Millions more US homes are at risk of flooding than previously known, new analysis shows

Read the original article by Drew Kann on CNN.

(CNN) Millions more properties than previously known across the US are at substantial risk of flooding. And as climate change accelerates, many more will see their flood risk grow.Those are the findings of a comprehensive new analysis by the First Street Foundation, a nonprofit research and technology group that experts say has put together the fullest picture yet of the country’s growing vulnerability to flooding.Today, around 8.7 million properties are located in Special Flood Hazard Areas as determined by FEMA’s flood maps, the legal standard used in the US to manage floodplains, determine insurance requirements and price policy premiums.But as many as 14.6 million properties — nearly 70% more than are in FEMA’s Special Flood Hazard Areas — may actually be at significant risk of flooding, according to First Street’s modeling. The discrepancy between FEMA’s maps and this new data means that some 6 million property owners could be unaware of their current flood risk, the group says.