According to a new report published in the Annals of the Association of American Geographers, “trends from 2001 to 2011 show that urban development has declined in coastal flood zones; however, development in flood zones in inland counties has grown.” The authors point out that with a few exceptions such as Miami, most development in flood-prone coastal areas has decreased as people there have become more aware of the dangers of flooding and its impact on new buildings. However, in inland areas, development in flood-prone areas has increased.
The authors said that more work needs to be done on determining why the development in flood plains is increasing and if cities have plans to deal with the flooding that will eventually come to those areas or if they are just hoping for the best. There is a nice description of the study at the National Science Foundation web site here although the journal article access is limited to AAG members or through university online library subscriptions.
