The 10 best places to live to avoid fires and floods from climate change
Jordan Pandy,Hana R. Alberts
- Some Americans are choosing where to live based on the risk of climate-related disasters.
- For example, cities in Maryland and Wisconsin are less prone to flooding, heat, or wildfires.
Retiree Marcia Flanagan lived in Arizona for 25 years before fears of extreme droughts and heat prompted her to move. Jason Beury, an architect, relocated from New York City to Kansas due to concerns about flooding. And a family of six living near Miami decamped to Wisconson after their home insurance skyrocketed due to risk from sea level rise and electricity bills climbed due to heat.
Extreme weather events, including hurricanes, wildfires, and dangerous heat and humidity, have increased not only in frequency but also in intensity over the past few decades — and are predicted only to get worse.
For some Americans, this has prompted a reevaluation of where to call home. People are increasingly taking the risks of climate change into account when moving. Between 2000 and 2020, 3.2 million people moved out of high-flood-risk areas, according to a new report from climate-research organization First Street.
"Climate migration" is a broad term, as some people move out of fear of what the future holds, while others move because financial and other circumstances force them to.
But where to go?
Online insurance marketplace Policygenius evaluated the climate risks of America's 50 most populous cities based on their likelihood of experiencing the following issues by the year 2050: heat and humidity, flooding and sea level rise, air quality, and frequency of natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and wildfires.
Policygenius also judged the cities' social vulnerability, or likelihood of death and disruption as a result of these conditions, and community resilience, the ability to prepare for and adapt to a changing climate. It used publicly available data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other studies as laid out in its full methodology.
Even cities that aren't at high risk carry some risk of climate-borne disaster, and it's important to note that Policygenius only ranked America's biggest cities. Smaller cities
Read on to find out more about the cities least at risk, from Pittsburgh to Minneapolis, and why.
10. Denver, Colorado
Population: 713,252
Mostly safe from: Flooding, extreme heat and humidity
Biggest risk: Wildfires, air quality
9. Richmond, Virginia
Population: 229,395
Mostly safe from: Air quality
Biggest risk: Community resilience, social vulnerability
8. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Population: 302,898
Mostly safe from: Extreme heat and humidity
Biggest risk: Air quality
7. Portland, Oregon
Population: 635,067
Mostly safe from: Extreme heat and humidity
Biggest risk: Flooding and sea level rise
6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Population: 563,305
Mostly safe from: Flooding and sea level rise
Biggest risk: Air quality, social vulnerability
5. Baltimore, Maryland
Population: 569,931
Mostly safe from: Air quality
Biggest risk: Flooding and sea level rise
4. Minneapolis, Minnesota
Population: 425,096
Mostly safe from: Extreme heat and humidity
Biggest risk: Air quality, natural disasters
3. Columbus, Ohio
Population: 907,971
Mostly safe from: Flooding and sea level rise
Biggest risk: Air quality
2. Seattle, Washington
Population: 749,256
Mostly safe from: Extreme heat and humidity
Biggest risk: Flooding and sea level rise
1. San Francisco, California
Population: 808,437
Mostly safe from: Extreme heat and humidity
Biggest risk: Flooding and sea level rise, social vulnerability
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