Leads: Junghoon Lee
Counselors: Clint Andrews, Marc Pfeiffer, and David Listokin

MACH researcher Junghoon Lee is developing an online tool to support communities in exploring financial analyses related to flood buyouts. Flood buyouts occur when a federal or state agency purchases homes located in flood-prone areas, allowing residents to reduce their flood risk by relocating to a safer location. These buyouts are usually supported by local and state government agencies (a process often referred to as managed retreat) and are used in places that experience repeated flooding. However, the financial impact of buyouts can vary depending on each community’s unique financial situation. Due to the extensive data and calculations that analyzing these impacts requires, residents and local governments may hesitate to consider buyouts— even when they could be a financially beneficial option. This tool aims to simplify the process and help communities make more informed decisions.