Rising seas, rising costs: The future of the Jersey Shore

People flocked to the beaches over Memorial Day weekend. It’s the unofficial start of the summer shore season. But for some Jersey homeowners, shore life is getting more expensive. Home insurance premiums are rising as companies price in the risk of extreme weather and rising seas, and some insurers have pulled out entirely.

Over the years, billions of federal taxpayer dollars have poured into rebuilding coastal communities after storms to replenish beaches and dunes to protect public and private shoreline property.

But at what point should our love of the shore meet its limit? Some argue that using taxpayer dollars to shore up private luxury beachfront homes is a bad public investment. Should we consider retreat over adaptation as the climate threat grows?

Guests

Benjamin Collier, Associate professor of risk management and insurance at Temple University’s Fox School of Business

Gilbert Gaul, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and author of The Geography of Risk.