300,000 Coastal Homes at Risk of Chronic Floods
More than 300,000 coastal homes, worth about $120 billion, are at risk of flooding over the next three decades as sea levels increase, according to a Union of Concerned Scientists report. By the end of the century, the report suggests that homes and businesses currently worth more than $1 trillion also could be at risk. The states with the most homes at risk by the end of the century are Florida with about 1 million homes, New Jersey with about 250,000 homes, and New York with about 143,000 homes. South Miami Mayor Philip Stoddard says, "At the local level, coastal communities must no longer allow construction that cannot accommodate sea level rise." Kristy Dahl, senior climate scientist at Union of Concerned Scientists and the report's co-author, says, "For some communities, the potential hit to the local tax base could be staggering. Some smaller, more rural communities may see 30, 50, or even 70 percent of their property tax revenue at risk due to the number of chronically inundated homes." The report concludes, "Whether we react to this threat by implementing science-based, coordinated, and equitable solutions — or walk, eyes open, toward a crisis — is up to us right now."