A new poll released on Earth Day has found that a majority of U.S. adults have been personally affected in one way or another by extreme weather since 2018.
Saturday’s Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll reports that 71% of American adults reported experiencing at least one extreme weather event in the last half-decade.
The United States Department of Agriculture defines extreme weather events as “occurrences of unusually severe weather or climate conditions that can cause devastating impacts on communities and agricultural and natural ecosystems. Weather-related extreme events are often short-lived and include heat waves, freezes, heavy downpours, tornadoes, tropical cyclones, and floods.”
The poll examined such events and how often Americans reported experiencing them throughout the last five years. Among the most reported events were extreme heat waves (55%) and severe cold weather (45%).
Additionally, the survey found 30% of respondents had been impacted by major droughts, and 24% had experienced hurricanes or tropical storms.
Among those who reported having been affected by different extreme weather events, 69% think they were a cause of climate change, while 30% said they thought extreme weather events were not a result of climate change.
Still, the poll found that 71% of respondents believe climate change is happening. This is compared to 12% who said they did not think it was and 16% who are still unsure.
In 2022, the U.S. had an abundance of extreme weather disasters, with 18 events costing at least $1 billion each. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this tied 2011 and 2017 for the third-highest number of billion-dollar disasters in a given year.
But even more so than money, the events cost an even greater price, claiming the lives of at least 474 people, with Hurricane Ian killing over 100 people alone.
The AP-NORC poll included responses from 1,230 adults in the U.S. and was conducted from April 13 to 17. There is a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
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