Members of Temple Solel want the community to know about a serious issue that has a significant impact on Southeast Florida homes, communities, and businesses. Although, it’s technically not a secret, many are unaware of a situation that does affect many cities close to the ocean including Hollywood. The culprit is Mother Nature’s rise of the sea levels.
A few years ago, Sea Level Rise (SLR) Solutions Project of South Florida partnered with advocates at the Hollywood synagogue to create awareness of the ongoing worrisome situation. Despite all the efforts and national media spotlights, the public in Southeast Florida may not perceive the threat of SLR to be immediate. They may also not be aware of actions they can currently take to assist in regional efforts to build resilience, and to democratize flood risk management.
Therefore, the community leader and clearinghouse on SLR once again organized and sponsored their “3rd Annual King Tide Flooding Event” a couple of months ago with members of Temple Solel. Young activists which participated and helped organize the early morning event were Rebecca Adler, Sara Pearl Adler, Dylan Bober, and Ethan Bober. Even though the project was created by temple members, it was open to the entire community.
The event commenced at the corner of Madison Street and South Southlake Drive in East Hollywood. Those that participated were able to watch the annual King Tides push water over Hollywood’s sea walls which then spilled over to the low-lying residential streets. The event coincided with the anticipated highest tides of the year in early October.
During the King Tide event, members of the SLR Solutions Project of South Florida documented flooding. Keren Bolter, an environmental science professor, educated attendees while students, and members of the SLR Solution Project of South Florida assisted participants in becoming citizen scientists. Participants were guided in measuring the salinity and depth of flooding and encouraged to photograph flooding for incorporation into Broward County’s database.
“Witnessing the King Tide is like a window into the future of sea level rise in Florida, when we will experience frequent flooding events and the disruption of neighborhoods and businesses in the path of rising waters,” noted Scott Lewis, a founding member of the SLR Project.
Both Hollywood’s current Mayor, Josh Levy, and the former Mayor, Peter Bober, were in attendance to bring light to the issue of Sea Level Rise. “When you watch water, literally, creeping down streets, and overtaking them within minutes, you begin to see that sea level rise is the greatest threat facing South Florida’s future,” commented former Hollywood Mayor Peter Bober.