Americans Report Increased Impact of Extreme Heat

Why it matters locally: West Virginia, despite not being explicitly mentioned in regional breakdowns, is susceptible to the health and economic impacts of extreme heat, a growing concern nationally. Increased heat can strain emergency services and agricultural sectors within the state.

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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.