Quote:
Originally Posted by craigs
You didn't read closely. I wrote that I doubt there will be a "great migration to the Midwest from the coasts." I did not write that I think there will be no "migration from the coasts."
1. Most all coastal states have inland areas that won't flood, and I think those areas are more likely to draw more residents pushed out of nearby coastal communities than will Midwestern states.
2. After the inland areas of coastal states, I expect the most coastal emigres to continue to move to inland states within the sun belt. The ten fastest-growing inland states in the nation are, in order: Idaho, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Tennessee, Minnesota, and Nebraska. Numbers nine and ten are in the Midwest, so there's that--but numbers one through eight are outside the Midwest. To me it looks like the inland region most likely to (continue to) grow the most from coastal emigration is the Intermountain West.
But who knows, it's all conjecture. |
The Central Valley of CA is already way too hot and may get hotter. But, I think for the most part the West Coast will be fine (unless the big one hits) because the coast is mountainous and not that many people really live close to sea level (hell, much of the central valley is lower than much of the bay area!). Also SF Bay can easily be seawalled with a Golden Gate dam.
Northeast cities can also be sewalled relatively easily, given their placement on good harbors and relatively hilly terrain.
The intermountain west can't grow too much more without stressing water supplies, and that will be even more true in the future.