Americans Report Increased Impact of Extreme Heat

Why it matters locally: While the survey highlights general trends, North Carolina's climate and agriculture sectors are particularly susceptible to the long-term effects of extreme heat, potentially impacting crop yields and public health initiatives by agencies such as Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist High Point Medical Center.

Americans increasingly recognize the impact of extreme heat on their lives, according to a new poll. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted the survey, which found many people observe these changes in the West and Midwest. Nearly three-quarters of respondents, 74%, reported personally experiencing an extreme heat event during the summer of 2023. This marks an increase from the 64% who reported such an experience in 2022. Fifty-four percent of individuals in the West stated they experienced a significant impact from extreme heat. Forty-six percent of those in the Midwest reported similar experiences. In the South, 36% of residents reported a major impact, while 28% in the Northeast did. Overall, 39% of Americans described the impact as major. Eighty-three percent of Democrats and 53% of Republicans reported experiencing extreme heat in the last year. This represents an increase from 2022, when 77% of Democrats and 49% of Republicans reported such experiences. The poll also explored concerns about future heat. Fifty-four percent of Americans expressed worry about experiencing extreme heat in the future. Forty-eight percent indicated worry about the health impacts of future extreme heat, and 45% worried about its effects on the economy. The survey included 1,163 adults. It occurred between February 29 and March 5. Researchers used a probability-based panel for data collection. The margin of sampling error for all respondents is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.