Dealing with extreme weather is raising concerns for some Americans who feel they may be forced to eventually move out of the area where they live because of it.
Fifty-three percent of Americans report having experienced what they consider extreme weather in recent years, and nearly half of them are at least somewhat concerned that they may need to move from the area they live in now because of it.
And a big majority of those who have experienced extreme weather themselves see climate change as a major factor contributing to their concern and feel climate change needs to be addressed right away.
Many Americans across geographic regions report some experience with extreme weather in their local area, with those in the West the most likely to say they have dealt with these events in recent years.
What do people think contributes to extreme weather?
The things people see as major factors contributing to extreme weather are tied to people’s own personal experience with it.
We see that similar majorities of Americans see climate change and natural weather patterns as major factors contributing to extreme weather in the U.S., with fewer attributing these events as part of God’s plan.
Looking behind those numbers, we find that one’s personal experience with extreme weather matters. Most of those who report having personally dealt with extreme weather attribute such events to climate change. But most of those who have not experienced extreme weather themselves think these kinds of weather events are just part of natural patterns.
Political partisanship plays a role too. Democrats — most of whom see climate change as an urgent issue — are nearly three times as likely as Republicans to say climate change is a major factor contributing to extreme weather.
And Republicans — most of whom do not see climate change as an urgent issue — are far more likely than Democrats to cite natural weather patterns as a major factor contributing to extreme weather.
Although among Republicans, those who have experienced extreme weather recently are more likely than those who have not to cite climate change as a major factor contributing to extreme weather in the U.S.
This CBS News/YouGov survey was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 1,582 U.S. adult residents interviewed between April 14-18, 2023. The sample was weighted according to gender, age, race, and education based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as the 2020 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±3.5 points.
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