WASHINGTON — Matt Ries, who relocated to Florida three years ago, recently experienced some extreme and surprising weather conditions. Initially met with an unusually hot summer, Florida was soon hit by three hurricanes in quick succession. The cold months brought a rare cold snap, with snow covering some areas of the state. To Ries, originally from Ohio and now residing in Tampa, these weather patterns seem to reflect the effects of climate change.
“It’s pretty obvious to me,” said Ries, a 29-year-old project manager at an environmental firm who identifies as a conservative-leaning independent. “There are drastic changes happening with extreme weather events across the country and globally. I do believe human actions are accelerating this process.”
A recent survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research revealed that approximately eight out of ten American adults have encountered some form of extreme weather in recent times. Nearly half of the respondents reported that they have been personally impacted by severe cold snaps or intense winter storms.
A significant portion of the individuals who have experienced severe cold believe that climate change plays at least a partial role in such events. This indicates an understanding that global warming is altering atmospheric stability, occasionally allowing cold Arctic air to push further south.
Midwesterners appear to be the most affected by these cold conditions, with around seven in ten inhabitants experiencing severe cold in the past five years. This is higher compared to about half of the residents in the South and Northeast and roughly one-third in the West, the poll found.
“It might seem counterintuitive to associate cold weather with global warming,” said Liane Golightly-Kissner from Delaware, Ohio. Golightly-Kissner, 38, observed that winters have become so cold that schools close and precautions like letting faucets drip to avoid pipe bursts have become necessary. Unlike her childhood in Michigan, she notes that such frigid conditions are now more frequent and prolonged.
While just about a quarter of US adults feel climate change has significantly impacted their lives so far, roughly four in ten anticipate noticeable effects during their lifetimes, including impacts on health, air quality, and water resources. Notably, younger adults under 30 are more likely to believe climate change will directly affect them.
There is growing awareness about climate change among Americans, said Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. This rising concern is attributed to media coverage, political advocacy, and public sentiment working in tandem.
“More and more, Americans are recognizing that climate change is a present and real issue for them,” Leiserowitz commented, though many still perceive it as a future problem mainly impacting their descendants.
Rosiland Lathan from Minden, Louisiana, shares her belief in climate change, pointing to hotter summers and colder winters. She recalls a time when snowfall and icy roads stranded her at work for days. Recently, she endured weeks of temperatures in the low teens and high 20s, contrasted by sweltering summers with temperatures soaring above 100 degrees.
Climate change concerns extend beyond fluctuating temperatures, as fears grow over more frequent natural disasters like wildfires and hurricanes. Rising property insurance premiums and energy costs are common worries, with about six in ten US adults expressing deep concerns over increasing premiums and over half worried about energy cost implications. Political lines influence concern levels, with Republicans showing less apprehension than Democrats and independents.
The survey found a strong backing for actions supporting communities facing growing threats from severe weather and disasters, excluding restrictions on new constructions in these vulnerable regions. Roughly six in ten adults favored offering financial aid to local inhabitants for rebuilding efforts, enhancing property resilience to natural disasters, and providing homeowners insurance where private options are unavailable. Meanwhile, around a quarter of respondents were indifferent, and a small fraction opposed these initiatives.
Opinions on restricting new construction are split; about four in ten support limiting new developments in disaster-prone areas, while similar numbers remain neutral or opposed. Golightly-Kissner advocates for stricter building codes or even reconstruction bans in these high-risk zones.
“These extreme weather events are here to stay, and it would be arrogant to ignore that reality,” she stated. “We must adapt and think about sustainable ways to maintain our lives and communities because it’s not a matter of if, but when, we’ll face these challenges again.”
The survey, involving 1,112 adults, was conducted from February 6-10, using a sample representative of the US population. The margin of error is +/- 4.1 percentage points. The Associated Press climate and environmental reporting receive support from various foundations.
