Do Residents in These Hurricane-Prone Areas Care About Climate Change?
https://climate-crisis-247-bucket.nyc3.cdn.digitaloceanspaces.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/07215437/rn14pbitnnm-150x150.jpgThis year, forecasters within NOAA’s National Weather Service are predicting above-average hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin. With factors like warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures and high potential for West African Monsoon activity, NOAA is forecasting between 13 and 19 total named storms, with six to 10 storms forecast to become hurricanes, and three to five forecast to become major storms of category 3 or higher.
Whence the next pandemic? Cities Where the Next Pandemic Is Most Likely to Break Out
Hot property? From Maui to Malibu, These Affluent Enclaves Are Becoming Wildfire Hotspots
While hurricane season is getting worse in tandem with global warming – in 2024, there were five tropical cyclones that caused more than $1 billion in damage each – those at greatest risk of hurricanes are among the least worried about climate change. According to recent data from Yale University, 63.3% of U.S. adults are worried about climate change. In 22 of the 25 counties with the greatest annual loss rate due to hurricane damage, a smaller proportion of adults are worried about climate change than the national average. The only hurricane-prone counties with an outsized share of climate worry are Nantucket County, Massachusetts, New Hanover County, North Carolina, and Monroe County, Florida.
A similar pattern emerged when Yale asked respondents whether they regularly discuss global warming with friends and family. In 21 of 25 counties with the greatest hurricane risk, a smaller share of adults regularly discuss global warming with friends and family than the 36.3% national figure. While coastal counties are at the greatest risk of climate change hazards, socioeconomic factors like educational attainment and political affiliation are far more correlated with climate change belief than risk. A closer look at the data reveals how residents in the most hurricane-prone parts of the country feel about climate change.
To determine how residents in the most hurricane-prone parts of the country feel about climate change, Climate Crisis 247 reviewed data on hurricane risk from FEMA and climate opinion from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Counties were ranked based on a normalized measure of the percentage of building, agriculture, and population value lost annually to hurricane damage since 1851. Supplemental data on climate change opinions are from Yale and are for 2024.
25. Liberty County, GA
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 97.75/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 62 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 59.3%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 27.3%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 44.7%
- County seat: Hinesville
24. Pender County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 97.92/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 64 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 55.3%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 34.0%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 43.1%
- County seat: Burgaw
23. New Hanover County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.01/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 61 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 63.7%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 39.1%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 49.7%
- County seat: Wilmington
22. Nantucket County, MA
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.05/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 23 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 70.5%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 43.6%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 54.7%
- County seat: Nantucket
21. Brunswick County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.18/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 71 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 59.8%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 34.6%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 44.6%
- County seat: Bolivia
20. Indian River County, FL
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.23/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 51 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 55.1%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 34.3%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 43.7%
- County seat: Vero Beach
19. Monroe County, FL
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.53/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 95 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 65.8%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 38.7%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 51.5%
- County seat: Key West
18. Washington County, FL
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.62/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 38 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 45.6%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 24.9%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 38.4%
- County seat: Chipley
17. Jasper County, SC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.66/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 59 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 56.8%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 29.1%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 44.5%
- County seat: Ridgeland
16. Assumption Parish, LA
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.75/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 34 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 56.4%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 26.0%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 42.1%
- County seat: Napoleonville
15. Stone County, MS
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.83/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 36 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 48.7%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 24.3%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 36.2%
- County seat: Wiggins
14. Jones County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.88/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 61 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 60.4%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 31.6%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 45.7%
- County seat: Trenton
13. Beaufort County, SC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 98.92/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 55 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 62.4%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 34.7%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 44.3%
- County seat: Beaufort
12. George County, MS
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.44/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 39 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 47.8%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 24.5%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 35.0%
- County seat: Lucedale
11. McIntosh County, GA
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.48/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 54 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 56.3%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 25.8%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 42.0%
- County seat: Darien
10. Craven County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.52/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 73 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 56.4%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 30.4%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 43.1%
- County seat: New Bern
9. Beaufort County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.57/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 66 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 57.2%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 30.9%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 42.1%
- County seat: Washington
8. Georgetown County, SC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.61/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 52 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 55.8%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 29.3%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 43.3%
- County seat: Georgetown
7. Washington County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.65/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 46 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 61.7%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 32.2%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 48.4%
- County seat: Plymouth
6. Onslow County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.70/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 65 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 52.0%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 32.2%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 42.1%
- County seat: Jacksonville
5. Tyrrell County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.74/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 58 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 59.0%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 30.8%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 46.0%
- County seat: Columbia
4. Pamlico County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.78/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 69 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 53.8%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 31.2%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 41.5%
- County seat: Bayboro
3. Dare County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.83/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 96 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 54.4%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 36.4%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 44.5%
- County seat: Manteo
2. Hyde County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.87/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 98 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 56.2%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 30.6%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 43.5%
- County seat: Swan Quarter
1. Carteret County, NC
- Hurricane loss rate percentile: 99.91/100
- Number of hurricanes since 1850: 87 storms
- Adults who are worried about global warming: 52.1%
- Adults who discuss global warming with friends and family: 33.1%
- Adults who have personally experienced effects of global warming: 40.2%
- County seat: Beaufort