The US faces more frequent extreme weather events, but attitudes and actions aren't keeping up
UNITED STATES, JUL 9 – Climate change has increased extreme weather disasters sevenfold in the US with damages exceeding $180 billion last year, while funding cuts hinder preparedness and response efforts.
- Horrific flash floods struck Minnesota and Texas in early July 2025, causing more than 100 deaths after extreme rainfall over a few hours.
- These floods followed a long-term increase in heavy rainfall frequency linked to climate change, with Minnesota facing 16 mega-rain events since 1973.
- Experts highlight that infrastructure aging and social attitudes like normalcy bias worsen vulnerability, while agencies crucial for disaster response have faced budget cuts.
- According to government data, a climate index measuring extreme weather—such as hurricanes, heavy rainfall, droughts, and temperature extremes—has risen by 58% since the 1980s, highlighting the increasing frequency and severity of such events.
- This trend suggests increasing challenges in disaster preparedness and response, emphasizing the need to recognize changing baselines and plan for worsening future conditions.
79 Articles
79 Articles
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Image credit: Jordan Spraggins on Unsplash Over the past few weeks, states across the country have experienced scorching temperatures. From Texas to Maine, nearly 160 million people were placed under heat alerts as forecasters predicted temperatures up to 20 degrees Fahrenheit above seasonal averages. In the Southeast, conditions were so severe that, in late June, the Department of Energy declared a power emergency, allowing Duke Energy Carolina…
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