ATLANTA – (Hypepotamus) Forecasters are optimistic about this year’s impending hurricane season, predicting fewer storms, lower activity, and a relatively quiet stretch for the Gulf and Southeast coasts. But for homeowners and developers exhaling in relief, Atlanta architect and tech founder Patrick Chopson has a warning: You may be looking at the wrong data.
“The seasonal forecast does not protect the asset on the wrong side of a single landfall,” says Chopson, principal architect at Atlanta-based architecture and resilience firm cove, who recently released a three-part report analyzing FEMA hurricane data. “It only takes one.”
Chopson has been digging into FEMA’s National Risk Index, which provides more granular data about potential structural loss. By analyzing five major Gulf and Southeast coastal metros (Houston, Miami, Tampa, Charleston, and New Orleans), Chopson found that even in a potentially “quiet” hurricane season, homeowners and developers need to rethink how they live, build, and invest in coastal areas.