Climate Risks in United States

United States

The changing climate poses many risks for people, the environment and the economy. This measure aims to capture populations that are disproportionately impacted by issues stemming from the following climate-related events:

• Agricultural losses from natural hazards.
• Building value losses from natural hazards.
• Deaths from natural hazards.
• Projected property flood risk.
• Projected wildfire exposure.

Avalanches, coastal flooding, cold waves, droughts, hail, heat waves, hurricanes, ice storms, landslides, riverine flooding, strong winds, tornados, wildfires and winter weather are natural hazards that can lead to agricultural and building value losses and even death.

The agricultural sector is sensitive to the effects of weather and climate. Climate change can affect crops and livestock; changes in temperature and rainfall can change the timing of growing seasons, and increasing frequencies of heavy precipitation can cause soil erosion and deplete nutrients. 

Severe weather events add additional stress to an already struggling infrastructure system, which can cause damaged property and value losses. The threat of climate change to infrastructure varies by region, and includes high tide flooding in coastal regions and wildfires in the West. Additionally, extreme precipitation can cause dam failures and bridge washouts. 

Climate change is already negatively impacting the health of Americans, and it is projected to get worse. Extreme weather events can put people at risk of heat-related illness and infectious diseases; they can also negatively impact mental well-being. There were over 600 weather fatalities in the United States in 2022.

As storms and floods continue to increase in severity and frequency, more areas will be prone to flooding and the resulting damage. A recent study estimated that current annual U.S. flood loss costs are $32.1 billion and are expected to rise to $40.6 billion a year by 2050.

The rising temperatures and extended droughts brought on by climate change have increased the risk of wildfires in the western U.S. in recent decades. Wildfire smoke is associated with many negative health effects, including: coughing, wheezing, reduced lung function, bronchitis, stroke and heart failure. 

A recent report by Deloitte Economics Institute found that over the last 50 years, climate change has cost the United States $1.4 trillion in losses due to weather, climate and water hazards, and failing to take sufficient action could cost the U.S. economy $14.5 trillion over the next 50 years.

Climate events may affect everyone. However, certain vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected, including pregnant women, children, older adults, individuals with disabilities, poor communities and communities of color. 

Black, Hispanic and Latino individuals in the U.S. face higher exposure to the harmful effects of climate change due to where they live and work. Low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations are more likely to live in areas with the highest projected increases in temperature mortality because of climate change effects.

Tackling climate change and its risks requires a two-pronged approach: mitigation and adaptation. Mitigation involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions to slow down climate change, while adaptation involves adjusting to current or future climate change.

The Environmental Protection Agency lists several strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on the built environment, such as incorporating green infrastructure; as well as strategies to reduce the impact of climate change on agriculture. Climate-smart farming practices include planting cover crops, reducing runoff and boosting crop resistance. Additionally, they offer region-specific Climate Adaptation Implementation Plans along with an interactive web tool that allows users to find resources tailored to their region and specific issues. 

Several states have made efforts to reduce the impact of climate change by implementing cap-and-trade programs, promoting reliance on renewable energy sources for electricity and enacting clean vehicle policies. Adopting new technologies like wind power, solar power or biofuels, developing chemical means for removing carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and changing land use to store CO2 in plants, trees and soils can help reduce greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has implemented multiple initiatives as part of its strategic plan for improving health equity, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has published disaster planning toolkits and other resources for vulnerable populations and communities with limited access to resources.

Healthy People 2030 has several objectives to promote healthier environments, including:

• Reducing diseases and deaths related to heat.
• Reducing the number of days people are exposed to unhealthy air. 
• Reducing the amount of toxic pollutants released into the environment.

The federal government continues to work with global partners to reach the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Twenty-four states and the District of Columbia have introduced specific greenhouse gas emission targets, and 33 states have a plan in place or are currently updating their plan to meet climate-related goals.

EPA. “Climate Change and Social Vulnerability in the United States: A Focus on Six Impacts.” Washington, D.C.: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, September 2021. https://www.epa.gov/cira/social-vulnerability-report.

Philip, Pradeep, Claire Ibrahim, and Cedric Hodges. “The Turning Point: A New Economic Climate in the United States.” Deloitte Economics Institute, January 2022. https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/about-deloitte/us-the-turning-point-a-new-economic-climate-in-the-united-states-january-2022.pdf.

Wing, Oliver E. J., William Lehman, Paul D. Bates, Christopher C. Sampson, Niall Quinn, Andrew M. Smith, Jeffrey C. Neal, Jeremy R. Porter, and Carolyn Kousky. “Inequitable Patterns of US Flood Risk in the Anthropocene.” Nature Climate Change 12, no. 2 (February 2022): 156–62. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01265-6.