High flood risks are triggering more migration in the US

A new study highlights "climate abandonment areas," where increased flooding is driving the population to move elsewhere.

 A new study revealed millions of Americans are packing up and moving from high flood risk neighborhoods — and millions more are expected to do the same over the next three decades.  

A study by the nonprofit First Street Foundation found climate migration trends are triggering the emergence of “climate abandonment areas,” locations that are losing populations as a direct result of climate change-driven flood risk.

“People are starting to take climate into account when they're making decisions around where to live,” said Dr. Jeremy Porter, First Street Foundation Head of Climate Implications.  

Climate abandonment areas make up 818,000 neighborhood blocks across the U.S. Between 2000 and 2020, 3.2 million Americans left those areas due to significant flood risks. Experts predict an additional 7.5 million will follow over the next 30 years. 

The states most impacted by the uneven growth are Texas, California, Florida and Louisiana, where flood risks are significant and where the study tracked strong population gains. Bexar County, Texas topped the list for a significant shift.