Americans Report Increased Impact of Extreme Heat

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.