NewsNation

Reconsidering where you live after Helene? You’re not alone

An American flag hangs above floodwaters remaining from Hurricane Helene on October 4, 2024 in Swannanoa, North Carolina. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — Hurricane Helene‘s devastation has nearly a third of young adults reconsidering where they want to live in the future, according to a new survey conducted by Redfin.

“Americans are beginning to realize that nowhere is truly immune to the impacts of climate change, and we’re starting to see that impact where people want to live, even people who haven’t experienced a catastrophic weather event firsthand,” Redfin Chief Economist Daryl Fairweather said.


Helene’s damage along Florida’s Gulf Coast to the unexpected devastation in Asheville, North Carolina, has Americans ages 18 to 34 rethinking where they want to live.

In addition to possible weather catastrophes, 23% of respondents fear the overall insurance premiums for their areas will go up after Helene and that it will be hard to get insurance to cover storm-related damages.

However, nearly half of all respondents said the news and hurricane damage has not impacted the way they think about their housing situation, the report said.