NBC NEWS
CORRESPONDENT
DASHA BURNS %
REPORTS FROM
MIAMI. %
>> SHE IS A %
LUXURY REAL
ESTATE AGENT IN
MIAMI BEACH.
HER CLIENTS %
DON’T REALLY ASK
HER ABOUT SEA %
LEVEL RISE IN %
THE AREA. %
IF THEY DO -- %
>> I WILL NOT %
HAVE ANYBODY WHO %
WOULD BE %
CONCERNED TO THE %
POINT.
>> Reporter: SHE %
WAS BORN AND %
RAISED IN MIAMI %
BEACH.
SEA LEVEL RISE %
HAS NOT AFFECTED %
HER HOME YET.
AND SHE IS NOT %
WORRIED ABOUT IT %
BECOMING A %
PROBLEM IN THE %
FUTURE.
THE PROJECTIONS,
SOME OF THEM ARE
PRETTY GRIM. IS %
THAT SOMETHING %
THAT WORRIES YOU %
AT ALL? %
>> GOING UP %
HERE, IT MEANS %
THAT WE HAVE %
BEEN -- BUT I %
KNEW RICO THE
STREETS FLOODED.
AND WHERE THEY
DID NOT. %
>> Reporter: FOR %
SOME LIKE MARY %
WHO ARE USED TO %
THE FLOODING, %
SEA LEVEL RISE
IS SLOW-MOVING
AN ABSTRACT
THREAT. %
WITHIN 30 YEARS, %
OR THE LENGTH OF %
A MORTGAGE TERM,
61,000 HOMES IN %
FLORIDA WILL BE %
AT RISK OF %
CHRONIC %
FLOODING. %
AND MIAMI BEACH %
ALONE, THEY HAVE %
12,000 OF THOSE %
HOMES.
WE WERE DOWN IN %
MIAMI FOR THE %
STORY BEFORE THE %
PANDEMIC. %
AND WHILE COVID %
HAS CHANGED A %
LOT OF THINGS, %
SEA LEVEL RISE %
IS NOT ONE OF %
THEM.
IN THE SPRING %
AND IN THE FALL, %
THIS IS THE AREA %
WHERE THE WHAT %
IS CALM UP. %
ON A DO YOU LIKE
TODAY, UCA DRINK %
LIKE THAT. %
WATER WILL START %
TO COME IN AND %
FOR THE AREA. %
>> Reporter: %
$650 MILLION 10 %
YEAR PLAN TO %
UPGRADE THE %
STRUCTURE.
>> THE ROAD WAS %
ELEVATED ABOUT 2 %
FEET. %
YOU’RE LOOKING
IS THAT
ELECTRICAL PANEL.%
YOU’RE LOOKING %
AT THE %
GENERATOR. %
NEW ELEVATIONS. %
OVER SEA WALL.
LOWER
ELEVATIONS. %
>> THEY DON’T
WANT TO WORRY %
PEOPLE INTO A %
FALSE SENSE OF %
SECURITY. %
WHERE DO YOU %
WANT PEOPLE TO %
FALL INTO THAT %
COMPLACENCY. %
WE ARE NOT DONE.
MIAMI BEACH WAS %
THE OPTION. %
IN OTHER PLACES, % THE ONLY OPTION
THE ONLY OPTION
IS RETREAT.
>> THERE’S MARKS %
AROUND THE. %
HOW HIGH THE %
WATER WAS. %
"BIZ QUIZ" THAT %
HE READ HERE, WE %
WOULD ALL BE %
UNDERWATER.
>> Reporter: HEY %
GREW UP IN %
STATEN ISLAND. %
HE SPENT 40 %
YEARS OF HIS %
LIFE THERE. %
>> THAT RIGHT %
THERE IS MY %
HOUSE. %
THIS WAS MY %
PIECE OF %
PARADISE %
SUPERSTORM SANDY %
HIT THE
NEIGHBORHOOD %
HARD.
RANK LOST TWO OF
HIS NEIGHBORS. %
BUT YOU ARE %
NEVER READY TO %
LEAVE YOUR HOME %
THAT THEY. %
AND NOT BE ABLE %
TO GO BACK TO %
THE PEOPLE THAT %
ARE PAID TO HELP %
US HELP US. %
THIS PROGRAM
CAME ALONG.
AND IT WAS A %
GLIMMER OF HOPE,
WE HAVE SEEN AN %
OF THE COMMITTEE %
DID THAT. %
>> A BUYOUT %
PROGRAM THAT BY %
THE NEW YORK’S
GOVERNOR PROGRAM.
. PRETTY %
UNANIMOUS.
>> IT WAS TOTALLY
VOLUNTARY. %
IT TOOK A LOT OF %
WORK. %
>> Reporter: THE %
BUYOUT WAS NOT %
JUST ABOUT %
PAYING OUT THE %
HOMEOWNERS.
THE PROGRAM %
AIMED TO MAKE %
THE ENTIRE AREA
RESILIENT. %
>> MAKE IT SO NO %
ONE WILL GET HURT%
AGAIN.
IT WILL TAKE THE %
AREA MORE %
RESILIENT. %
>> NOT IT WON’T %
LEFT. %
>> SOME PEOPLE
DID NOT TAKE THE %
BUYOUT.
AND SO THEY
CHOSE TO STAY. %
THEY HAVE TO BE %
WILLING TO PUT %
UP. %
ANYTHING THAT IS %
GOING TO COME %
THEIR WAY NOW.
>> I SEE IT %
ALREADY HAVING %
NOW.
YOU WON’T HAVE %
TO WAIT 10 OR 20 %
YEARS. %
BUT HE IS A %
GEOPHYSICIST. %
>> AND PURTIS,
-- %
>> THE %
OBSERVATORY OF %
COLUMBIA %
UNIVERSITY. %
>> WE WILL SEE
MORE FREQUENT
FLOODING.
ELEVATIONS.
LIVING SIMPLE OF
THE DILEMMA,
WHETHER TO LIVE %
IN A ZONE OR TO %
BE MOVING OUT OF %
IT.
HERE I AM %
SITTING RIGHT %
NOW. %
RIGHT NOW, MY %
HIPS.
THERE WAS WATER. %
>> Reporter: %
SOME OF HIS %
NEIGHBORS HAVE %
BEEN TRYING TO %
SELL THEIR HOMES %
FOR YEARS WITH %
NO LUCK SINCE %
THEY ARE IN A %
FLOOD ZONE. %
>> THERE’S WENT %
DOWN THERE. %
>> Reporter: %
WHILE OTHERS %
HAVE TRIED TO %
ADAPT. %
>> WE HAVE A %
HOUSE THAT WAS %
SO SEVERELY
DESTROYED. %
THAT IT WAS TORN %
DONE.
THEY ARE %
BUILDING A NEW %
ONE.
10 FEET UP IN %
THE AIR BUT THE %
PROBLEM IS TO GET%
IN AND OUT OF %
THE HOUSE THAT %
YOU WANT. %
THE HOUSE IS
SAFE. %
BUT YOUR LIFE %
MAY NOT BE.
>> SO WHAT IS %