Clearwater Beach Florida. Foto: Artiom Photo / Shutterstock.com

The flow of thousands of Americans to Texas and Florida continues despite the fact that both territories are often hit by various meteorological phenomena such as forest fires and major floods, according to information provided by CBS News, based on a recent study published by the real estate platform Redfin.

Between July 2022 and July 2023, around 69,000 people settled in several counties in the Sunshine State such as Brevard, Manatee and Lee, acquiring properties there at the risk of suffering damage due to the occurrence of floods. Texas has also welcomed almost 24,000 people who have settled in areas prone to this type of event, such as Brazoria and Fort Bend.

These moves come amid a context in which thousands of residents of these places have chosen to leave due to the dangers they harbor following the increase in the incidence of such natural disasters, an element added to the high prevailing insurance rates.

Redfin chief economist Elijah de la Campa said: “Soaring insurance costs and increasingly intense natural disasters are driving thousands of Americans out of high-risk areas, but those people are quickly being replaced by others for whom climate change is not their top concern.”

The decision to move towards Florida and Texas involves contemplating and creating the necessary conditions to best deal with the consequences of storms and hurricanes. In fact, Hurricane Debby, the fourth named phenomenon of the current Atlantic hurricane season, recently developed, reaching record levels in categories 4 and 5 on the Saffir-Simpson scale and lashing out at Steinhatchee, Florida, causing 300,000 residents to be left without electricity before it became a tropical storm.

The truth is that these natural events have a negative impact on the safety of properties and logically lead to higher insurance rates paid by homeowners. During the period in question, there was a 15 and 36 percent increase in home insurance rates in Florida and Texas respectively, in correspondence with data provided by S&P Global. In statements given to the CBS News team, an individual based in Orlando revealed that his insurance policy set at $1,500 per year rose to $6,000 this year.

Rafael Corrales, a Redfin real estate agent in Miami, is fond of warning potential buyers about the challenges ahead. “If you’re looking to buy a home in Florida, you should know that you can’t be near the water without being in a flood zone. If you’re within three miles of the coast, nature will pay you a visit. That’s the price of living in paradise,” he said.

In Texas, the situation is even more complex, as residents not only have to deal with flooding, but also with wildfires. The study carried out by Redfin highlights that last year approximately 63,365 people chose to move to areas classified as having a high threat of wildfires, a greater number than those who decided to leave them. Specifically, a movement of 35,000 people was recorded towards counties such as Grayson, Hunt, Midland, Parker and Wise.

These types of natural disasters have had a disastrous impact on Texas. Last year, 7,102 fires broke out in the state, a figure only lower than that reported in California, where 7,364 occurred. This is due to the existence of huge tracts of virgin lands located near developed areas, a factor that undoubtedly influences the state being affected by such events.

California, meanwhile, has seen many residents leave for climate-safe areas. About 17,357 residents left high-fire-risk counties like Lassen, Solano and Napa, reflecting a change from 2022 and a heightened awareness of the damaging effects of such fires.

However, cost of living continues to weigh heavily in these resettlement decisions. “For many Americans, things like cost of living and proximity to family take priority over disaster risk, which can seem less immediate and more abstract,” de la Campa said.

However, rising home insurance costs and the intensification of high-impact natural phenomena have led many people to carefully evaluate the pros and cons of staying in high-risk areas. Both factors have had a significant impact on residents’ outlook and have had a major impact nationwide.