Yeah, well, we know a lot of factors go into deciding
where you want to live, right, but climate is often
towards the top of that list. So in the years ahead,
the nation's housing hotspots will likely change as
average temperatures around the country go up. Newsy
meteorologist Scott Withers joi us live now from
Buffalo, New York, which is one of those potential
future climate havens. He's got, hey, yeah, good
morning. I'm here in Buffalo, just along the shore of
Lake Erie, one of the largest freshwater lakes on thi
planet this city. It's known for its lake effect snows
and lots and lots of lake effect snow because of tha
lake and also because of the geography of the city.
Well, that geography in the long term could be
protecting it from severe climate change and also
making it climate haven for immigrants. State New York
is home to some of the snowiest cities on the plan
heavy lake effect snow blanketing buffalo along the
shore of lake Erie, We are going to have a much milder
winters, We are also going to have much more
precipitation. It's not a marketing slogan, but a
climate change reality. There is no escaping climate
disruption and climate change. Everyone will feel the
effects and is feeling the effects of that fast
forward. A few decades from now, the Great Lakes region
will be more tempering like current day Tennessee,
it'll still be snow. Just not as much science is very
clear. Our temperatures are going to increase in our
climate is going to destabilize further, were alrea
living through some of the severe threats. Sea level
rise, heat waves, floods, wildfires and drought and
they're going to intensify. It could accelerate very
quickly. And I don't think as a country we're prepared
for those kinds of changes that we might see. Some
parts of the United States will be difficult to live in
sparking a large scale climate migration and pushing
people north towards the potential climate havens of
buffalo, Cleveland Detroit and Duluth Minnesota. You
know, in the next 25 to 50 years, there will be a lot
of people moving to these types of regions. Places that
potentially are going to lose populations are along the
coasts. Areas that may be impacted by hurricanes or um,
like again out in California and colorado. Places
have a lot of wildfires, The havens will offer some
refuge providing ample freshwater, affordable housing,
green infrastructure in cities with the desire to grow.
So it's not something that necessarily we're looking
in the future. It's something that's already starte
So we've seen growth for the first time in 70 years in
the city of Buffalo and it was fairly significant.
Buffalo's leaders are already making plans to build
infrastructure and to ensure current residents are not
priced out of the haven, they've always called home as
you have more people moved to the region, you're going
to increase housing prices. You're potentially going to
displace people from neighborhoods. Students at the
University of Buffalo, building a concept house future
climate migrants could call hom the grow home is ultra
efficient, energy, self sufficient, heavily insulated
and would allow residents to grow most of their food.
The university and the city both committing to be ready
if and when climate migrants start to flow in, we
really only have about eight or 10 years to make a key
difference with mitigation. Tha is an incredibly short
period of time. Something professors who are also
parents realize will impact their Children for my son.
You know, he probably doesn't want to start planning to
relocate to Florida anytime soon or possibly any time
ever. Yes. So here in Buffalo, they're not seeing hug
waves of people, but they're already seeing some
immigrants move here because of the climate
specifically after hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico.
They saw a large number of people move here out in
Duluth Minnesota similar situation. People fleeing the
wildfires, in California, Lindsay Alex. They're not
saying the numbers are massive now, but they expect
them to grow over the next few decades as the climate
gets worse across the country. It is gonna be so
bizarre to see a place like Buffalo was not with, with
not as much snow as we've seen. I mean that is going to
be really wild. Yeah, the residents here want the snow.
Yeah. The residents I talked to, they're like, they
want the snow, that they realize it's going to be less.
And I tell you the housing market here is already
changing a lot of the houses that were up for sale or
that, that the city was going to condemn and tear down.
Well, they've already been bought and flipped, so
that's already in the works. Now. People are realizin
you've got to get in early and I've got friends. My mom
even was thinking, hey, maybe we should buy some, some
houses for the long term. Get some wings while you're
up. Alright, Scott. Thank you.