"The Huge, Hidden Cost of Protecting Homeowners From the Rising Sea"

"As sea levels rise, as much as $1.4 trillion worth of coastal property could be threatened with flooding by 2100, by one estimate. But what will it cost to protect those properties? Now comes a hint at the enormous pricetag.

According to a new study by the Virginia environmental group Wetlands Watch, flood damage in Norfolk is already on the rise, with the number of “repetitive loss” properties in the city skyrocketing from 200 in 2002 to 900 today, a 450 percent increase.

But money to protect those homes from future flooding has been hard to come by. According to the report, hundreds of homeowners are stranded on waiting lists for federal help to elevate or sell their flood-prone homes."

Lori Montgomery reports for the Washington Post November 18, 2014.