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Close to 40,000 homes in Hawaii could be underwater by the year 2100, according to an analysis by real estate website Zillow Inc.
The analysis was based on a study published in the scientific journal Nature that predicted sea levels could rise 6 feet by the end of this century, mainly due to melting Antarctic ice.
If that happens, 9 percent of Hawaii homes could be
underwater, wiping out
$25.3 billion in home value statewide.
“As we move through this century, homeowners will have to consider another factor when it comes to their homes — whether rising sea levels have any impact on them,” said Zillow chief economist Svenja Gudell, in a news release. “It’s easy to think about how the ocean levels can affect the coasts in an abstract sense, but this analysis shows the real impact it will have on nearly
2 million homeowners — and most likely more by
the time we reach 2100 — who could lose their homes.”
The report said nearly
2 million U.S. homes would be lost if the oceans rise by 6 feet. That would wipe out just under 2 percent of the national housing stock worth $882 billion, Zillow said.
“More than half of all homes that would be lost are in Florida, and they account for nearly half of the lost housing value as well. In all, 1 in 8 Florida homes would be lost,” Zillow said in the news release. “The at-risk homes along the waterfront are 58 percent more valuable than the average U.S. home.”
