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Some oceanfront property owners in Massachusetts may find themselves underwater, quite literally, within the next 30 years, according to the findings of a new report. Projections by the Union of Concerned Scientists suggest that as many as 6,800 Massachusetts homes could be at risk of “chronic inundation” from ocean flooding by the year 2045.
That number could balloon to over 89 thousand homes by the end the century, affecting over 177 thousand residents and causing over $63 billion in damages. That would make Massachusetts a top five state in terms of real estate damages from flooding.
There are five local towns that are predicted to be hit hardest within the next 30 years, each expected to have 600 or more homes at risk by 2045:
5. Salisbury
Homes at Risk by 2045: 601 (16% of Homes)
Estimated Residents Affected: 1,088
Collective Property Value: $189,197,800
4. Hull
Homes at Risk by 2045: 629 (13% of Homes)
Estimated Residents Affected: 1,120
Collective Property Value: $197,913,400
3. Quincy
Homes at Risk by 2045: 659 (3% of Homes)
Estimated Residents Affected: 1,404
Collective Property Value: $327,032,500
2. Marshfield
Homes at Risk by 2045: 699 (7% of Homes)
Estimated Residents Affected: 1,601
Collective Property Value: $198,491,400
1. Revere
Homes at Risk by 2045: 1,105 (9% of Homes)
Estimated Residents Affected: 2,575
Collective Property Value: $375,072,900
By 2100, projections raise serious cause for concern in the city of Boston, with 25 percent of homes in the city at risk of being “chronically inundated.”