With Hurricane Milton heading toward Florida and parts of the South still reeling from Hurricane Helene, many may be wondering: Is any country really safe from extreme weather?
Indeed, natural disasters have already caused more than $25 billion in damages this year.
And Realtor.com’s 2024 Housing and Climate Risk report found that 44.8% of U.S. homes are at risk from extreme weather exposure, including extreme heat, wind, floods and fires.
These threats not only affect people’s quality of life; they also affect home prices and home insurance rates.
The Sun Belt states are among the most disaster-prone in the country, and it shows in their high insurance premiums. Mississippi, which experienced major flooding last spring, has insurance rates that are 30% above the national average, and home insurance rates in Florida are four times the national average.
Research by the First Street Foundation estimates that 3.2 million people have become “climate migrants” who are creating “climate deserts” due to extreme weather conditions.
“There appear to be clear winners and losers regarding the impact of flood risk on population change at the neighborhood level,” Jeremy Porter, the foundation’s head of climate impact research, said in a statement. “The downstream implications of this are massive and affect property values, neighborhood composition and commercial viability both positively and negatively.â€
To help potential buyers consider current environmental realities, Realtor.com created property-specific environmental risk scores for listings that allow users to assess the risk of hazards such as hurricanes, floods and wildfires.
“Prospective homeowners can use these results to assess climate-related risks across different locations, helping them identify the ‘safest’ areas before making their final decision,” says Realtor Economist .com Jiayi Yu. “Living in areas with low risk of natural disasters offers numerous benefits to homeowners, including reduced risk of property damage, lower insurance costs and a more stable local economy. This can contribute to a safer, more sustainable and more satisfying lifestyle. Choosing to live in areas with low risk of natural disasters can help mitigate these concerns.â€
Realtor.com also ranked the safest cities to live in across the country based on the percentage of homes that face minimal or little risk from hurricane, flood or fire damage.
In case you’re curious about where these safer-than-average havens are hiding, read on.
Akron, OH
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 91.1%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $55.4 billion
Cleveland, OH
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 89.3%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $163.5 billion
Seattle, WA
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 88.4%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $784.2 billion
Columbus, OH
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 87.7%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $197.6 billion
Cincinnati, OH
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 87.7%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $199.3 billion
Dayton, OH
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 87.2%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $57.8 billion
Indianapolis, IN
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 86.9%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $190.1 billion
Pittsburgh, PA
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 84.7%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $183.3 billion
Toledo, OH
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 83.6%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $41 billion
Grand Rapids, MI
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 82.2%
Total value of lowest-risk properties: $93.4 billion
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