As climate change increases flooding, Mass. likely to see damaged-property costs surge, report says Advocates call for plans to manage a retreat from low-lying coastal areas By David Abel Globe Staff,Updated February 22, 2021, 12:01 a.m. Email to a Friend In January 2018. the Brant Rock section of Marshfield suffered at high tide during a blizzard.John Tlumacki By mid-century, nearly 50,000 homes a year in Massachusetts will face a substantial risk of structural damage from flooding, an 11 percent increase from today, according to a report. As sea levels rise and storms become more powerful as a result of climate change, flooding will pose a serious threat to nearly 4.3 million homes across the country by 2051. That could cause annual losses of more than $32 billion, a 61 percent increase from the estimated costs today, according to an analysis by First Street Foundation, a New York nonprofit research group that specializes in flood risk.