Six in ten Americans (59%) say weather in the U.S. has been worse over the past several years, down 5 percentage points since Spring 2013. Majorities of Americans in all regions of the country say weather in the U.S. has been worse over the past several years. This is particularly true among Westerners, where about two in three (63%) say the weather has been “much” (16%) or “somewhat” (47%) worse.
Executive Summary
About six in ten Americans (58%) say “global warming is affecting weather in the United
States.”
- Many Americans believe global warming made recent extreme weather and climatic events
“more severe,” specifically: 2012 as the warmest year on record in the United States (50%); the
ongoing drought in the Midwest and the Great Plains (49%); Superstorm Sandy (46%); and
Superstorm Nemo (42%). - About two out of three Americans say weather in the U.S. has been worse over the past several
years, up 12 percentage points since Spring 2012. By contrast, fewer Americans say weather has
been getting better over the past several years – only one in ten (11%), down 16 points
compared to a year ago. - Many Americans (51%) also say weather in their local area has been worse over the past several
years. - Overall, 85 percent of Americans report that they experienced one or more types of extreme
weather in the past year, most often citing extreme high winds (60%) and extreme heat (51%). - Of those Americans who experienced extreme weather events in the past year, many (37%) say
they were significantly harmed. Moreover, the number who have been harmed appears to be
growing (up 5 percentage points since Fall 2012 and 4 points since Spring 2012). For example,
about one in five Americans today say they suffered a moderate or great deal of harm from
extreme high winds (18%, up 8 points since Fall 2012) or extreme cold weather (10%, up 5
points). More also say they were harmed by a hurricane (6%, up 3 points). - Most Americans (80%) have close friends or family members (not living with them) who
experienced extreme weather events in the past year, including extreme high winds (47%), an
extreme heat wave (46%), an extreme snowstorm (39%), extreme cold temperatures (39%), an
extreme rainstorm (37%), or a drought (35%). - Over half of Americans (54%) believe it is “very” or “somewhat likely” that extreme weather
will cause a natural disaster in their community in the coming year. - Americans who experienced an extreme weather event are most likely to have communicated
about it person-to-person – either in person (89%) or on the phone (84%) – although some used
social media, such as writing about the experience on Facebook (23%) or sharing a photo of the
event or its aftermath using Facebook, Tumblr, or Instagram (19%).
- Since Fall 2012, more Northeasterners say they experienced several types of extreme events – extreme high winds (61%, up 11 points), a hurricane (41%, up 15 percentage points), extreme snowstorm (39%, up 16 points), or extreme cold temperatures (33%, up 10 points). Fewer Northeasterners report having experienced an extreme rainstorm (39%, down 13 points), extreme heat wave (37%, down 15 points), or drought (7%, down 16 points).
- More Midwesterners reported experiencing extreme rainstorms (38%, up 7 points), extreme cold temperatures (31%, up 8 points), and extreme snowstorms (20%, up 6 points) in the past year. Importantly, far fewer reported experiencing a drought (35%, down 46 points) or extreme heat wave (29%, down 54 points) in the past year.
- More Southerners report experiencing extreme cold temperatures (21%, up 11 points), but fewer experienced extreme high winds (31%, down 9 points), an extreme heat wave (31%, down 30 points), extreme rainstorm (31%, down 13 points), drought (21%, down 22 points), or tornado (12%, down 12 points).
- More Westerners report experiencing a wildfire (36%, up 13 points), but fewer experienced drought (33%, down 8 points) or an extreme heat wave (31%, down 18 points).
- When asked which of their community resources are at risk from extreme weather over the next 10 years, about half of Americans say agriculture (55%) and the electricity system (51%) are at “high” or “moderate” risk.
- Majorities of Americans say their state and local governments should prioritize the protection of public water supplies (78%), transportation/roads/bridges (73%), people’s health (72%), the electricity system (71%), agriculture (70%), public sewer systems (69%), and forests/prevention of wildfires (59%) from extreme weather over the next 10 years.
- Over half of Americans (56%) say “global warming is affecting weather in the United States.”
This report is based on findings from a nationally representative survey – Climate Change in the
American Mind – conducted by the Yale Project on Climate Change Communication and the George
Mason University Center for Climate Change Communication. Interview dates: April 8 – 15, 2013.
Interviews: 1,045 Adults (18+) Total average margin of error: +/- 3 percentage points at the 95%
confidence level; regional margins of error are +/- 7 percentage points for the Northeast and West;
+/- 6 percentage points for the Midwest; and +/- 5 percentage points for the South. The research
was funded by the Surdna Foundation, the 11th Hour Project, the Grantham Foundation, and the
V.K. Rasmussen Foundation.
Principal Investigators:
Anthony Leiserowitz, PhD
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Yale University
(203) 432-4865
[email protected]
Edward Maibach, MPH, PhD
Center for Climate Change Communication
Department of Communication
George Mason University
(703) 993-1587
[email protected]
Connie Roser-Renouf, PhD
Center for Climate Change Communication
Department of Communication
George Mason University
[email protected]
Geoff Feinberg
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Yale University
(203) 432-7438
[email protected]
Peter Howe, PhD
Yale Project on Climate Change Communication
School of Forestry & Environmental Studies
Yale University
[email protected]
Cite as: Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., Feinberg, G., & Howe, P. (2013) Extreme
Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind: April 2013. Yale University and George Mason
University. New Haven, CT: Yale Project on Climate Change Communication.