National Geographic - USA (2022-01)

Hurricane

Tropical storm

Tropical depression

WIS.

MICHIGAN

ILL.

IND.

OHIO

MAINE

GEORGIA

FLORIDA

ALABAMA

KENTUCKY

TENNESSEE

MD.

N.J.

VT.

N.H.

DEL.

CONN.R.I.

MASS.

MISS.

VIRGINIA

NORTH

CAROLINA

SOUTH

CAROLINA

PENNSYLVANIA

NEW YORK

W. VA.

PA

TH

(^) O
F
ID
A
Inevitable warming
A UN study found that humans
have pushed the climate into
dangerous new territory. Under
even the lowest emissions sce-
nario, the planet likely will warm
2.7 degrees F in the next 20 years.
Human-driven heating
Emissions linked to human
activity are unequivocally
responsible for warming the
atmosphere, ocean, and land.
More areas under threat
A growing number of regions,
affected by different extreme
weather, will see more events.
LOOKING
TOWARD A
TROUBLED FUTURE
A DEVASTATING PATH
The remnants of Hurricane
Ida led to record rainfall,
deadly flooding, and
more than 50 fatalities in
New York, New Jersey,
and nearby states.
DEADLY FLASH FLOODS
Heavy rainfall in central
Tennessee in August
caused flash floods,
killing at least 20 people.
One county reported 17
inches of rain in one day.
$21 billion
in estimated dam-
ages were caused by
a one-week cold snap
in the central U.S.
in February.
1950
0°
9°F
6°
3°
Global surface temperature increase
2015 2100
Projections
Carbon emissions
very high
Intermediate
Very low
0°
Observed warming
Human causes
Natural drivers
1.6°F to 2.2°F
1.4° to 2.3°
-0.2° to 0.2°
Share of affected regions facing
increased weather events by 2050*
Coastal flood 89%
Heavy precipitation 61%
Extreme heat 96%
Fire 29%
Ponchatoula, LA: 15 inches
Greatest increase in single-
day rainfall, 9.3 inches more
than 1999 record
BY MONICA SERRANO, CHRISTINA SHINTANI,
AND KELSEY NOWAKOWSKI
Unprecedented heat, cold, and rainfall crippled
infrastructure across the U.S. and led to a major loss of
life in 2021. Climate change is now considered the world’s
greatest threat to human health—and the frequency of
related extreme weather events is increasing.

• 2050 PROJECTIONS ARE COMPARED WITH
  20-TO-30-YEAR PERIODS FROM 1960 TO 2014.
  SOURCES: NOAA; U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR; INTERGOVERNMENTAL PANEL ON CLIMATE CHANGE;
  GLOBAL DISASTER ALERTING CONTROL SYSTEM; USGS