Global Flooding to Impact Twice as Many People by 2030, Study Finds

Global Flooding to Impact Twice as Many People by 2030, Study Finds The analysis comes from non-profit organization World Resources Institute (WRI).

It says that by 2030, 147 million people worldwide will be affected by flooding rivers and coasts.

That is double the 72 million who were impacted in 2010.

Property damage costs will also jump to $712 billion from $174 billion annually.

The report adds that by 2050, flooding will reach "catastrophic levels" and impact 221 million people.

WRI's Charlie Iceland says the organization did not expect these numbers in 2014 when it built a device for flood modeling.

WRI director Charlie Iceland South and Southeast Asia are said to be where climate-enhanced flooding will be at its worst.

In the United States, coastal flood damage will cost $38 billion by 2050.

That is a huge increase from the $1.8 billion America had to pay in 2010.

Massachusetts, Florida and Louisiana alone account for half of the people at risk.