How Residents Of These 25 Hurricane-Battered Areas Feel About Climate Change

By Evan Comen • October 14, 2025

Close-up of a protest sign reading 'Climate Justice or Riot' in a street rally focused on climate change.

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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.

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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

Photo by Andriano Salimin on Unsplash

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

Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

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

Photo by Wentao Liu on Unsplash

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

Photo by Andrew Wolff on Unsplash

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

Photo by Leslie Cross on Unsplash

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

Photo by Kyle DeSantis on Unsplash

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

Photo by Jonathan Wheeler on Unsplash

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

Photo by Laurenz Krabisch on Unsplash

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

Photo by Darryl Brooks on Unsplash

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

Photo by Joshua J. Cotten on Unsplash

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

Photo by Gant Laborde on Unsplash

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

Photo by Div Manickam on Unsplash

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

Photo by Julianne Clark on Unsplash

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

Photo by James Frid on Pexels

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

Photo by Laia Tena-Girones on Unsplash

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

Photo by Nick Nice on Unsplash

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

Photo by Tanisha Johnson on Unsplash

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

Photo by Adam Kring on Unsplash

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

Photo by Felix Mittermeier on Unsplash

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

Photo by Glenn Guiao on Unsplash

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

Photo by Jared Brotman on Pexels

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

Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash

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

Photo by Tomas Martinez on Unsplash

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

Photo by masahiro miyagi on Unsplash

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

Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash

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

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