Why are people still moving to high-risk climate areas?

By Jasmin Singer,

Megan Mack, Julie Williams

Published October 25, 2024 at 2:31 PM EDT

Two people wearing headphones sit at a table in a radio talk studio: the man on the left has short grey hair and is wearing glasses and a grey blazer; the woman on the right has short dark hair and is wearing glasses, a short sleeved grey dress and black boots.

1 of 3 — Lawrence Torcello on "Environmental Connections"

Lawrence Torcello on "Environmental Connections" on Friday, October 25, 2024

Julie Williams / WXXI News

2 of 3 — Rebecca Zarger headshot

Rebecca Zarger

Provided

A man with short dark hair and a dark beard is wearing a blue shirt and standing outside in the street.

3 of 3 — Joseph Henderson

Joseph Henderson

Provided

Jasmin Singer, host of WXXI's Environmental Connections, on the set of the show. (photo by Max Schulte)

We tackle the puzzling trend of Americans moving to regions increasingly vulnerable to climate disasters, such as Florida, Texas, and California.

Despite the threat of hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding, millions of people continue to flock to these areas. Jasmin Singer and her guests will explore why this is happening and what it means for the future.

Our guests:

Rebecca K. Zarger, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of South Florida
Joseph A. Henderson, Ph.D., associate professor of social sciences at Paul Smith’s College
Lawrence Torcello, Ph.D., associate professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy at Rochester Institute of Technology

Special thanks to Chloe Milliman, Roisin Meyer and Emmely Eli Texcucano for their help with this episode.