Fires, Floods, and Pestilence
Catastrophic Weather Events are Becoming the Norm
Someday, somewhere, someone is going to finally get it. Eventually, more and more people will begin to accept that the world is changing. The number of catastrophic weather events has increased by roughly 40% since the turn of the century. Recovering from these events costs billions of dollars.
Billions!
Someday, somewhere, someone will begin to realize that buying property in Florida is a stupid idea; that taking out a loan on a house in California is too risky; that rebuilding in the same spot that was destroyed last year makes zero sense. Maybe older people will finally accept that retiring in Florida may have once been the trend but no longer impresses their kids.
Someday, somewhere, someone is going to wise up and shift their attention away from the past toward the future. Those states with dwindling populations will suddenly see a surge of new residents who have chosen to relocate to regions where catastrophic events are less likely. Maybe a place like Michigan, where you’ll find 20% of the entire world’s fresh water — where hurricanes don’t destroy things and tornadoes are rare. Oh, I know there is literally no place in the world that will be completely free of climate change effects, but by comparison, the peace and tranquility of waking up each morning without having to evacuate as soon as your feet touch the ground will be a blessing.
Yeah, I know.
It’s still difficult for the average person to accept what’s happening to our planet. Insurance companies have caught on, though, and they’re leaving these high-risk states without so much as a look back. They’re also raising their rates across the country to try and make up for the dramatic money drain that has occurred. Texas, Florida, Louisiana, and California are well known for their losing streak, which has become normalized, but the line is moving farther north each year. Whether we like it or not, anything above the 45th parallel is going to be a climate refuge for those who can afford it.
Sorry, folks, you might have to live in a place that gets cold and even snows in the winter. I know that’s no longer a hip way of life, but I’m just saying — you can’t have it all.
Los Angeles is in the limelight right now with six fires burning all at once and winds up to 98 miles an hour. I mean, place the blame wherever you want, but this is the new world. To still be shocked that climate change is Mother Nature’s wrecking ball is rather pathetic. There is simply no good reason to buy property in a place where wildfires are a normal event. Why on earth would you? It’s not sound business practice. If people were smart, they’d start selling their homes before it’s too late. Even if they are spared the destruction of their house, the value of homes in these high-risk areas will go down. Eventually, no one is going to want to buy a place that promises sky-high insurance, if you can even get insurance in the first place, alongside the constant threat of utter destruction.
People are stupid, but they’re not that stupid.
And if there’s anything Americans are good at, it’s finding ways to make more money. I bought land in the upper peninsula of Michigan five years ago. It has more than doubled in price. Recently, a developer bought the remaining lots in this lovely association neighborhood and is beginning to build houses. The starting price — $400,000. This is in a rural area, but someone, somewhere, seized the day.
The day is coming.
Of course, it’s going to take a few more billion-dollar catastrophes. People simply want to believe what they want to believe so badly that it takes a tree falling on their heads before they change their minds. The trees are falling, however. All around us. And someday, somewhere, someone is going to get the hell out of Dodge City, and more and more people will follow them. By the time the latecomers get on board, the cost of living in a climate refuge will ensure that many will be left out.
Someday, somewhere, someone will look back on the unexplainable real estate booms in these desolate and dangerous regions, shake their heads in disbelief, and ask, “Were people really that uninformed?”
Teresa is an author and professional myth buster. You can find her books on Amazon.
