If we were to pick a theme song that exemplifies the baby boomers’ approach to retirement, we would probably choose the Frank Sinatra hit, “I Did It My Way.” Face it, the baby boomers – the oldest of whom is about to turn 80 – don’t want to be told what to do. They prefer to make their own choices (or at least that’s what we boomers like to tell ourselves).  

We want to do things our way, and that includes the critical choices we make about where we’ll live when we retire. This preference for independence is reflected, we think, in the overwhelming desire the boomer generation has for aging in place. Here at the Blog, we’ve examined this topic dozens of times, and for good reason. As Rajiv is quick to remind us, our choice of retirement housing is among the most important we will make. If our housing is unsafe or isolated from available support, a health scare can quickly become a major crisis. 

Today we’re reminded of another risk factor that ought to impact our housing choices, one that is easily ignored or trivialized. In this recent Kiplinger article, financial writer Christy Bieber reminds us that the danger of severe weather, and weather-related disasters such as wildfires, should play a much more important part in our housing choices. Her article offers dramatic statistical evidence that the likelihood of potentially deadly weather events is rising fast. 

So, are you thinking about aging in place – either in your present home or in a new home, perhaps in a favorite vacation spot? Bieber has some important points you’ll want to consider. 

One Man’s Saga: Five Hurricanes and a Worried Family 

As she explains to Kiplinger readers, Bieber’s father was one of the roughly 20 percent of older adults who moved to a new location when he retired, hoping to age in a place where he could enjoy near-unlimited sunshine and golf.  

“Unfortunately,” she writes, “this means that, to date, he’s been in Florida for at least five hurricanes — one of which necessitated calling a contractor in a panic to help clear out space in the garage for his vehicle when he was on the edge of the hurricane’s path.” 

Bieber adds, “I’m far from the only one who spends hurricane season worrying about whether my aging parent will end up evacuating a severe storm, or worse, trapped in one.” 

Frigid Winters Can Endanger Seniors Living Alone 

But hurricanes aren’t the only natural hazard that retirees can face when they live far enough away from their loved ones. Ellen Kennedy—retirement editor at Kiplinger—experienced similar weather-related fears when her mother lived on her own in Washington, D.C. 

“We don’t get too many hurricanes in the D.C. area, near my mother’s house, but we do get the occasional winter storm that can dump a few feet of snow,” Kennedy says. “While neighbors were wonderful, shoveling her walk and checking in on her, that wasn’t a long-term solution. At times, my mother’s house would also lose power in a storm, which left her vulnerable to dangerous heat waves in the summer.” 

Disruptive, Dangerous Weather Events are a Major Safety Concern 

Extreme weather is a major source of both stress and danger for the millions of retirees aging in place, as well as their loved ones who care about them.  

“A growing body of research makes clear that extreme weather events are a safety concern that can disrupt plans to live independently and safely in the later years of retirement,” Bieber writes. “Moreover, the annual rate of natural disasters is increasing at a surprising rate.”  

The Past Two Years are the Most Destructive Since 1980 

The Kiplinger article includes a dramatic chart, provided by the website USA Facts, which we unfortunately can’t reproduce for the Blog. It shows the astonishing rise in the frequency of major weather-related events, defined as those triggering a billion dollars’ worth of damage or more. (Damage figures were inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars.) The chart included severe storms, tropical cyclones, flooding, drought, wildfires, winter storms, and severe freezes. 

In 1980, when the chart begins, there were three such events with billion-dollar damage. For the ensuing 20 years, the total number of these potential catastrophes ranged from zero in 1987 to ten in 1998.  

But then the chart really takes off, reaching 22 combined occurrences in 2020 and 28 in 2023 – the highest figure shown. (For the year 2024, the number of events was 27.) Clearly the impact of weather-related events on our housing choices is no longer theoretical, but very real. 

Seniors Pay a High Price for Weather Extremes, Physically and Financially 

While no one is immune from the effects of natural disasters and extreme weather, for older adults these events can be truly life-or-death. “They’re often the least equipped to cope with its consequences, to prepare for adverse weather events, and to withstand and rebuild from the damage,” Bieber writes. “We’ve seen the devastating consequences of this time and again.” 

The stats bear this up. In the wake of the July 2024 Hurricane Beryl in Texas, 75 percent of the fatalities from the power outages were older adults who couldn’t cool their homes or power in-home medical equipment. Similarly, 73 percent of the Lahaina wildfire victims were elderly people with mobility issues or economic challenges, rendering them unable to leave their homes. Physiologically, adults over 65 are also at higher risk of the dangers of extreme heat.  

“Communities made up of older people can also take much longer to recover, putting survivors at risk even after the storm is over,” Bieber writes. “Older displaced residents left coping with a lack of infrastructure in destroyed areas might face more isolation and have chronic conditions go untreated, further jeopardizing their health and safety.” 

Many Popular Retirement-Friendly Locales Are At Risk 

Bieber explains that many of the most popular places to live after retirement are the ones most likely to be negatively affected by climate change, “with the AARP warning that the majority of metro areas with the fastest-growing 65-plus population are all in areas prone to extreme heat, hurricanes, or floods.” 

Kaitlyn Trudeau, senior research associate for climate science at Climate Central, told AARP, “People just generally are moving to places that are more prone to climate disasters. You’d think people would want to move away from disasters, but they’re moving toward them.” 

Among these are places in the sunbelt like Florida and Arizona, popular winter destinations for older Americans looking to escape the snow and rain. “While some areas in these states might be bearable for the next decade, many areas may now be simply too hot,” Bieber writes.  

Tough to Persuade Seniors to Reexamine Their Plans 

This leaves older adults and their loved ones with tough choices to make and—potentially—plans to modify. For many retirees, that’s a tough pill to swallow.  

“Whether older adults are already located in one of these high-risk areas or move to one after giving up work, it can be hard to convince them to rethink their retirement plans and live elsewhere — even for younger family members with concerns about their safety,” Bieber writes.  

Kennedy agrees, adding, “Our mother was widowed at age 60, and she was ferociously capable and independent.” Her mother planned to remain at home and even arranged for a friend to move in with her, adding a bathroom to her house. But it wasn’t to be; the friend who was supposed to move in passed away, and Kennedy’s mom began to slow down and need more help than she planned. Yet she still didn’t want to move.  

“She wasn’t alone,” Bieber writes. “An estimated 90 percent of adults over 65 hope to remain in their current homes as they age, as they want to preserve independence and maintain connections to their community and past memories.” 

“The Hardest Conversation an Adult Child Can Have” 

“This is probably the hardest conversation an adult child can have with a parent,” Kennedy says about talking with her mother about giving up her house. “She did not want to leave her home, but by the time she was 90, there was absolutely no way to keep her safe, given her age and more extreme weather.” 

Regardless of what the future holds, here at the Blog we believe in making a solid plan. And Bieber agrees. She provides the following advice for how to properly prepare to age in place, whatever the weather. (We’ve abridged these tips for the sake of brevity.) 

Lean on family if possible. Bieber’s father still lives in Florida, but this is made more feasible by the fact that her family purchased a home with an in-law apartment—where her father lives—so that they could relocate there for part of the year. “This isn’t a solution that will work for everyone, of course, both because it’s not always feasible for younger generations to offer this level of hands-on help and because not every retiree living in an area with extreme weather even has children or younger caregivers to turn to,” she writes. 

Know the risks and plan ahead. “If you’re planning to age in place, you should assess your risk and develop a plan for resilience,” Bieber writes. This could mean installing or updating your HVAC systems and making sure you have backup batteries for the home. If you’re a caregiver or younger relative, this means having contingency plans and safeguards to make sure you or someone else can get to your loved one in the event of an emergency.  

Line up extra help, just in case. Whether you’re hiring a companion or simply asking a neighbor, Kennedy says it’s vital to enlist help: “The key to staying safe and happy when aging in place is finding a loving, trustworthy person to provide care when you need it, whether that’s family or a nurse.” 

Ultimately, you can only control so much. Bieber concludes, “For those of us whose parents or older relatives aren’t yet ready or willing to move to provide this peace of mind, though, watching weather reports closely and being ready to offer whatever help we can is about all we can do.” 

(originally reported at www.kiplinger.com)