Coastal Flood Peril Threat To World Cities

Population exposed to coastal flooding is forecast to increase threefold to 150 million over the next six decades, according to a global study sponsored by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Two of the world's most exposed cities are in the United States. Miami is projected to have the highest property and infrastructure exposure by the 2070s with more than $3.5 trillion in assets at risk, followed closely by Guangzhou in China with $3.3 trillion, and New York with $2.1 trillion.

Cities with the highest value property and infrastructure assets exposed to coastal flooding caused by storm surge and high winds today are in developed countries. The top 10 cities, containing 60 percent of the total exposure, are located in the U.S., Japan, and The Netherlands.