Sea level rise could flood US real estate with BRL 180 billion by 2050

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Rising sea levels could leave $35 billion in US assets underwater by 2050. It is worth almost R$ 180 billion and has a built-up area of ​​more than 14 thousand square kilometers – equivalent to 2 thousand football fields.

There is an assessment Non-profit organization research Central climate. Floodplains have already reached the interior of the United States, according to the study. For example, in the state of Louisiana, 5,700 buildings will be flooded over the next 30 years.

Florida, North Carolina and Texas are also expected to be affected in the coming years. For example, Dare County in coastal North Carolina could lose 27% of its acreage to flooding by 2050. The risk is that $875 million worth of real estate will be submerged.

Water is expected to cover 19% of cropland in Monroe County, South Florida. Loss of land and buildings could reach US$700 million.

“About 30 counties will lose more than 10% of their land area by 2050,” said Don Paine. Central climate. The study focused on the year 2050, as global warming patterns, such as the use of fossil fuels, are likely to remain the same for decades to come.

Losses will increase by 2100

In 70 years, flood losses are expected to be even higher. Studies suggest that more than 24,200 square kilometers of land will be submerged. The value is equivalent to nearly 3,400 football fields or 3% of the Earth’s total surface area.

This entire space includes 300,000 buildings and $109 billion in real estate. Overall, the Pacific Coast, which includes states like California, Oregon and Washington, is expected to experience the least land loss.

The study covered 328 counties in 25 coastal US states, including Alaska and Hawaii. The research is based on 2021 sea level rise models released by the NOAA Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration).

The researchers cross-referenced the data with property tax records to determine which areas face future flood threats and the value of threatened properties.

Now, the report recommends strategies for development directly from coastal areas and solutions for relocating people to areas at risk.