America’s First Climate Change Refugees

Climate change is often discussed as a problem that’s coming, but in reality it’s already here.

Rising sea levels caused by global warming are, right now, forcing some Americans out of their homes, while others fear for the future of their communities.

This week on Dateline, reporter Jeannette Francis meets Americans, from Alaska to South Beach, who are worried their cities and towns are at risk of going underwater.

Miami is one of the most populous cities in the US and one of its biggest tourist attractions, but its long-term future is uncertain. Hurricanes and flooding are becoming more regular and more damaging, sea level rises are having an effect on property development in the city, and residents are increasingly fearful for their safety. The city has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to address rising sea levels – but some scientists say Miami is unlikely to survive the century.

Professor Harold Wanless has been tracking the tides and sea levels in Miami for decades – he says current trends indicate the issue could be terminal for the city.

“[Miami] won’t be here in 100 years,” Professor Wanless predicts. “It will either be a few stragglers trying to hang on to a city that has no infrastructure, no fresh water, no sewage facility, or it will be abandoned completely.”

Watch the SBS Dateline’s - “America’s First Climate Change Refugees.”