In accordance with the development rules in Miami-Dade County, construction companies must create drainage systems preventing stormwater from flooding the neighbouring buildings. The contemporary construction standards ensure safety of residents of new homes, such as a planned residential complex with 177 units in Biscayne Shores, a community in the northeast of Miami-Dade County, Florida. At least 10% of apartments in this project will be affordable for low-income families (earning $136,000 per year for a household of four people) in order to overcome the housing crisis.
This, however, has raised concerns among residents of single-storey houses around the construction site. These properties were mostly built in the 1940s – 1950s, when the rising sea level, hurricanes, and floods caused by the climate change were not a universal concern.
Building homes under new standards adopted by the Florida Legislature after Hurricane Ian may increase the risk of flooding the neighbouring houses, which stand lower relative to the sea level, with rainwater.
Jim Murley, Chief Resilience Officer at Miami-Dade County, wrote in his memo that flooding was common in this part of the county, and as the sea level continues to rise, it would become even more frequent. If some houses are built on higher foundations, this may increase the risk of flooding the adjacent sites unless storm run-offs are carefully managed.
Current and future owners of Florida real estate need to take these subtleties into account.