Study: Historically redlined neighborhoods face higher risk of extreme flooding

A new study analyzing flood models and historical lending and redlining practices reveals that historically redlined neighborhoods are at higher risk of catastrophic floods.

According to an article in Bioengineer, "Technically, the work uses flood-risk projections to estimate how often different locations would experience “extreme flood” conditions, then contrasts modeled exposure levels across neighborhood groups. This approach helps isolate not only where water reaches, but which communities are most likely to be repeatedly affected."

The study highlights "persistent structural disadvantages—limited infrastructure investment, older housing stock, and constrained adaptation capacity—that can translate hazard into lived risk." 

The study notes that this correlation varies by region. "In some areas, legacy patterns of underinvestment appear to compound modern flood threats, making extreme events more damaging and harder to recover from."