New York to require flood disclosures in home sales as sea levels rise and storms worsen
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday signed a bill requiring people selling their homes to disclose whether their properties have been flooded or are at risk for future flooding.
The new law comes as inland areas in the state have become more vulnerable to flooding, with climate change spurring on rising sea levels and more intense storms.
The signing will make New York at least the 30th state in the country to require flood disclosures during home sales. New York has a similar law in place for rental properties.
The law closes a loophole in state law that has allowed home sellers to pay a $500 fee to avoid disclosing their home's flood risk. The law also requires sellers to disclose additional information about flooding in their properties, such as whether the property is in a flood hazard area and if any flood insurance claims have been filed.
A National Climate Assessment report has found that the Northeast region is seeing the greatest increase in extreme rainfall in the country as well as a sea-level rise that is three times greater than the global average.
"As we work to fight climate change, we also have to take measures in response to the harm it is causing," said bill sponsor Assemblymember Robert Carroll, adding the law will "help New Yorkers by ensuring that they have the information they need to best protect their homes against flooding at the time of making a home purchase."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories

This Canadian couple used surrogacy to have a child. Here's what they want you to know
Families that need help conceiving a child are met with financial burdens that should be covered through government health care and insurance, advocates say.
Renowned Quebec entrepreneur, partner reported dead in Caribbean
Quebec entrepreneur Daniel Langlois and his spouse Dominique Marchand have died in their adopted home of Dominica, in the Caribbean, a source has confirmed.
Fatal stabbing of German tourist by suspected radical puts sharp focus on Paris Olympics
A bloodstain by a bridge over the Seine river was the only remaining sign on Sunday of a fatal knife attack 12 hours earlier on a German tourist, allegedly carried out by a young man under watch for suspected Islamic radicalization.
Teen girls are being victimized by deepfake nudes. One family is pushing for more protections
A mother and her 14-year-old daughter are advocating for better protections for victims after AI-generated nude images of the teen and other female classmates were circulated at a high school in New Jersey.
Rare Maud Lewis paintings up for auction online, valued at $35,000
Three rare Maud Lewis paintings are up for auction online today, estimated to be worth tens of thousands of dollars each.
Israel orders more people in crowded southern Gaza to evacuate as heavy bombardment shifts there
Israel's military ordered more areas in and around Gaza's second-largest city of Khan Younis to evacuate on Sunday, followed by heavy bombardment, as it shifted its offensive to the southern half of the territory where it asserts that leaders of the Hamas militant group are hiding.
1 person is dead and 11 missing after a landslide and flash floods hit Indonesia's Sumatra island
Rescuers recovered the body of a man buried under tons of mud and rocks from flash floods and a landslide that crashed onto a hilly village on Indonesia's Sumatra island. Officials said Sunday that 11 people are still missing.
'Meta took a bad decision': Canada's heritage minister says about Online News Act fallout
Canada's heritage minister insists the federal government is still working to get Facebook and Instagram parent company Meta back to the bargaining table to negotiate a deal to compensate Canadian news organizations as part of the regulatory process for the controversial Online News Act.
Strong earthquake that sparked a tsunami warning leaves 1 dead amid widespread panic in Philippines
A powerful earthquake that shook the southern Philippines killed at least one villager and injured several others as thousands scrambled out of their homes in panic and jammed roads to higher grounds after a tsunami warning was issued, officials said Sunday.