New Maps Warn of Florida Flooding by 2120 Even as Theme Parks Grow

Overview

• A Click Orlando report using Climate Central mapping projects that large stretches of Florida’s coastline, including the Everglades and the Florida Keys, could be largely submerged within the next century.
• The estimates also flag Central Florida vulnerabilities, with low-lying areas near Lake Jesup and Lake Monroe and coastal portions of Volusia and Brevard counties, including land around Kennedy Space Center, at risk by 2120.
• Professor Emeritus Joseph Donoghue told News 6 that a one-meter sea-level rise would inundate about 10% of Florida, mostly in the south and southwest of the state.
• Donoghue said the financial impacts are already surfacing, noting growing difficulty securing mortgages and insurance for coastal properties as insurers reassess risk.
• Despite long-term exposure, the tourism sector is expanding: Universal Orlando opened Epic Universe in May 2025, and Walt Disney World has begun a multiyear build-out with new lands planned at Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom.