Hurricane Risks Rise as Coastal Populations Grow

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/as-coastal-populations-grown-s/13927793

Hurricane Risks Rise as Coastal Populations Grow

 

Populations along the coasts are growing exponentially, which could mean problems when it comes to hurricane season.
According to 2012 United States Census Bureau data, the nine states with the highest population density are all located along the East Coast. NOAA's State of the Coast research indicates that coastal populations will continue to grow at a faster rate than the rest of the country, with an expected increase of 37 people per square mile for shoreline counties and only an 11 person per square mile increase for the United States as a whole. From 1970 until 2010, coastal populations have risen by 39 percent.
Part of what draws people to coastal cities is rooted in history. When the country was forming, cities were built closer to shores for easy access to shipping routes. Overtime a cycle was created: with more people on the coasts, more development was needed and more jobs were created, which led to more people moving to coasts to get those jobs, which led to further development. As a result some of the countries biggest centers for trade and industry are located in densely populated East Coast cities. New York City has a population of 8,336,697, with 27,543.1 people per square mile.
Some residents are also drawn to coasts for leisure aspects, such as vacationers purchasing summer homes on beaches, or water enthusiasts building their permanent residencies in shoreline communities.