Climate change made recent flooding in Midwest, South more intense, report finds
Outlet: CBS News
The deadly storms that tore through eight U.S. states in early April, killing at least 24 people, were made significantly worse by climate change, according to a study released this week.
Analysis from World Weather Attribution, a climate science group, found that human-caused global warming made the record-breaking downpours about 9% heavier. The powerful storms destroyed homes, roads and farmland.
The strain on insurance markets is also becoming clear as climate change drives more frequent and severe weather. Homeowners in high-risk areas are already seeing their insurance costs rise sharply as companies adjust to the growing risk.
“We estimate that the top 20% of riskiest zip codes have seen insurance premiums go up by $1,100 on average from 2020 to 2024,” said Ben Keys, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, on a call with reporters.
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