Hurricane Helene demolished the notion there are places on Earth immune from climate change — an already shaky premise that was further discredited by widespread damage to Asheville, North Carolina, a so-called climate haven.
Even so, experts say climate is a growing factor in many people’s relocation decisions. And some places do have lower comparative risks depending on the type of disaster. That can — and should — influence their decisions on where to move, they say.
“There’s no such thing as a climate haven,” said Jesse Keenan, a professor of sustainable real estate and urban planning at Tulane University. “But what has happened is that various people, including myself, have identified cities where people are moving to, where consumer preferences are shaping the demand for places.”
Lower disaster risks, milder weather and cheaper insurance costs — all affected by local climate variables — are some of the preferences driving people’s decisions on where to move, he said.