Florida has been enjoying a real estate boom but despite the success, Florida Keys property owners are still worried that rising sea levels will put a damper on property values.
According to Marathon/Lower Keys Board of Realtors President Lisa Ferringo, property buyers in Key Largo do not seem concerned with sea level rise. However, homeowners cannot help but panic most especially that the island's flood issues have lately been getting a lot of media attention.
Since extreme floods started last September, the island chain famous for snorkeling and fishing has been transformed into a "sewer." Homeowners can now go snorkeling and fishing right on the streets now that they have been turned into canal-like swamps.
While people anticipated high tides due to the season and the influence of the super moon, they were taken by surprise when a handful of streets were flooded for nearly a month with 16 inches (40 centimeters) of saltwater.
The unpleasant stench of stagnant water filled the air. To top it all off, swarms of mosquitoes began breeding and spreading dangerous diseases. By early November, homeowners breathed a sigh of relief as roads began to dry up. However, December brought in unusually heavy rains, flooding the area once again.
Time and again, homeowners have signed petitions, voiced anger at community meetings and demanded local officials to take action, whether by raising roads or improving drainage. They also clash over whether the floods are a consequence of man-made climate change.
While homeowners are panicking, experts are not worried at all. As a matter of fact, they expect to see a "gentrification of the shore" where property owners who can't afford to rebuild are selling out to buyers who can.
Key Largo local officials are still studying ways to address the floods. Sea walls, pumps and raising roads are not enough to solve the problem. According to Monroe County Sustainability Director Rhonda Haag, they need to be "more creative."
