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Coastal and Floodplain Homes Face Steepest Climate‑Driven Losses, Study Shows

A new nationwide risk assessment reveals that homeowners in low‑lying coastal counties, major river floodplains and the expanding wildfire belt are poised to shoulder the bulk of future property damage from extreme weather. Federal agencies and lenders are scrambling to adjust insurance, zoning and building‑code policies before losses eclipse $1 trillion by mid‑century.

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Coastal and Floodplain Homes Face Steepest Climate‑Driven Losses, Study Shows
Primary Wire Signal: CBS News · US News Desk

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • The analysis projects that roughly 30% of the nation’s housing stock—about 45 million homes—lies within zones where cumulative flood, hurricane or convective‑storm exposure could generate $1.2 trillion in losses by 2050, with the Gulf Coast accounting for the highest per‑home risk.
  • FEMA announced an accelerated rollout of updated flood‑hazard maps covering 1,200 additional counties, while HUD is piloting a climate‑resilience mortgage program that ties loan terms to verified mitigation upgrades.
  • Long‑term, the study warns that without coordinated federal‑state action, insurance premiums could rise 40% nationally, mortgage underwriting standards may tighten, and vulnerable communities could face a wave of displacement as climate‑related defaults climb.
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A new nationwide risk assessment reveals that homeowners in low‑lying coastal counties, major river floodplains and the expanding wildfire belt are poised to shoulder the bulk of future property damage from extreme weather. Federal agencies and lenders are scrambling to adjust insurance, zoning and building‑code policies before losses eclipse $1 trillion by mid‑century.

Source: Reported by CBS News · Analyzed & Synthesized by DNB Newsroom