Natural disasters could point people toward Great Lakes

As we continue to battle bouts of severe summer weather here in the Great Lakes Region, my mind turns to some big-picture items. We've had our fair share of severe storms — the Sandusky area, especially, has been hit hard in 2023 with multiple events that have damaged property. And we're good for a doozy or two like we had during last winter's storm around Christmastime. But all in all, our climate in this region is bearable, especially when compared to much of the rest of the country. We can debate all day long the merits and causes of global warming and climate change and never get anywhere. But what I think is undeniable is that severe weather events are happening frequently in our world, bringing many types of dangerous and destructive conditions. In his speech last earlier this month at the Erie County Economic Development Corporation's annual meeting, Eric Wobser, CEO of the Greater Sandusky Partnership, spoke head-on to some concepts that I've both pondered myself and have seen an increasing number of people discussing online. He believes the Great Lakes Region stands to grow both economically and from a population standpoint as weather patterns could project a migration to the Midwest and its less explosive climate. Areas that have natural advantages, like the Lake Erie shoreline, are in a major growth position as more attention will likely be given to states like Ohio. It could be a flip-flop from decades of net population loss from places like Ohio to western and southern states. Last summer, my family visited the Southwest and a visit to the Hoover Dam piqued my interest in the vast water issues facing that region. I did a lot of research, and it's clear places like Arizona, Nevada and Southern California are in for current and future struggles. According to CBS News, the Colorado River, which provides water for some 40 million people in the United States and Mexico is "in crisis," with climate, rising demand and overuse key factors. Water levels have fallen to "unprecedented lows," prompting large-scale water conservation measures. A multi-state proposal this year calls for the reduction of 3 million acre-feet water through the end of 2026. The Phoenix area remains among the fastest-growing regions in the country, and in 2020, Phoenix became the nation's fifth-largest city. Further growth is expected for decades there, as well as in Phoenix's desert neighbor to the west, Las Vegas. But will there be an inflection point where people turn away from the searing heat and water issues? Time will tell. In Florida, the Pensacola News Journal reported that Farmers Insurance joined more than a dozen other insurance companies that have stopped writing policies in the Sunshine State. Insurance has become a challenging industry in Florida and California where natural disasters have made providing coverage for policyholders risky. Hurricanes and wildfires cause billions of dollars in damage, and seem to every year. Here in Ohio, we too have seen challenging weather — this week's rain and flooding in the Sandusky area serving as a good example, as is the Canadian wildfires that filled up our air this summer. But with five Great Lakes in our backyard serving as natural freshwater sources and less propensity for hurricane-level disasters, those predicting the Midwest to become a future migration destination may be on to something. The Intel semiconductor plant in the works in the Columbus area will be an economic game-changer for the entire state. The Courier reported Friday that Findlay is a finalist for a 750-job Sheetz convenience stores production distribution facility. Similar convenience store giants Casey's, GetGo and Buc-ee's have all announced recent expansions and growth in Ohio. I'm not sure if you can tie all of this to future migration patterns, but it's undeniable that these commitments wouldn't be made if there wasn't at least a positive outlook in this state. Those in the Midwest have been hearing terms like "Rust Belt," "Post Industrial" and "Brain Drain" for years. Maybe it's time we challenge that collective thinking and begin seeing ourselves as a destination. In my opinion, the future is coming to the Great Lakes Region. Jeremy Speer is the publisher of The Courier, Findlay, the Sandusky Register, The Advertiser-Tribune, Tiffin, the Norwalk Reflector and Review Times, Fostoria. He can be reached at jeremyspeer@thecourier.com.