hurricane helen It is shaping up to be one of the deadliest storms on record, with at least 215 people dead and thousands missing. More than a week after the hurricane hit, the storm has caused people to evacuate from Florida to Virginia. 730,000 Houses remain without power.
Sadly, Helen is not the only natural disaster the United States has faced this year. Extreme weather events have become unfortunate, but they are becoming more and more serious. common parts of life.
This year alone, major storms have caused more damage. 25 billion dollars The damage is being done nationwide. Thanks to climate change, the number of floods is increasing around the world. 20% after 2000. It is also created more powerful hurricane And since 1996, the area burned by wildfires in the United States has increased by 320%.
The near-constant threat of hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes has put homeowners at risk. Home insurance premiums continue to rise. In some places, such as Florida, where hurricanes and floods are common, Homeowners are choosing to skip insurance Instead of dealing with rising insurance premiums, we solve them completely.
Each region has specific risks. Homes in the West are most vulnerable to wildfires, while homes in the Southeast are most prone to flooding.
Properties across the South are among the most severely damaged. extreme heat— Wood may warp and roofs may melt — but in 2024 Realtor.com® climate risk research It turns out that extreme heat is spreading everywhere. Here are the cities hit hardest by the heatwave: Austin, Texas; Baton Rouge, Louisianaand Coral Gables, Florida.
Homeowners in Helen's path will likely spend the coming weeks and months trying to recover from the storm. Some of them will no doubt find that their home insurance won't cover them. cover enough Needs repair and rebuilding. Many people will probably go into debt to get back to normal.
For those lucky enough not to live in the hurricane's path, there may still be concerns. Given that Helen's devastated area was not considered to be at risk of hurricane damage, one has to wonder, “Is there anywhere safe?”
How to find out your “environmental risk score”
“Hurricanes pose significant challenges to homeowners, including property damage, increased economic costs, community recovery issues, and psychological stress. “It can significantly hinder your ability to do so,” says Realtor.com's Economist. Xu Jiayi.
“Choosing a property in a state with low hurricane risk may alleviate these concerns,” Schuh continues. “Realtor.com offers property-specific environmental risk scores that assess hazards such as hurricanes and flooding. Potential homeowners can use these scores to assess the climate of various regions. It helps assess the associated risks and identify “safer” locations before making a final decision. ”
To ensure prospective homeowners are informed about potential risks to their properties, Realtor.com is currently environmental risk score For real estate, assess the risk of flooding, heatwaves, wildfires, and other extreme weather events in your area.
The good news: Some places are under great threat from natural disasters, while others are at significantly lower risk.
To assess risk, Realtor.com ranked states based on the percentage of homes least likely to be damaged by hurricanes, floods, and fires and the percentage of homes in high-risk areas. I used the First Street Foundation. Wind factor score To determine hurricane risk and corresponding responses. Flood risk. They then looked at home values in those low-risk areas to determine which states were the least risky.
Read below to see which states have the lowest risk level for extreme weather.
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 90.6%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $440.4 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 90.2%
Total asset value at lowest risk: $159 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 89.5%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $1.626 trillion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 88.8%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $209.3 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 88.5%
Total asset value at lowest risk: $588.5 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 88.4%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $244.9 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 88.2%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $1,299.5 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 87.6%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $890.9 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 87.4%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $68 billion
Percentage of homes with the lowest risk: 87%
Total asset value with lowest risk: $483.2 billion
