A heightened risk of extreme weather events on the coast of Ireland could threaten thousands of homes and businesses as researchers prepare for a worst-case scenario.
What's happening?
Gamma Risk, a company that provides property risk insights, revealed the potential for increased insurance costs from intensifying storms due to a warming climate, according to The Irish Times.
These increases could reach the equivalent of $5.2 billion (€4.5 billion) by 2050.
"Coastal flooding is not just a theoretical climate risk for Ireland, it is a measurable and increasingly costly exposure," said Richard Garry, Gamma Risk chief commercial officer.
Sea-level rise and increased severity of storms can lead to higher storm surges near the coast, per The Irish Times.
Gamma Risk data found that 4.5% of addresses are at risk of flooding during an extreme coastal event. That's more than 104,000 properties.
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Why is extreme weather important?
Human activity can create heat-trapping pollution that intensifies extreme weather and puts communities in danger.
In particular, the burning of fossil fuels has a significant impact on the planet. Human activity has emitted about 35 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The warming temperatures cause ice sheets to melt and sea levels to rise, as the Natural Resources Defense Council explains.
Oceans absorb around 90% of the heat from these emissions. Scientists have determined that this effect, called thermal expansion, accounts for one-third of the global sea-level rise over the past two decades.
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Extremely 😫 Rising sea levels pose a threat to coastal communities worldwide, impacting properties and livelihoods due to increased flooding and fiercer storms.
In Ireland specifically, Climate Ireland reported that coastal cities like Cork, Dublin, Galway, and Limerick are at higher risk.
What's being done about extreme weather events?
Experts have continued to issue warnings for communities at risk of extreme weather events.
In the meantime, researchers have developed an early warning system with artificial intelligence that could help those communities prepare in advance.
While extreme weather events have always existed, scientists have made it clear that human activities can make them stronger and more dangerous. Being a part of the climate solution starts with understanding the problem.
Humans can take steps to reduce their individual emissions to mitigate the climate crisis.
Upgrading to an electric vehicle or utilizing public transit can reduce the amount of planet-heating pollution released into the atmosphere.
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