South Beach, Florida, being not only on the coast but on a barrier island that forms part of the city of Miami Beach, is particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and their associated impacts. The risks include high winds capable of damaging or destroying structures, heavy rain leading to serious flooding, and storm surge that can lead to significant coastal erosion. South Beach has the additional risk factor of being at low elevation, with many parts of the island being merely at sea level. This makes the area extremely susceptible to storm surge and flooding. Climate change and subsequent sea level rise over the past few decades has exacerbated this issue. Over the past 30 years, South Beach has been significantly affected by numerous hurricanes, with notable examples including Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and Hurricane Irma in 2017. Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm, caused extensive damage across South Florida, leading to billions of dollars in damages. Hurricane Irma, also a Category 5 storm at its peak, resulted in widespread destruction with over 7 million people being evacuated in Florida. Flooding from these hurricanes, particularly due to storm surge, significantly impacted South Beach. Unprecedented rainfall from these hurricanes also resulted in significant flooding. Consequently, it's important for South Beach residents to always be prepared and keep abreast of hurricane predictions, since their location and elevation puts them at high risk.