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March 8, 2018MARYVILLE, Mo. |  By: Vinzant

Study estimates 41 million Americans at risk due to flooding rivers

A new study published last week by Environmental Research Letters found that 41 million Americans are at risk from flooding rivers -- more than three times the current estimate.

The study took publicly available data like elevation and weather data, and compared it to both current population data and projected data for the next 100 years. The study found that more than 60 million Americans in the year 2050 may be vulnerable to FEMA-mapped floods due to building in dangerous areas.

Director of Freshwater Conservation Steve Herrington says the data published by this study may be useful for areas that don't typically -- or cannot afford to -- conduct flood studies of their own.

Herrington adds that areas of Missouri experiencing drought can influence the data, but the risk of flooding is still present.

Average flood losses in the U.S. have steadily increased over the years, reaching almost $10 billion annually.