Rising Sea Levels Could Threaten Over 40,000 California Homes
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) – With sea levels projected to rise significantly by the year 2100, a new analysis shows more than 40,000 homes in California could be underwater at the turn of the next century.
According to Zillow, nearly two million homes across the U.S. could be lost. The researchers cited a study published in the journal Nature that found sea levels could rise six feet in the next 84 years, mainly due to melting Antarctic ice sheets.
Using data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Zillow found 42,353 homes in California, or 0.4 percent, are at risk of being underwater. The median value of an at-risk home is $891,269 and the total value is $49.2 billion.
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The loss in housing stock would happen as California's population is projected to grow significantly in the coming decades. According to the California Department of Finance, an estimated 50 million people could be living in California in 2050. California currently has about 39 million residents.
While Zillow's research focused on homes, a study published earlier this year found hundreds of thousands of Bay Area residents could be displaced if sea levels rose six feet.
Nationally, rising sea levels could claim more than 1.86 million homes by the end of the 21st century, Zillow said.
"It's easy to think about how the ocean levels can affect the coasts in an abstract sense, but this analysis shows the real impact it will have on nearly two million homeowners - and most likely more by the time we reach 2100 - who could lose their homes," Zillow chief economist Dr. Svenja Gudell said in a company statement.
Housing markets in Florida and Hawaii would be the hardest hit with a six-foot rise in sea levels, with one in eight homes in Florida at risk of being lost. In Hawaii, nine percent of homes would be lost if sea levels rose as much as scientists predict.
Tim Fang is a digital producer for CBS San Francisco and a native of the Bay Area. Follow him on Twitter @fangtj.
