The Five Scariest Climate-Change Studies Affecting Miami

Nature

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It's becoming increasingly obvious that federal officials won't begin treating climate change like a real problem until a whole lot of people die or lose their homes. Donald Trump is trying to cripple the Environmental Protection Agency, and his latest budget asks Congress to strip funding from every single federal agency studying global warming. Before Trump, even Barack Obama's administration wasn't pulling its weight when it came to cutting carbon emissions.

So it's likely Americans won't move on climate change until people really get hurt. And science indicates Miami will be first on the chopping block. Despite what junk-science peddlers claim, a massive bulk of data shows how demonstrably screwed the Magic City will be if the oceans rise even a few inches.

In honor of last month's Science March, here's a recap of the most striking recent studies into how climate change will affect the 305.

1. Rising seas could turn 2.5 million Miamians into refugees — the most in the nation.

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Nature

2. Climate change could create "superstorms" that could level the city.

3. The city's bridges and causeways are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels, which means Miami Beach residents could get trapped on the island.
4. In the best-case scenarios, the city would likely begin to resemble the Florida Keys.
5. Oh, and the city would also become inhospitably hot and humid even if you can find a dry spot to stand.