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Opinion: In real estate, downplaying climate risks won’t make them go away

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Real Life with Nedra Rhone

Extreme weather is on the rise, but some apps leave buyers in the dark.

An EF1 tornado touched down Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Carroll County, where officials said several buildings were destroyed. (Courtesy of Carroll County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management)

An EF1 tornado touched down Saturday, Jan. 10, 2026 in Carroll County, where officials said several buildings were destroyed. (Courtesy of Carroll County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management)

Tornado Alley is a term traditionally associated with the Midwest, but I lived in Illinois for nearly 30 years and never experienced a tornado until I moved to Atlanta.

In 2008, eight months after I purchased a condo downtown, an EF2 tornado whipped through my neighborhood, causing major damage to buildings less than a mile from my home.

One of the large decorative lights surrounding Centennial Olympic Park is shown blown over and destroyed in 2008. Downtown Atlanta and the surrounding areas were hit by a storm and tornado, and property damage was extensive. (David Tulis/AJC 2020)

One of the large decorative lights surrounding Centennial Olympic Park is shown blown over and destroyed in 2008. Downtown Atlanta and the surrounding areas were hit by a storm and tornado, and property damage was extensive. (David Tulis/AJC 2020)

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.etadpu gnidnatsrednu eert gnilatot eht tsaehtuos ,edis desahcrup ruo no fo sdeen ylworran ym ym shtnom gnissim ebyam kcank ni ni .esuoh semoh emoh evah rof deppord ,yawevird enorp-retsasid enorp-retsasid rac gniyub .saera saera dna na retfa a a a neveS rO ebyaM amrI I I enacirruH s’atnaltA

gnorw nehw ,yaw eht eht ksir lavomer laer fo evom ,sgnitsil ekil ti ni morf tlef etatse .noitcerid atad etamilc decnuonna a wolliZ rehtiE

,raey ,dniw erehw erew ot esoht eht eht taht ,etis serocs serocs gniledom-ksir ksir decalper laer deifitnauq .ytilauq s’ytreporp ,htnom gnitsil knil tsal tsegral sti taeh tog rof ,doolf ,erif etatse gniyalpsid .atad ynapmoc yb nageb dna ria a a ,wolliZ wolliZ ,teertS tsaL tsriF tuB

During Hurricane Irma in 2017, AJC columnist Nedra Rhone had a tree come down in her driveway, totaling her car. (Nedra Rhone/AJC 2017)

During Hurricane Irma in 2017, AJC columnist Nedra Rhone had a tree come down in her driveway, totaling her car. (Nedra Rhone/AJC 2017)

saw ot eht taht .selas ksir laer etavirp ythgim sredael gnitruh dah rof etatse esabatad atad denialpmoc ynapmoc etamilc ,stneilc devac srekorb dna retfa a wolliZ ,ecivreS lanoigeR elpitluM gnitsiL ainrofilaC

gniyalpsiD“ sraey raey nihtiw htiw siht eht eht eht taht cificeps tnacifingis dias ”,ytreporp ytilibaborp deviecrep ro no fo fo txen weivretni ni tcapmi emoh evah gnidoolf evif ytilibarised nac na a a kroY .semiT ehT weN retraC OEC trA

… ,haey syaw ytilibaklaw esu ot ot ot esoht ereht taht .ecaps dluohs serocs sloohcs loohcs .sksir ,sgnitar stniop nurtuo rehto rehto ro eno fo tol kcal ti si .tnemtsevni srenwoemoh sreyubemoh redrah neerg rof etaulave od atad atad gninialpmoc etamilc tnevmucric esuaceb dab sa sa era dna dna tuoba a a a ,mU oN s’tI raey-03

,sraey ,sraey sraey htiw lliw lliw ,seodanrot ot ot ot staerht eht eht eht erahs ytreporp seitreporp srenwo revo revo fo fo fo fo fo txen txen txen rojam rojam sti si esaercni ni ni stcapmi tcapmi tcapmi senacirruh .semoh sah morf rof .gnidoolf ecneirepxe detcepxe detcepxe yticirtcele .atad stsoc gnilooc gnimoc etamilc yb dna gnidrocca ,dniW teertS taeH tsriF atnaltA atnaltA atnaltA dnA %86 03 03 03 .%3.31 %8.21 %001

uoy ot taht elgnis yrateirporp ytreporp yap si noitamrofni noitamrofni evah lareneg .rof rof .atad yna s’tahT deliateD

htiw nehw tahw saw saw saw gniyrt ot ot ot meht eht eht detneserp lufitnelp dibtuo ,rehto eno dlo on tekram ekam yrotnevni gnisuoh pleh doog hsulf hcae ,syad atad .seciohc derac sreyub sreyub dna nI

ot siht eht llits ykahs gnivres-fles ksir .esnopser evomer ,tekram si yrtsudni ni gnisuoh spuorg morf atad etamilc llac a tuB

latot eht taht setis selas ksir ksir srehcraeser troper desaeler decuder seitreporp ecirp no fo ekil gnitacidni hgih rof .gnidoolf doolf setamitse yb ta a nifdeR ,rebmevoN nI %1

htiw htiw erew ot taht naht lles .serocs serocs ksir ,hcraeser ro muidem wol ylekil ssel lanretni ni semoh semoh hgih dnuof doolf erif dna ,wolliZ

htiw ot setats secruos ,ksir deriuqer s’ytreporp fo ton ynam detimil gnivael .noitamrofni noitamrofni ni sreyubemoh esolcsid etamilc era tuoba a srenwoemoH

htiw ,serifdliw hcihw eht eht eht eht eht taht naht ,semitemos sksir cilbup yrateirporp snoitciderp ylbissop noitisop lirep detadtuo rehto no fo sledom edam depmuj si ni ni ni ,tnemnrevog nevig morf atad tnerruc seinapmoc etamilc etamilc etamilc .egnahc esac retteb sa dna dna s’noitartsinimda tuoba .S.U teertS tsriF ainrofilaC

dilav esu ot ot yeht yeht eht eht ,secruos ecnis erahs .ksir ksir ytilibailer laer noitseuq slanoisseforp etavirp tciderp rehto fo sledom erusaem si woh yllareneg morf rof etatse t’nod poleved atad seinapmoc etamilc etamilc dna dna teertS tI tsriF

— tuohtiw ot rieht eht taht tnacifingis hcraes serocs sksir ksir stup ro eno no fo fo tsom ekam ekam sevil tsuj .ti noitamrofni sreyubemoh og rof gniyalpnwod t’nseod snoisiced etamilc etamilc nedrub .yawa na lanoitidda tI tuB

ot ot ot rieht rieht rieht eht eht lles sksir ytilauq ro no fo deen thgim ekam ,efil ecnarusni demrofni ni tcapmi semoh evah teg .erutuf etamilc seciohc tuoba ytiliba sreyubemoH

htiw esu ,etad-ot-pu .dnatsrednu ot ot eht eht eht taht taht dluohs sksir laer ylidaer cilbup gniyalp no fo erom ybbol sti si si ecneulfni yrtsudni reyubemoh kees-dna-edih tnemnrevog rof rof laredef etatse ysae atad atad elbaredisnoc etamilc egareva ,elbaliava elbaliava dna daetsnI

hturt ycnerapsnart ot ot eht eht yreggudlluks evas .sksir laer fo .thgim ylekil t’nsi yrtsudni tcapmi morf rof etatse etamilc dna gnitacovda gnitroseR tuB

ruoy pu ot ot thgiarts tnes ym :xobni teg nmuloc tsinmuloc-enohr-arden/srettelswen/moc.cja ngiS

Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.

Nedra Rhone is a lifestyle columnist for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution where she has been a reporter since 2006. A graduate of Columbia University School of Journalism, she enjoys writing about the people, places and events that define metro Atlanta.