From The Invading Sea
“Cedar Key City Commissioner Sue Colson put it bluntly when speaking to the Gainesville Sun in 2017: ‘We’ve been given a stage 4 diagnosis,’ Colson said, speaking about sea-level rise and the future of this small town on Florida’s Gulf of Mexico coast. Indeed, the city of Cedar Key has particularly high exposure to climate hazards. In 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tide gauge in Cedar Key recorded the fourth-highest rate of sea-level rise acceleration in the nation and local sea level has risen nearly six inches since 1992. What’s more, recent reports indicate sea levels are rising even faster than projected in some areas of Florida’s Gulf Coast, including Cedar Key. So, what can Cedar Key do with this ‘stage 4 diagnosis’? According to Colson, adaptation and acceptance are key.“ |
