Featured Post from Western Carolina University

As Florida's population soars - what will it mean if the number of hurricanes keep the same pace?

Feb 7, 2024

2 min

Robert S. Young


Florida is the place people want to be if you look at it's population growth that has trended upwards at an astounding pace over the last 50 years.  Millions of new residents are now calling the 'Sunshine State' home.


But, with more people - comes more potential problems, especially as the number of intense hurricanes are also increasing and coming inland along the state's shorelines.


These storms bring devastation, flooding and also a dire need for evacuation and emergency housing.



It's a topic that The Washington Post recently covered, and for expert opinion and perspective the paper sought out Western Carolina University's Robert Young for the piece:


Cities in Florida are well aware of the risks. The Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council, for instance, has simulated what the damage and recovery might look like from a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane, in hopes of helping local leaders plan for the scenarios that might unfold.

But even those efforts have done little to stop the feverish development in the state — a reality that persists in many coastal regions around the country.

“Everybody in the room agrees this is a major problem that we still haven’t come to grips with,” said Rob Young, a professor of geology at Western Carolina University and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. “This is a national problem. But Florida has been particularly good at putting more things in harm’s way.”  September 28 - The Washington Post



Rising seas and the consequences that come with them is an important topic and one that will garner more and more coverage as governments come to grips with the impacts climate change - and if you are a journalist looking to know more about this topic, then let us help with your coverage and questions.


Robert Young, a professor of geology at Western Carolina University and director of the Program for the Study of Developed Shorelines. Robert is available to speak with media regarding this subject - simply click on his icon now to arrange an interview today.

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Robert S. Young

Robert S. Young

Professor

Robert S. Young is a licensed professional geologist in three states (FL, NC, SC).

Holocene landscape evolution in the southern AppalachiansWetlandsCoastal ManagementCoastal ProcessesHurricanes

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