Key Largo, FL — In an escalating consequence of global warming and polar ice cap melt, five homes in the low-lying Pelican Shores neighborhood were demolished this week after being officially deemed unsafe due to persistent flooding and structural instability caused by rising sea levels.
County engineers and environmental safety officials tagged the properties with red “UNSAFE TO OCCUPY” notices late last month. Saturated foundations, saltwater corrosion, and increasing tidal inundation left the buildings beyond repair. Bulldozers arrived Monday morning, marking a grim milestone for residents witnessing their once-thriving coastal community slowly vanish into the sea.
“It’s like watching the ocean swallow our past,” said lifelong resident Marisol Vega, whose childhood home was one of the five flattened structures. “We’ve lived through hurricanes, but this is different. This is permanent.”
The demolitions are part of Monroe County’s new Coastal Retreat Protocol, enacted earlier this year as part of a long-term response to chronic flooding. Under the policy, homes that experience more than 180 flood days in a 12-month period, or whose foundations are visibly compromised, are subject to emergency inspection. If declared hazardous, residents have 30 days to vacate before scheduled demolition.
County officials have confirmed that at least 12 more homes in the surrounding area are now under inspection, and early assessments suggest a similar outcome is likely.
“Sadly, these are not isolated cases,” said Carla Jiménez, the county’s chief resilience officer. “With sea levels now over 14 inches higher than they were 50 years ago—and rising faster each year—many of our coastal communities face existential threats.”
Some displaced residents are being temporarily housed in shelters and inland motels, while others have moved in with relatives or begun the difficult search for affordable housing farther from the coast. Many are calling for increased state and federal assistance as property values crash and insurance companies pull out of the region.
“I never thought I’d have to evacuate my home for good—not from a storm, but from the slow rise of the ocean,” said James Bradley, who moved out just hours before demolition crews arrived at his front door.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection issued a statement Tuesday urging coastal homeowners to prepare for future risk and explore options for relocation. Plans for expanded seawalls and flood barriers have met resistance from both budget constraints and environmental concerns, prompting officials to acknowledge that “managed retreat” may soon be the only viable path.
As more inspections are scheduled in the coming weeks, residents brace for the possibility that their communities could become the next in line to disappear.