Climate-related disasters

CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS

Click each icon to learn more.

FLOODS

WILDFIRES

DROUGHTS

HURRICANES

HEAT WAVES

DROUGHTS

The World Weather Attribution has said that climate change has made severe droughts at least 100 times more likely.

What does climate change have to do with it?

• High water temperatures increase evaporation
• Decreasing snow packs increases water temperature
• High temperatures increase percipitation variability
• Drying out soil

HURRICANES

Hurricanes in the United States that cause the most damage are three times more common than they were 100 years ago. The proportion of major hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean — Category 3 or above — has doubled since 1980.

What does climate change have to do with it?

• Warmer temperatures lead to stronger winds and more rainfall
• When storms travel across warm bodies of water, they gather more water vapor and heat
• Sea level rise makes impacts and subsequent flooding travel more inland

HEAT WAVES

In the summer of 2023, the record for the hottest day on record was broken or tied four days in a row.

What does climate change have to do with it?

• Greenhouse gas emissions raise temperatures by trapping the sun's heat in the ozone layer
• If emissions don't change, temperatures in many plaes in the world may increase by 5 degrees Fahrenheit by 2050.

FLOODS

Flood-prone areas in the United States are expected to increase by nearly 50% by 2100.

What does climate change have to do with it?

• Increased rainfall and snow melt
• More frequent hurricanes
• Higher sea levels

WILDFIRES

A 2021 NOAA study found that climate change is the largest driver of increased fire weather in the Western United States.

What does climate change have to do with it?

• Increased heat
• Extended drought
• High amount of dry organic matter in forests