U.S. Sunbelt States Growing Population Faces Increasing Climate Hazards --study

The Sunbelt’s Growing Population Faces Increasing Climate Hazards - Inside Climate News New research identified the counties in the U.S. with large and vulnerable populations exposed to heat stress, water shortages or wildfire, with most found in the southern half of the country. Derek Harrison Inside Climate News

Counties across the southern half of the U.S., especially those with large and socially vulnerable populations, will be much more exposed to wildfire, drought and extreme heat than other parts of the country as the region’s climate warms in the coming decades, according to new research from the U.S. Forest Service and Resources for the Future. ...

In the study, researchers identified the continental U.S. counties that are especially exposed to natural disasters stemming from water shortages, extreme heat and wildfires, as well as those with socially vulnerable populations. The study’s various models, based on rates of growth and warming, show communities from Arizona to Florida at particular risk as states in the southern half of the country are seeing booming populations.

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