Hurricane Helene is becoming one of the deadliest storms on record, with at least 215 dead and thousands still missing. The storm has displaced people from Florida to Virginia, and more than a week after the hurricane hit, about 730,000 homes remain without power.
Sadly, Helena is far from the only natural disaster the US has faced this year. Extreme weather has become an unfortunate but increasingly common part of life.
This year alone, major storms have caused more than $25 billion in damage nationwide. Thanks to climate change, the number of floods worldwide has increased by 20% since 2000. It has also created more intense hurricanes and increased the amount of land burned by wildfires in the US by 320% since 1996.
The near-constant threat of hurricanes, floods and tornadoes has put homeowners on edge and driven up home insurance premiums. In some places, such as hurricane- and flood-prone Florida, homeowners are choosing to forgo insurance altogether rather than deal with rising premiums.
Each region has specific risks. Homes across the West are vulnerable to wildfires, while homes in the Southeast see the most flooding.
Properties across the South are most affected by extreme heat damage—which can warp wood and melt roofs—though a Realtor.com® 2024 Climate Risk Study found that extreme heat is spreading everywhere. Cities where extreme heat is causing the most damage include Austin, TX, Baton Rouge, LA and Coral Gables, FL.
Homeowners along Helena Road will likely spend the next few weeks and months trying to recover from the storm. Some of them will undoubtedly find that their home insurance policy does not adequately cover the necessary repairs and rebuilding. Many will go into debt to restore normalcy.
For those lucky enough not to live in the path of this hurricane, concerns may remain: With the devastated areas of Helene not even considered at risk of hurricane damage, we have to ask ourselves: is anywhere safe?
How to find out your ‘environmental risk score’
“Hurricanes present significant challenges to homeowners, including property damage, increased financial costs, community recovery issues and emotional stress. These factors can greatly hinder homeowners’ ability to recover and rebuild after a hurricane,” says the Realtor.com economist. Jiayi Xu.
“Opting for a property in states with a lower hurricane risk can help alleviate these concerns,” Xu continues. “Realtor.com provides specific property environmental risk scores that assess hazards such as hurricanes and floods. Prospective homeowners can use these results to assess climate-related risks in different areas, helping them identify the ‘safest’ locations before making their final decision.”
To make sure prospective homeowners are informed about potential risks to their properties, Realtor.com now offers an environmental risk assessment for properties, assessing the risk of flooding, extreme heat, wildfires and more of extreme weather in an area.
The good news: Just as some countries are at a greater threat of natural disasters, others are significantly less exposed to the risk.
To assess risk, Realtor.com ranked states based on the percentage of homes facing the lowest probability of hurricane, flood or fire damage versus the percentage of homes located in high-risk areas. We used the First Street Foundation wind factor scores to determine hurricane risk and corresponding flood risk. We then looked at home values in those low-risk areas to determine which states had the lowest risk.
Read on to find out which states have the lowest levels of extreme weather risk.
Nevada
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 90.6%
Total property value at lowest risk: $440.4 billion
Nebraska
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 90.2%
Total property value at lowest risk: $159 billion
Colorado
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 89.5%
Total property value at lowest risk: $1,062.6 billion
Kansas
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 88.8%
Total property value at lowest risk: $209.3 billion
MINNESOTA
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 88.5%
Total property value at lowest risk: $588.5 billion
Iowa
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 88.4%
Total property value at lowest risk: $244.9 billion
Washington
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 88.2%
Total property value at lowest risk: $1,299.5 billion
OHIO
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 87.6%
Total property value at lowest risk: $890.9 billion
South Dakota
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 87.4%
Total property value at lowest risk: $68 billion
Missouri
Share of houses with the lowest risk: 87%
Total property value at lowest risk: $483.2 billion
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Image Source : nypost.com
