Many Americans Underestimate Health Risks of Extreme Weather, New Study Finds

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By Rebecca Owen, Eos/AGU. 

Excerpt: A changing climate increases the health risks posed by extreme weather. However, according to the 2024 Yale Climate Opinion Maps, only 47% of U.S. survey participants believed that global warming would harm them personally. Poor risk communication can leave affected populations underprepared to face the health dangers that can accompany extreme heat and cold, flooding, wildfire smoke, and severe drought. Manware et al. compared mortality risk estimates with public perception of climate risk to establish “risk perception gaps.” ...The results can be viewed in a publicly available dashboard. ...The percentage of adults who believed that climate change would personally harm them ranged by county from 28.5% to 60.5%, with an average of 37.7%. The gap between perceived and actual risk varied across the country and by hazard, but it was generally smaller in counties where more residents agreed that “global warming is happening.”... 

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