise. The project is called “Elevation Zero: Rising Seas In South Florida." Click through the pages below to see our entire archive of Elevation Zero stories.

The Quick Fix For A Disappearing Beach

Broward County

Sand dunes and steel sheets driven underground will be used as temporary fixes to shore up a portion of Fort Lauderdale beach and State Road A1A that have been overrun by the ocean.

The $4.5-million-dollar plan was announced at a public meeting Monday night, the Sun Sentinel reports today, and it will serve as a band-aid until a permanent fix is found.

Broward Mayor Kristen Jacobs says it's the best they can do to deal with the problem in the short term.

"We're going to have to build the road up higher, which means a sea wall that's higher in order to hold dunes. We're going to have to have dunes as part of the future. How quickly that gets done to save the (tourist) season, that's another story. There's a lot of engineers scratching their heads on what to do, and what to do fast," Jacobs said.

Dr. Jennifer Jurado is one of those engineers. She's the director of natural resources planning and management for Broward County and she says the project involves a massive amount of resources and bureaucracy.   

" It does require an extensive coordination with the state, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Florida Department of Transportation, the city of Fort Lauderdale, and we're really scrambling to find the resources that are needed to shore up the foundation of the beach and begin thinking about improvements to the roadway."

The plan, which calls for beach widening of 20 to 40 feet in sections of Fort Lauderdale beach, is expected to be completed by late March.

More On This Topic