WASHINGTON — Matt Ries, who relocated to Florida just three years ago, has already witnessed what locals call unusual weather patterns. Last summer was marked by severe heat, soon followed by three successive hurricanes. This was capped by winter temperatures plummeting below freezing, even bringing snow to parts of the state. As a native of Ohio now residing in Tampa, Ries perceives this extreme weather, including the harsh cold, as indicative of climate change.
“To me, it’s plainly obvious,” remarked Ries, a project manager at an environmental company and a self-identified conservative-leaning independent. “There’s a drastic change going on; with extreme weather occurring throughout the country and globally. I believe humans are accelerating that change.” This view aligns with a recent poll indicating that roughly 8 in 10 U.S. adults have encountered some form of extreme weather in past years, and approximately half have personally felt the impacts of severe cold or winter storms.
Within the group that attributes severe cold to their extreme weather experiences, about three-quarters consider climate change a contributing factor. This suggests a widespread understanding that global warming can create volatile atmospheric conditions, causing cold Arctic air to reach southward more frequently. The Midwest seems most affected, with nearly 70% of its residents having faced harsh cold in the last five years, compared to about half in the South and Northeast, and one-third in the West, per survey findings.
“The idea that global warming results in colder weather seems counterintuitive,” said Liane Golightly-Kissner from Delaware, Ohio, north of Columbus. “But climate change is having an impact on a variety of extreme weather events.” At 38, Golightly-Kissner noted how, just this past winter, schools closed due to the cold, and her family left faucets running to avert pipe bursts. Although she recalls one particularly frigid day during her childhood in Michigan, she observes such conditions have become more frequent and prolonged.
The poll further reveals that while only a quarter of Americans feel personally impacted by climate change right now, around 40% believe it will affect their lives eventually, bearing on health, air quality, and water access. Notably, about half of individuals under 30 anticipate personal impacts from climate change.
Overall, approximately 70% of U.S. adults think climate change is a reality, with a strong correlation between this belief and the expectation of substantial personal impact now or in the future. According to Anthony Leiserowitz, director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, growing public awareness is attributed to the interplay of media attention, political dialogue, and rising public concerns.
Rosiland Lathan, a 60-year-old from Minden, Louisiana, believes climate change is manifesting in hotter summers and colder winters. Recalling snow that immobilized her car at work for days just a few years back, she comments, “In Louisiana, it gets hot, but this is hotter than usual.” This winter saw temperatures plunge into the teens, while past summers marked highs over 100 degrees.
Concerns about climate change extend beyond personal discomfort to financial implications, such as rising property insurance premiums and energy costs. Around 60% of adults express major concern about insurance hikes driven by climate change, with similar worry over escalating energy expenses. Half also fear increased costs for emergency responders and infrastructure, with Democrats expressing greater concern than Republicans and independents.
Support for measures to aid those in high-risk weather areas remains broad, although opinions diverge on restricting new construction in these zones. Approximately 6 in 10 favor financial help for rebuilding, disaster-proofing properties, or offering homeowners’ insurance for those unable to secure it privately. Yet, only about 40% are in favor of construction restrictions, with opinions fairly split, including around 10% in opposition.
Golightly-Kissner advocates for either stricter building standards or rebuilding limits in areas susceptible to disasters. “We’re facing persistent extreme weather conditions, and continuing as we are would be arrogant,” she argues. “We must adapt to ensure our communities withstand recurring events, as it’s not if, but when they will happen again.”
