Health Impacts of Extreme Events

table 4.1

This table appears in chapter 4 of the The Impacts of Climate Change on Human Health in the United States: A Scientific Assessment report.

Observed and Projected Impacts of Climate Change on Extreme Events are adapted from 2014 NCAdd5b893d-4462-4bb3-9205-67b532919566

This table is composed of this array :

b8711389 (5x3)

Event Type	Example Health Risks and Impacts (not a comprehensive list)	Observed and Projected Impacts of Climate Change on Extreme Events from 2014 NCA
Flooding Related to Extreme Precipitation, Hurricanes, Coastal Storms	Traumatic injury and death (drowning); Mental health impacts; Preterm birth and low birth weight; Infrastructure disruptions and post-event disease spread; Carbon monoxide poisoning related to power outages	Heavy downpours are increasing nationally, especially over the last three to five decades, with the largest increases in the Midwest and Northeast. Increases in the frequency and intensity of extreme precipitation events are projected for all U.S. regions. [High Confidence] The intensity, frequency, and duration of North Atlantic hurricanes, as well as the frequency of the strongest hurricanes, have all increased since the 1980s [High Confidence]. Hurricane intensity and rainfall are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm [Medium Confidence]. Increasing severity and frequency of flooding have been observed throughout much of the Mississippi and Missouri River Basins. Increased flood frequency and severity are projected in the Northeast and Midwest regions [Low Confidence]. In the Western United States, increasing snowmelt and rain-on-snow events (increased runoff when rain falls onto existing snowpack) will increase flooding in some mountain watersheds [Medium Confidence]. In the next several decades, storm surges and high tides could combine with sea level rise and land subsidence to further increase coastal flooding in many regions. The U.S. East and Gulf Coasts, Hawaii, and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands are particularly at risk.
Droughts	Reduced water quality and quantity; Respiratory impacts related to reduced air quality; Mental health impacts	Over the last several decades, drought patterns and trends have been changing, but patterns vary regionally across the United States. Droughts in the Southwest are projected to become more intense [High Confidence].
Wildfires	Smoke inhalation; Burns and other traumatic injury; Asthma exacerbations; Mental health impacts	Increased warming, drought, and insect outbreaks, all caused by or linked to climate change, have increased wildfires and impacts to people and ecosystems in the Southwest [High Confidence]. Rising temperatures and hotter, drier summers are projected to increase the frequency and intensity of large wildfires, particularly in the western United States and Alaska.
Winter Storms & Severe Thunderstorms	Traumatic injury and death; Carbon monoxide poisoning related to power outages; Hypothermia and frostbite; Mental health impacts	Winter storms have increased in frequency and intensity since the 1950s, and their tracks have shifted northward [Medium Confidence]. Future trends in severe storms, including the intensity and frequency of tornadoes, hail, and damaging thunderstorm winds, are uncertain and are being studied intensively [Low Confidence].

References :

• Climate Change Impacts in the United States: The Third National Climate Assessment (dd5b893d)