New York: Homes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut face some of the highest flooding risks in the United States, according to a report released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on Wednesday. The report reveals that one in ten properties in the region is “at serious risk of flooding,” placing these homes in the top 25% of the riskiest nationwide, even when considering traditional flood-prone areas like the southeastern U.S.
The report emphasizes that flooding risk is not confined to coastal communities or New York City. “Flood risk is not just found in coastal communities or in New York City,” it states. “Inland communities like Buffalo, Syracuse, and Newark face substantial risk from heavy rainfall, flash flooding, and overflowing rivers.” The study highlights that this risk has grown in recent years and is expected to continue increasing.
Developed as part of the New York Fed’s Community Development efforts, which focus on health, household financial well-being, and climate risk, the report indicates that one million properties vulnerable to flooding house 1.6 million households and approximately four million people. Notably, over 400,000 of these properties are located in low- to middle-income areas.
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The areas identified as having the worst flood risks include New York’s Long Beach and New Jersey’s Keansburg, where an alarming 90% of properties are at risk. The report notes that flooding risks vary across the three-state area, indicating that a single solution will not suffice. “All of these types of flooding require some degree of unique and targeted responses, in addition to general measures that are common to all types of flood mitigation,” wrote the New York Fed researchers.
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Concerns over flooding risks driven by climate change have been escalating in light of recent global disasters. A notable example is the devastating flooding in North Carolina, which has already been linked to numerous deaths and widespread property destruction.
