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Climate change could take a huge financial toll on NFL stadiums across the country.
A new report from climate risk analysis firm ClimateX estimates that NFL stadiums could face up to $11 billion in cumulative climate-related losses by 2050. This could mean increased insurance and repair costs, impact on the local economy, and disruption. In the league.
Among the 30 stadiums assessed, some were found to be more vulnerable to 11 natural disasters, including flooding, wildfires, extreme heat and storm surge.
New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium most vulnerableThis is expected to result in a total loss of $5.64 billion. This is primarily due to exposure to storm surges and surface flooding. The potential losses to the stadium will also be greater than the estimated replacement cost.
“MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, in particular, is one of the venues that we predict could suffer some pretty severe losses in the future, and we’re seeing a lot of damage as a major contributor to that damage. The hazards we have identified are surface flooding and storm surge,” said Austin Clack, Solutions Engineer at Climate X. independent person on friday. “And with that knowledge, we can proceed to select specific adaptation measures that may reduce that risk.”
Adaptation measures such as better drainage or installing waterproof walls can have a significant impact on the losses a venue can endure.
In California, the Los Angeles Rams’ SoFi Stadium, the most expensive NFL stadium ever built, could suffer a loss of $4.38 billion, mainly due to the risk of surface flooding.
Similarly, the Arizona Cardinals’ State Farm Stadium in Phoenix could see cumulative flood-related damages reach $965 million.
These three venues account for almost 30% of the total potential losses in 2050.
The Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks stadiums are expected to have much lower relative loss rates. Wisconsin Lambeau Field is located inland, while Washington Lumen Field benefits from the city’s warm climate.
To determine these estimates, Climate X utilizes a platform called Spectra. This allows reliable climate models to be used as a way to develop hazard models. They create digital representations of the natural and built environments and place hazard models on top of them to understand the impact of these events in different locations.
Their findings include that losses may be overestimated, adaptation measures now and beyond may be unknown, and that the future in 2050 is far more uncertain than today. There were some limitations, such as:
But based on that wording, Clack and his colleagues were able to understand that surface flooding is the hazard that affects the widest range of properties. Exposure is increasing in urban areas, coastal areas, and lower-lying areas.
“A big factor in storm surge flooding is the ability of the actual terrain to absorb water. So in a large environment like this where you see a lot of concrete, it just doesn’t absorb water,” he explained.
At State Farm Stadium in Arizona, subsidence, or the sinking of land due to the movement of underground materials, was also a key factor.
“So we’re seeing new changes in the ground that can have a pretty significant impact on the infrastructure in terms of cracking in the actual building structure itself.” Mr. Clack said.
As the Earth’s climate continues to change rapidly, the need for continuous modeling will only increase. The climate crisis is here. Earlier this month, Hurricane Milton (one of many storms believed to have strengthened due to climate change) tore off the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field in Florida, and this week the storm caused massive damage in Italy and France. A flood occurred. , Spain, Mexico. Modeling can help identify patterns and provide authorities with data to understand necessary adaptation and mitigation strategies.
“We’re talking about physical risks here, but at the end of the day, what we can really reduce in terms of the actual severity of climate-related weather events is reducing CO2 emissions,” Clack said.
He said he believes the potential for climate change to have a significant impact on the NFL is “huge.”
The NFL is the world’s most profitable sports league, with 32 teams generating billions of dollars in annual revenue. and Taxpayers are paying billions of dollars According to CNBC, for the renovation and construction of the stadium.
Better understanding and interpreting climate science, and making it actionable, has the potential to protect taxpayer investments that often become community hubs and economic benefits.
“The first step is to understand how climate change will affect us, and in doing so I think we are already making progress in terms of building resilience,” Clack said. .
The next step is to execute your plan.
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