GETTING READY FOR CLIMATE CHANGE

Report card shows which states are best prepared for climate change; Readiness for extreme heat, droughts, wildfires, flooding among factors considered

Thomas Sumner, December 22, 2015 (Science News)

“…[S]ome U.S. states are better prepared for climate change threats than others… [According to States at Risk; America’s Preparedness Report Card, eighteen states got an overall D or worse…on factors such as extreme heat, summer droughts, wildfires and flooding. The letter grades are tabulated by comparing what precautionary steps a state has taken relative to the climate threats it is expected to face in the future…California was the only state with a far-above-average level of preparedness for coastal flooding as sea levels rise. The top five states on the list are [California, New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut]…Arkansas earned itself a dunce cap, with three F grades and a D. The state has taken fewer actions to prepare for wildfires than any state studied despite having more than 1.3 million residents living in areas with an elevated wildfire risk…The five states with the lowest grades [are Missouri, Mississippi, Nevada, Texas, and Arkansas]…” click through for interactive map

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