Fort Lauderdale floods highlight climate risks to South Florida’s airports, seaports

MIAMI — Seaports and airports are the lifeblood of South Florida’s tourism-based economy. But as the relentless rains that swamped Fort Lauderdale last week illustrated, those critical transit and supply chain hubs are vulnerable to debilitating flooding. Local authorities, state legislators, airlines and seaport managers have understood the risks for years — and they’ve already committed to spend millions of dollars to protect against storm surge, king tides and downpours. But the Fort Lauderdale deluge also underlines that upgrades can’t come quickly enough. Scientists warn that as climate c...