"The destruction of wetlands in the United States has increased the amount of flood insurance claims by $10 billion over the past 40 years, a phenomenon expected to worsen in tandem with climate change, according to new research.

The peer-reviewed study, conducted by scientists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund, was published June 1 in the journal Nature Water.

The scientists used federal flood insurance claims data to calculate the dollar value of wetlands in reducing river flooding. They considered other factors as well, such as rainfall amounts and upstream changes in impervious surfaces, like parking lots and roofs.

In dollars, flood insurance claims have increased the most in the Houston metropolitan area, southeastern Louisiana and coastal Florida, according to the study."

Lisa Sorg reports for Inside Climate News June 2, 2026. [2]