1/ Flooding is a rising threat across the United States, with homeowners facing as much as $19 billion in damages every year.
What puts a neighborhood at high risk? Geography is key, but new data reveal another factor, too: race.
Read the report: bloom.bg/38HXubN
What puts a neighborhood at high risk? Geography is key, but new data reveal another factor, too: race.
Read the report: bloom.bg/38HXubN
2/ When appraisers mapped cities for the federal Homeowners' Loan Corporation in the 1930s, they assigned grades to neighborhoods based on several factors, race high among them.
Black and immigrant neighborhoods were deemed undesirable, marked by yellow or red lines.
Black and immigrant neighborhoods were deemed undesirable, marked by yellow or red lines.
3/ These historically redlined neighborhoods suffer a far higher risk of flooding today, according to new research from @Redfin, the Seattle-based real-estate brokerage.
4/ Using flood risk data from the nonprofit @FirstStreetFdn and redlining maps from the University of Richmond's @HOLCRedlining project, Redfin assessed racial disparities in flood risk across dozens of major metro areas.
5/ Consider Sacramento.
With a population of more than 2 million, this metro area had the highest racial flood risk disparity in Redfin's analysis. Creeks in Sacramento have a high flood risk after strong downpours, with the highest risk in historically redlined neighborhoods.
With a population of more than 2 million, this metro area had the highest racial flood risk disparity in Redfin's analysis. Creeks in Sacramento have a high flood risk after strong downpours, with the highest risk in historically redlined neighborhoods.
6/ Across 38 major U.S. metros, more than $107 billion worth of homes at high risk for flooding were located in historically redlined (and yellowlined) neighborhoods. These patterns reflect disparities in development compounded by decades of disinvestment.
7/ Here's a look at Chicago.
Built on a swamp and with aging sewer drains, many neighborhoods face frequent floods.
Built on a swamp and with aging sewer drains, many neighborhoods face frequent floods.
8/ In Detroit, communities of color bear the brunt of flood risk in redlined and greenlined areas alike.
9/ A few cities buck the trend in segregated flood risk disparities.
In Miami, the areas deemed most desirable have always been the city's fantastic beaches.
In Miami, the areas deemed most desirable have always been the city's fantastic beaches.
10/ Today, these areas, like Miami Beach, represent the glitziest neighborhoods in the city.
They are also majority-minority neighborhoods at severe risk of flooding as sea levels rise due to climate change.
They are also majority-minority neighborhoods at severe risk of flooding as sea levels rise due to climate change.
11/ One thing that cities with racial disparities in flood risk have in common: They are still segregated today.
In 9 of the 10 cities with a larger share of formerly redlined homes with flood risks, the share of nonwhite households in the redlined neighborhoods is also greater.
In 9 of the 10 cities with a larger share of formerly redlined homes with flood risks, the share of nonwhite households in the redlined neighborhoods is also greater.
12/ Flood risk today isn't race blind: Investments in sewers, levees and other infrastructure rescued some neighborhoods from flooding but left others behind.
This pattern makes flooding a matter of environmental justice.
Read the full report: bloom.bg/38HXubN
This pattern makes flooding a matter of environmental justice.
Read the full report: bloom.bg/38HXubN
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