Dive Brief:

• If sea levels rise by 6 feet, as experts predict, by 2100, approximately 2 million homes in the U.S. will be at risk of being underwater, according to a Zillow analysis of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data.
• Zillow found that the number of lost homes represents 2% of the nation's total housing stock and $882 billion worth of property.
• Florida would suffer the greatest number of lost homes, as one in eight properties in the state would be underwater if sea levels rose 6 feet. In the other coastal states, Pennsylvania would see the least number of lost homes, at just 0.1% of housing stock.

Dive Insight:

Zillow Chief Economist Svenja Gudell said in a 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 two million homeowners — and most likely more by the time we reach 2100 — who could lose their homes."

Builders have already needed to take potential storm and flood damage into account when deciding where and how to construct new properties. Industry experts continue to come up with techniques and designs that go beyond the codes to defend against damage from the elements.

Earlier this year, President Barack Obama called on the construction industry and public agencies to ensure that building codes become more resilient to the severe weather effects of climate change. A core plank of the White House's initiative, a 2005 National Institute of Building Sciences study, found that $4 of benefits are realized with every $1 spent on reducing hazardous conditions. 

In addition to flooding concerns, the West Coast deals with one of the biggest natural threats to its built environment — earthquakes — with comprehensive building codes developed after major seismic incidents. There are also retrofit initiatives in several states that ensure structures built before the enactment of modern standards are reinforced to better withstand earthquakes.