More than half of Americans believe extreme weather is growing worse, and nearly a third fear they’ll be directly affected, according to a new national poll.
Susan Page reports for USA TODAY.
In short:
- A USA TODAY/Ipsos poll found 58% of Americans think extreme weather is worsening, with 30% reporting recent personal experience of events like floods or severe storms.
- While most Americans believe climate change is reversible, 56% think people aren’t willing to make the necessary changes; only 18% believe progress is being made.
- Political divides persist, with 84% of Democrats and 38% of Republicans expecting more frequent extreme weather, though concern is rising among all groups.
Key quote:
"Record-breaking heat waves on land and in the ocean, drenching rains, severe floods, years-long droughts, extreme wildfires, and widespread flooding during hurricanes are all becoming more frequent and more intense."
— NASA report
Why this matters:
As the planet warms, scientists warn that what once were rare weather events are becoming regular threats. Flash floods, prolonged droughts, and searing heat waves can devastate infrastructure, disrupt food and water systems, and endanger human health—especially for low-income communities and people with chronic illness. The public’s growing fear reflects not just news coverage but lived experience: heat domes in the Pacific Northwest, toxic smoke from Canadian wildfires, and historic flooding in places like Texas Hill Country. These events also strain emergency services, raise insurance costs, and threaten the habitability of some regions. Public concern may be growing, but without policy change and reduced fossil fuel use, the physical toll of climate disruption will keep rising.
