Strange New Norms give evidence to the unpredictability of sea level rise effects in South Florida. Filmed in public spaces with random public encounters, these document people’s reaction to high water and foreshadow the future of cities faced with increasing sea level rise. Adaptation as a survival strategy varies from shock to obliviousness, from disturbance to acceptance of new normative situations. Water rises with a steady creep that is simultaneously disturbing and soothing.