41 Million Americans Live in Flood Zones

Photo Credit: AP / Melissa Phillip

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According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 13 million Americans live within a 100-year flood plain zone which is an area with a 1% chance of flooding during a given year. However, a new study published in the Environmental Research Letters shows that this number has likely tripled. This new study used higher resolution flood models with updated river, rainfall, and elevation data to ensure more accurate results. The contradicting results are likely due to the fact that the FEMA maps are not updated often and therefore lack the necessary information to extrapolate such conclusions. Additionally, this study looked at population and housing trends and predicts that by 2100 16.8% of the US population will reside within the 100-year flood plain as opposed to the current 13%.  To read more about the new study, click here.

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