Rising floods force mass exodus from vulnerable US neighborhoods

A new study reveals that hundreds of thousands of neighborhoods in the United States are experiencing population decline due to flooding, despite overall population growth in these areas. The research highlights the impact of flood risk, exacerbated by climate change, on residential choices. Americans are increasingly selective about where they live, avoiding flood-prone regions. However, the study also suggests that while people are moving away from the most flood-prone neighborhoods within cities, they are still flocking to flood-prone areas overall. Flood risk, along with social factors such as race and class, influences decisions about where to live. Further research is needed to understand how individuals in climate hazard-threatened areas decide whether and where to relocate.