Extreme weather is making Americans feel powerless
The same people are also more likely to feel anxious about having to face a future disaster, according to a new poll
Extreme weather events are leaving Americans feeling helpless, a recent poll reveals. Forty percent of those polled have experienced such an event in the past year, and 38% of these individuals feel their lives are governed by forces beyond their control. The U.S. has faced 23 separate extreme weather events causing over $3.2 trillion in damages since 1980, resulting in more than 17,300 deaths, according to Climate Central.
The Walton Family Foundation and Gallup conducted the poll, which found affected Americans to be more pessimistic and anxious about their future compared to those who haven't experienced such damage. Southern states like Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee were hit hardest, with nearly 60% of residents reporting weather-related damage.
Despite the rising costs of extreme weather, fewer Americans now believe climate change is real or human-caused, according to a Yale University survey. Only 68% of Americans now think global warming is happening, and 59% believe it's primarily caused by humans, down from 74% and 61% in 2023, respectively.
Written by urgent.news from Scientific American's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
