It feels like every time you turn on the news, they are reporting another extreme weather event and saying that they are getting worse. Climate change both directly and indirectly relates to extreme weather. It directly impacts through increasing heat, which causes wildfires, droughts and heatwaves. Meanwhile, indirectly, climate change affects water temperature by heating it up, which leads to the powering of hurricanes. As climate change continues to increase, extreme weather grows with it. 

In 2022, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) predicted that another above-average hurricane season was coming, for the seventh year in a row. 

Scientists are certain that the intensity and severity of hurricanes will continue to increase, but are currently uncertain if there will be an increase in the number of hurricanes. These trends are resulting in hurricanes being far more costly in terms of both damage and deaths.

In September of 2022, Hurricane Ian gave residents little time to prepare, as it intensified rapidly while hurtling towards the Florida coast. Only days prior, Hurricane Fiona dumped unrivaled levels of rain in Puerto Rico, leaving residents lacking electricity, and drinking water; for some, this is a death sentence. 

Experiencing record hot and dry conditions across the state, California has become a base for meteorological turmoil. The seasonal winds, Diablo and Santa Ana, as Northern and Southern Californians call them, cause the destructive wildfires to spread and grow at unrivaled rates.

As climate change warms and dries the western United States, the wildfires, once a natural part of life, are amplified in ferocity, and speed. 

In 2020, California saw the biggest fire season in state history, with more than 4 million acres burned from wildfires. (Connecticut is about 3.5 million acres, for comparison). In the last seven years, the top five largest fires in California history have occurred, the largest being the August Complex. It burned from August to November in 2020, and destroyed 1,032,648 acres. Started by lightning strikes on August 16th and 17th, the Complex started as 38 separate fires. The Tatham, Glade, Hull, and Doe fires were the largest four. The Doe Fire, the main fire, became both the largest fire complex in recorded California history and the single-largest wildfire on September 9, surpassing the 2018 Mendocino Complex, the third most destructive in California history. Oregon, Washington, and Colorado also see similar fires with forced evacuation of thousands and destroyed homes and businesses.

With global temperatures rising, the number of areas affected by extreme heat are also rising, meaning more hot days in more places. Over the past 50 years, Austin and Houston, Texas have both recorded an additional month with temperatures above 100°F, and 95°F respectively. Additionally, in the past 100 years, California temperatures are estimated to have increased by 3°F. Global warming fuels extreme heat, increasing demand for air conditioning, fueling climate change and putting a strain on our energy system that can lead to blackouts. For the most vulnerable, it also poses a serious health threat.

Even though these disasters are tragic, there are teams of dedicated volunteers and scientists actively working to save lives and stop extreme weather from plaguing more and more places. You can go to the Everyday Solutions page to find some easy ways you can help.