NYC, Miami, Tampa, New Orleans Tops Among Storm-Surge Exposed Cities

New York, Miami, Tampa, and New Orleans are the metro areas with the most single-family homes at risk of heavy damage from storm surge during hurricanes, according to a report released by CoreLogic, a property data analytics firm.

Using housing data and its own reconstruction cost estimates, the report found that these four cities have almost 2.5 million homes vulnerable to the devastating impact of storm surge flooding – at a replacement cost of more than $804 billion.

According to CoreLogic risk modeling data, 7.8 million homes with more than $2.3 trillion in combined reconstruction cost value (RCV) are at risk of hurricane-related damages. The report also revealed about 33 million homes with nearly $10.5 trillion in combined RCV are at risk of hurricane-force wind damages.

“Given the uncertainties that come with hurricanes, insurers and their policyholders should understand this risk on a granular, structure-by-structure basis to ensure homeowners are adequately covered,” the report said about the growing risk of damage from storms.

The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season started June 1 and is predicted to be “well above average,” with 20 named storms – 10 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes of Category 3 strength or more, according to the latest forecast from researchers at Colorado State University.

“Stronger hurricane seasons mean property losses will continue to mount. The insurance industry will see increased financial implications because wind damages are covered by standard homeowners insurance policies,” the CoreLogic analysts noted.

Here’s a breakdown of the metro areas with the most to lose from storm surge:

• New York: 786,279 single-family homes at risk and $370 billion in reconstruction costs.
• Miami: 740,744 homes at a cost of $184 billion.
• Tampa: 555,474 homes at a cost of $126 billion.
• New Orleans: 405,369 homes at a cost of $124 billion.

For wind damage, New York, Houston, Miami and Philadelphia ranked highest on the list. In all coastal U.S. metro areas, the report found that some 31 million single-family homes are at moderate or greater risk of hurricane wind damage.

Photo: Storm surge from in Florida from Hurricane Sally in 2020/(AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)