Area deemed among most at risk for climate change impacts

Advisory firm says city of Sarasota and Manatee County at high risk

An advisory firm that specializes in determining the economic risks associated with climate change released findings this week ranking the city of Sarasota and Manatee County among the most exposed communities to climate impacts in the United States. It hopes its findings will assist investors, bond rating companies and local governments in making decisions and preparing for weather-related events.

Founded in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy demonstrated a lack of planning for climate impacts, the Berkeley, California-based firm Four Twenty Seven states that its mission “is to catalyze climate adaptation and resilience investments by enabling the integration of climate science into business and policy decisions.”

Its recent report pertains to exposure to climate change risks for 761 cities and 3,143 counties in the United States with populations exceeding 50,000.

A risk index associated with that report ranks Sarasota and Miami Beach as two of the most exposed cities and Manatee as the most susceptible county to overall climate change risks. Sarasota County is No. 10 on that list.