Report Indicates High Risk Areas for Property Damage Due to Wildfires

Posted: May 23, 2022 10:38 am

As the mercury inches up throughout the U.S., weather experts are making their predictions about the upcoming wildfire season. In addition, a new report this week from a U.S. power grid regulator indicates that many areas of the country will be dealing with frequent blackouts due to the extreme heat and drought conditions. Here is what you need to know about how the summer heat and risk of wildfires may impact your summer plans this year.

Wildfire Risk Report

The nonprofit First Street Foundation released its nationwide wildfire risk assessment on Monday, demonstrating to homeowners and business owners the risk potential of their properties this summer as it relates to wildfire damage. The data will also be featured on Realtor.com so prospective property buyers can evaluate the potential risk for any purchase.

The report indicated that there are almost 80 million properties at risk of wildfire damage ranging from minor to extreme. Approximately 49 million properties are under the designation of a minor risk, equating to over 26% chance of wildfire damage in the next 30 years. Conversely, there are over 4 million properties deemed to be at a severe or extreme risk. The remaining categories include moderate or major risk assessments.

What Regions of U.S. Are the Most at Risk?

Not surprisingly, the bulk of the risk is within the western portion of the U.S. The hot and dry climate has exacerbated this danger in recent years. However, First Street said the report also demonstrated that the risk of fires will increase in other areas of the U.S. not limited to the West over the next 30 years. The report said that homes that have a wildfire risk in 2022 will see that danger double over the next 30 years due to global warming.

In addition to the pervasive danger out West, other areas that are expected to see an increased risk in the next several years are states in the South such as Texas and Florida. The Appalachian region encompassing states such as West Virginia and Kentucky will also see the danger rise, despite the deceiving presence of lush forests and greenery.

As the last month has already shown us, the Southwest is already under the gun for wildfire development this season. New Mexico has been dealing with the Calf Canyon-Hermits Peak Fire in recent weeks, torching over 280,000 acres. This area is one of six counties in the state that has the unfortunate distinction of boasting the country’s highest percentage of at-risk properties as categorized by First Street’s report.

Texas is another state that has at least 90% of its properties in 45 counties at some level of risk. The biggest factor in play in the Lone Star State is the increasing amount of dry vegetation providing fuel for wildfire development. More than 30% of Texas was under the designation of an extreme drought by mid-May.

Power Grid Issues Also a Concern for Summer of 2022

The heat will also be causing issues for the country’s power grid this summer. NERC, an authority in charge of the health of the U.S. electrical infrastructure, said last week that Americans need to be prepared for the power grid to fail in many areas this summer. According to NERC’s 2022 Summer Reliability Assessment, extreme heat paired with the ongoing drought could lead to a buckling of the power grid as demand for electricity skyrockets.

The nation’s power grid is susceptible to failures when demand exceeds supply. When there is not enough electricity generated to meet the demands of consumers, regulators are often forced to institute rolling blackouts.

The news is not promising out of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center. A report on Thursday by NOAA predicted that almost all of the contiguous U.S. will see above average temperature readings this summer.

NERC said that the greatest risk of a power grid failure this summer will be in the Upper Midwest and the mid-South stretching along the Mississippi River. In addition to the retirement of aging power plants, the area is also lacking an important transmission line that suffered damage by a rare December tornado last year.

Other areas at a high risk of not producing enough power to meet demand includes the Southwest, the West Coast, and Texas. NERC also warned that the ongoing supply chain issues paired with the prediction of a severe wildfire season will put further strain on these power grids in the coming months.

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