People Won’t Buy Homes In Florida Due To Climate
Several pieces of research recently show people have started to leave areas where climate change has caused disasters ranging from drought to hurricanes and flooding. Newer research shows there are now some places people have started to avoid when they move as well. Among these is Florida, the state most often damaged by massive hurricanes and the destruction they bring with high winds and floods.
A Drought Problem —Lake Mead’s Low Water
Cities Climate Crisis —Phoenix and Dallas
Florida has been a popular location for people who want to relocate for warm weather and low taxes. It is the third-largest state by population, with a population of 22 million. In 2000, that figure was 16 million. There has been a large influx of people to its major cities, particularly the areas around Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville.
Bloomberg recently reported that “Florida’s southwestern coast — long one of America’s fastest-growing regions — is losing some of its boomtown swagger as a home-insurance crisis and other soaring costs make homes unaffordable.” Hurricane Ian flattened some of these towns and cities in 2022. Fort Myers has not completely recovered. The number of homes for sale in the area’s cities has spiked in December 2023 compared to December 2022.
South Florida is not the only region of the nation facing rising insurance rates because of climate. Some areas south of New Orleans have the same challenge for homeowners. Parts of southern California, where huge storms have hit, have begun to have the same problem. A look at floor plain maps for other areas adjacent to the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific shows that the water levels will have risen sharply in a few decades.
People moved to Florida for low taxes and sun. Today that has turned into high home insurance rates and hurricanes.
