A new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) pinpoints portions of the U.S. at greatest risk of declining residential and commercial property values, and diminished city and county tax revenue due to flooding attributed to sea level rise.
The areas impacted face worse high tide flooding due to the effects of climate change, UCS says. The findings are the result of peer-reviewed analysis that used ZIP-code-by-ZIP-code data from Zillow Property Data.
The states found to be most at risk of flooding from rising seas are: Delaware, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Virginia. As much as 70% of some municipalities’ property tax bases could be at risk.
The analysis also provides risk assessment according to:
— Number of homes and commercial properties (by state and zip code).
— Current values of properties.
— The amount of money the properties contribute in annual property taxes, which fund schools, roads, and emergency services.
— How many properties could be spared if warming is limited to below 2 degrees Celsius.
— Near- and long-term impact projections, including within the next 30 years.
— Identification of areas where coastal property owners might experience recurring flooding so severe it limits their ability to live or work in these properties.
Related Stories
| Jan 8, 2014
Architect sentenced to a year in jail for firefighter's death
Architect Gerhard Becker was sentenced to a year in LA county jail after pleading no contest to the manslaughter of a firefighter who died while trying to contain a fire in a home the architect had designed for himself.
| Jan 8, 2014
United Association, NRDC seek major plumbing code changes
Proposed changes include mandating the insulation of hot water piping in new buildings.
| Jan 2, 2014
EPA move to assert oversight on small bodies of water among top regulatory battles for 2014
The EPA has started the process of declaring that it has the power to regulate streams, brooks, and small ponds.
| Jan 2, 2014
Paseo Verde in Philadelphia is nation’s first LEED Platinum neighborhood development
Paseo Verde, a mixed-use, mixed-income community hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony last month.
| Jan 2, 2014
Green infrastructure prominent in Akron, Ohio's sewer plans
City officials in Akron, Ohio want to prevent stormwater from entering its combined sewer system through the use of green infrastructure.
| Jan 2, 2014
OSHA to hold public meeting on proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has scheduled a public meeting to allow interested parties to comment on the proposed rule to improve tracking of workplace injuries and illnesses.
| Jan 2, 2014
Measuring whole building energy use among big changes in LEED v4
A new prerequisite in LEED v4 calls for each project to measure whole building energy use, and then share that data with USGBC.
| Jan 1, 2014
San Francisco hosts Net Positive Energy + Water Conference
The Living Building Challenge’s Net Positive Energy + Water Conference will be held Feb. 4-5 in San Francisco.
| Dec 27, 2013
California’s new Title 24 energy code compliance date pushed back to July 1, 2014
Due to the stringency of the provisions in California’s new Title 24 energy codes, their implementation has been postponed until July 1, 2014 to allow jurisdictions and engineers to prepare for them.
| Dec 27, 2013
$1 billion 'city within a city' development approved by Coachella, Calif., city council
The mega development includes 7,800 homes, a retail center, office space, and nearly 350 acres of open space.
