The collapse of the condominium building in Surfside, Florida, may force what some say is a long overdue conversation about the hard realities of climate change that will transform one of the nation’s most vulnerable regions. To be sure, no evidence has emerged so far to connect climate change to the middle-of-the-night collapse of the Champlain Towers on June 24, which buried residents in the rubble. Sea level has risen eight inches in South Florida since 1981, when the 12-story condo was built—not enough to be responsible for its collapse, says Hal Wanless, a University of Miami geologist and South Florida’s preeminent voice on sea-level rise. The investigation so far is more focused on a confluence of events—including delays by the homeowners association in carrying out recommended repairs—and an environmental danger that’s been known for more than a century: the corrosive effects of salt water on coastal construction. To view the full article visit National Geographic.
