The U.S. flood zone is bigger than most people realize, and population shifts can mean more people moving into flood-risk areas. Plus, the impact of floods on regional economies, recreation and U.S. infrastructure can run up the bill for all Americans.
It’s not just American treasures like Yellowstone National Park at risk to the perils of floods. For many, it’s their own backyards, gardens and basements that could be under water, increasingly because of climate change.
Humans have increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the air by 40% since the late 1700s. Other heat-trapping greenhouse gases are also increasing. In all, GHGs have warmed the surface and lower atmosphere of our planet about one degree during the last 50 years, the Environmental Protection Agency says. Evaporation increases as the atmosphere warms, which boosts humidity, average rainfall, and the frequency of heavy rainstorms in many places, while contributing to drought in others.
For sure, it’s not simply population growth, shortsighted construction decisions or insatiable demand for desirable waterfront lots that account for the costly flood damage of the past few decades. It is actually raining more often and more heavily than before, a Stanford group argued in a recent research report published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Don’t miss: A retirement safe from climate change? Ask the tough questions about real estate and property insurance The duo surveyed 680 licensed Florida real estate agents in late 2020. Agent responses suggest that prospective home buyers are not routinely taking elevation or flood vulnerability into account when searching for new homes, and the availability of improved flood risk maps has had little or no impact on them.
What’s more, flood insurance is handled with a government program, not private issuers, although with a few exceptions.
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