The summer of 2023 was the hottest on record, and also had a variety of devastating, extreme weather events. Wildfires in Canada, flooding in Libya and drought in regions across the world. There are three and a half more months left in the year, but the United States has experienced multiple disasters that have each led to at least $1 Billion in damage. More than any year on record.
New polling from YouGov indicates that most Americans believe the severity and frequency of these weather events-wildfires, heat waves, floods, droughts, hurricanes and tornadoes, have increased this year. And a growing majority believe that these events becoming more common and severe believe climate change is either entirely or mostly responsible for the changes.
The survey asked half of respondents, whether the frequency of 10 weather events have increased, decreased or stayed the same in recent decades. The other half were asked the same questions but about the severity of events instead of frequency.
Three-quarters of Americans say the frequency of wildfires (74%) has increased in recent decades. 72% say the same about heat waves. 60% say there have been more floods, 58% believe there are more droughts, 52% more hurricanes, and 51% more tornadoes.
18% say there are fewer blizzards in the face of warmer global temperatures.
Americans seem as likely to say the severity of certain weather events has increased in recent decades as they are to say the frequency has increased. Majorities believe wildfires (76%), heat waves (71%), floods (64%), droughts (59%), hurricanes (53%) and tornadoes (51%) have become a lot or a little more severe in recent decades. Blizzards are a different story, 37% of people believe they have become more severe, but only 29% believe more frequent.
Most Americans who have seen the frequency of weather events as increased believe climate change is at least partially responsible. At least half of Americans who say every type of weather event has increased say climate change is ether partially or somewhat responsible-with the exception of volcanic eruptions. Fewer than one in five people who see increases in weather see no connection to climate change. Climate change is also seen as the key driver of increased severity of weather events. Dust storms, tornadoes and droughts in particular are seen as more attributable in severity to climate change.
12% of Americans feel they are very prepared for extreme weather, 13% say their star is, and only 9% feel the federal government is.