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As the global warming is impacting the entire climate and it’s under constant change the issue of waterfront real estate being constantly flooded is becoming more and more real as the water levels are rising. In light of these facts, a service is emerging as quite popular one known as waterfront resilience service that helps people who have waterfront properties decide what to do with them to make sure they don’t lose their home and make the best decision possible considering the circumstances. A lot of homeowners in coastal cities are at risk of losing their homes to flooding if they don’t take measures to protect themselves which is why this kind of service is becoming more and more popular as the days go by and temperatures are rising causing the water levels to rise as well.
What Does The Future Hold For Residential Property Owners in Coastal Towns?
With the recent changes to the entire climate because of global warming, many climate change experts advise people not to invest in waterfront real estate properties because of the water levels rising constantly. Many climate change experts believe that it’s not a good investment for long-term even though having a house on the beach is considered a luxury right now and probably something that each of us would love to have. The reason why they think it’s not the best choice is because they believe that by the year 2100 the water levels will rise so much that they will flood a lot of these prime real estate properties that are near the beach and the generations to come will only lose money of this investment.
The water is expected to rise up to about 6 feet and cause a lot of trouble and constant flooding in coastal towns and cities. So many homeowners in areas that are flooding even now will have much bigger troubles in a few years from now. The waterfront lifestyle isn’t in immediate danger right now but it’s expected to be as the years go by and the global warming takes its toll. For those who are living in the moment, this shouldn’t be an issue but for those who are thinking about the future and the future of their children, there are two ways they can save their investment and not lose money because the waterfront homes will drop in price. They can either sell now, and move to a better location that is unlikely to be hit by the water levels rising or stay and adapt their property making sure they are prepared.
Exploring The Options
Selling and moving somewhere is the easier option but not the only one. If you decide to sell the path is clear and doesn’t need much explaining but checking which locations are less likely to be affected by the water levels rising is crucial so you don’t move for nothing. There are companies that deal with this like Coastal Risk that can help you in your search of a better habitat. However, if you want to enjoy your beach house for the years to come and make sure you leave it to your children so they can enjoy it as well you’ll have to adapt it so it can sustain the global warming climate changes. There are measures you can take to make sure your waterfront real estate doesn’t get damaged when the water levels rise but they can be quite expensive and it’s not a decision that should be taken lightly.
How to Adapt?
As we mentioned already, adapting can cost a little bit but deciding to stay and do nothing will cost more as the years go by because you’ll be at constant risk of flooding and losing your treasured home so it’s much better to start adapting sooner instead of later. The steps you can take will depend on where you live and the government regulatory options. For example, if the area you live in is often hit by earthquakes like California, elevating your house on metal poles isn’t a safe option and you’d have to go another way.
Structural Options
Elevation
One of the options is to make structural changes to your house to make sure your property isn’t flooded and one of those options involves elevating it on metal poles so it’s further away from the water. This is done by digging deep into the soil and planting poles that can hold your house but the soil must be right and the area where you live shouldn’t be prone to earthquakes. It’s quite expensive to do this but it’ll surely keep your entire property away from flood damage
Sea Walls
Another way to go is to build structures near the shoreline that will keep the water out of your waterfront real estate property. You can consult with a construction company and get a quote on how much this would cost but it’s a bit expensive, just like the previous option. However, it’s much better to do it then to leave things to chance and risk losing everything in a decade because of flood damage.
Flood Proofing
Renovate your house and use materials that can withstand short-term flooding while also making sure that you relocate all the services that might be damaged by the flood on a higher level, for example, the electricity station will be damaged if there’s a flood and it’s on a lower level. This is one of the cheaper options you can do to make sure you’re at least a little bit safer.
Soft Options
Building a Dune
An option that doesn’t involve making changes to the house but is quite expensive is to invest in building a dune of sand that will slow down the flood and maybe even completely prevent it. Another way to go is to go which is even more expensive is to build an offshore island nearby that will slow down oncoming water levels rising and will buffer the flood risk.
Taking Care of Your Beach
Replenishing the loss of sediment from constant erosion on your beach is also something you can do to prevent constant flooding although this is one of the more expensive options but still works and if you have enough to support it than you should start right now.
The best way to ensure that your property stays safe is to do a combination of these ideas we shared with you and if it’s possible even do them all. That way you’ll have all the preventive measures taken and the risk of getting flooded anyway and losing your investment is minimal and almost non-existent.
Will Coastal Cities be Affordable Only To The Wealthy?
The more time passes the more it becomes clear that owning a waterfront real estate property will be more and more expensive because the water levels rising and all the adjustments and adaptations people will need to do on their homes. But that’s not the only thing that will make it hard for not so wealthy people to own a property in these cities. The other thing is that insuring a house there would be next to impossible unless you don’t have a mortgage and you don’t have to worry about it. In places that are constantly hit by hurricanes, insurance for this can cost a lot of money and get up to an extra $1000 per month and in cities that are at risk of flooding the insurance would go up as well so making sure you have an agent for this is of extreme importance.
Are Coastal Cities Taking any Action About This Issue?
Yes, steps are being taken by several cities around the world and they are doing a few things to deal with this issue. The first thing they focus on doing is building sea walls in critical parts that are most exposed and some other stuff to keep water out including surge barriers, overflow chambers and water pumps. The second thing they focus on to prevent flooding is implementing plans to restore land, mangroves and wetlands to keep the water out or slow the flooding down. The final thing they are doing are measures that they advise people owning property in their cities to take and helping them figure out how to make sure their home isn’t impacted by the water levels rising due to global warming. Bettering the design of their houses and building resilience are two of the things they do for their citizens but if there aren’t any more options, retreating is part of their plan too.
How Does Resiliency Services like Coastal Risk Help People?
They help them by forecasting how the coastal storms would affect their area in the next few years and finding an effective solution for their needs. They act as consultants and depending on your will to stay or to move they will provide you with the perfect solution. If you decide to move and sell your property they can help you find another place that won’t be affected when the water levels rise and if you decide to stay they will put you in touch with qualified architects and engineers to make sure you get the best service and the best people to make sure your home stays above water and don’t flood.
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Source by Ryan Simon Smith
