for The New York Times: Home Sales in Flood Zones Are Booming. Here’s Why Buyers Take the Risk. by José A. Alvarado Jr.

Media

for The New York Times: Home Sales in Flood Zones Are Booming. Here’s Why Buyers Take the Risk.

josé a. alvarado jr.

Oct 2, 2024

Location: New York, New York

Summary

New Yorkers are spending billions on houses in flood-prone areas despite growing awareness of the effects of climate change.

At first sight, Carmen Borrero fell in love with a three-bedroom bungalow built in 1940 with a white picket fence and a driveway, steps away from the beach. She bought it in February for $270,000.The house is in the New Dorp Beach area of Staten Island and sits in a flood zone on the island’s eastern shore. Ms. Borrero, a benefits administrator for a teachers’ union, said the possibility of storms and flooding was a necessary gamble to be near the sand and surf.“If you want a house with a good view, close to the water, you know what the deal is,” she said.

Ms. Borrero is not alone in accepting that risk.

For many New Yorkers pursuing the American dream of homeownership while navigating the realities of a housing crisis, low-lying areas remain an affordable and popular option despite the mounting effects of climate change — including rising sea levels and more intense rainstorms.

Photographed for The New York Times, with words by Hilary Howard

Home Sales in Flood Zones Are Booming. Here’s Why Buyers Take the Risk.
New Yorkers are spending billions on houses in flood-prone areas despite growing awareness of the effects of climate change.
Nytimes.com

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José A. Alvarado Jr.

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