WASHINGTON--More than half of the structures in the contiguous United States are exposed to potentially devastating natural hazards--such as floods, tornadoes and wildfires--according to a new study in the AGU journal
Earth's Future, which publishes interdisciplinary research on the past, present and future of our planet and its inhabitants.
Increasing temperatures and environmental changes contribute to this trend, and the research also shines the light on another culprit: the way humans develop open land, towns and cities.
"We know that climate change is increasing the risk of damage from some natural hazards," said Virginia Iglesias, a research scientist with the University of Colorado Boulder Earth Lab and lead author of the paper. "But are losses also increasing because of the way that we are developing our cities, our towns?"