"Rising Sea Comes at a Cost for South Florida Cities"

"Climate change may be the subject of debate in some places but in South Florida it’s become a costly reality."

"In Miami Beach, where prolonged flooding in low-lying neighborhoods has become the norm after heavy storms, city leaders are weighing a $206 million overhaul of an antiquated drainage system increasingly compromised by rising sea level.

The plan calls for more pumps, wells to store storm runoff, higher sea walls and 'back-flow' preventers for drain pipes flowing into Biscayne Bay. Those devices are intended to stop the system from producing the reverse effect it often does now. During seasonal high tides, the salty bay regularly puddles up from sewer grates in dozens of spots, such as near the local westside bar Purdy Lounge. Extreme high tides -- like one in October 2010 -- can push in enough sea water to make streets impassable, including blocks of the prime artery of Alton Road"

Curtis Morgan reports for the Miami Herald September 1, 2012.