Asheville NC, a likely refuge from climate change impacts

 

Asheville NC

Some interesting quotes of quotes...some of which I've included here.

USA Today, "... which is owned by Citizen Times' parent company Gannett, spoke with Jesse Keenan, economist and associate professor of sustainable real estate at Tulane University, who explored a number of factors with a team of researchers to formulate the list of 12 cities. 

"... Asheville was recently named third on a list of the top 12 U.S. cities most likely to receive an influx of residents due to climate migration by an expert in sustainable real estate in conversation with USA TODAY.

The ever-growing impacts from climate change, including warmer temperatures, rising sea levels rise, more powerful and destructive storms will have more people fleeing coastal areas for places more able with withstand climate change, such as Western North Carolina. 

Willingness to sign a 30-year mortgage can often hinge on how well the property can be expected to withstand the test of time — a test that has become more and more difficult to pass due to the effects of climate change, according to USA TODAY."

Source: Asheville Citizen Times

Early morning in Asheville, NC

Original article in USA Today says:

"...Economists, flood experts and others often consider which cities might be safest from climate change impacts in the long-term, considering factors such as flood risk, sustainability and preparation to make communities more resilient.

But safety is in the eye of beholder.

The truth is every place has its risks, said Steve Bowen, chief science officer and meteorologist with Gallagher Re, a global reinsurance broker.

"...Across the country, people are struggling with rapid shifts between drought and extreme rain, warming temperatures and severe storms that produce hail, rain and tornadoes, Bowen said.

"...It appears people already are moving away from the coast in states like North Carolina and Louisiana, and that pace is expected to increase, said Jesse Keenan, an economist and associate professor of sustainable real estate at Tulane University who studies urban and infrastructure planning.

"...While conducting research, he [Keenan] and his research team have developed a list of cities that could be best bets. The communities stand out because of some combination of their geographies, economies and what they've done to get ready for the changes that lie ahead, he said.

12 climate resilient cities

These are the cities tops on Keenan's list:

• Duluth, MN
• Orlando, FL
• Asheville, NC
• Knoxville, TN
• Charlottesville, VA
• Lynchburg, VA
• Johnson City, TN
• Pittsburgh, PA
• Syracuse, NY
• Buffalo, NY
• Toledo, OH
• Green Bay, WI

But wait... these quotes from...

Architectural Digest's best cities for climate change

"... Orlando also surfaced on a list published by Architectural Digest, considering elevation, population, extreme weather, risk and readiness scores, clean energy and air quality. Only one city on a coast made the list: Seattle. Others were:

• Denver, CO
• Raleigh, NC
• Salt Lake City, UT 
• Charlotte, NC
• Milwaukee, WI
• Austin, TX
• Columbus, OH
• Orlando, FL
• Atlanta, GA 

"...One thing is certain, sea level rise is accelerating, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...[by William Sweet, a NOAA oceanographer]

"... A little bit of sea level rise goes a long way in terms of the types of impacts that are really starting to grow in leaps and bounds," Sweet said. The change is most evident not in the number of huge floods, he said, but in the localized, minor flooding events that occur more and more often."

SOURCES:

Ashveille Citizen Times June 5 article which links to...

USA TODAY May 23, 2023

I didn't go to the Archetectural Digest article which the second USA TODAY article quoted! I got quite dizzy by then!