From NPR · · 1m 20s
Why coastal homeowners let houses fall into the ocean
FEMA's flood insurance rules create perverse incentives that leave homeowners with no choice but to abandon their collapsing homes.
In brief
FEMA's flood insurance rules create perverse incentives that leave homeowners with no choice but to abandon their collapsing homes. FEMA's financial structure makes it cheaper for homeowners to let their houses collapse into the ocean than to remove them, creating environmental and financial problems for everyone…
Houses are collapsing into the ocean
More than 30 homes have collapsed in Dare County, North Carolina since 2020, with about 100 more threatened by erosion. The problem spans the entire U.S. coastline.
FEMA creates a financial trap
FEMA's flood insurance rules give homeowners no financial incentive to remove threatened houses or salvage belongings before they collapse into the water.
Homeowners have no real choice
Many coastal homeowners face financial ruin if they try to remove their homes or clean up debris. Letting the house collapse is often their only viable option.
Collapse creates massive problems
Collapsing houses leave debris and pollution that closes beaches, threatens wildlife, and requires expensive taxpayer-funded cleanup efforts.
The crisis is accelerating
Climate-driven sea level rise is speeding up erosion nationwide. Waterfront homeowners, local officials, and Congress all agree the current system is unsustainable.
“Everyone agrees the status quo is unsustainable.”
No long-term solution yet
Despite widespread agreement that change is needed, there is no plan to remove most threatened houses or to fix FEMA's perverse incentives.
The takeaway
FEMA's financial structure makes it cheaper for homeowners to let their houses collapse into the ocean than to remove them, creating environmental and financial problems for everyone.
