Featured image by Flickr user Stephen Rahn (CC0 1.0)

The takeaway message:

Climate change is predicted to cause what scientists are calling, “The Great American Climate Migration,” which would move Americans northward and away from the coasts. Meanwhile, slow-moving Hurricane Sally caused billions in damages and is just one example of a new trend of stalling storms, thought by scientists to be increasingly linked to climate change.

What’s going on?

As the climate changes, food and water scarcity and rising temperatures are predicted to reshape how and where people live, leading to what scientists are calling “The Great American Climate Migration.” A new report by ProPublica and The New York Times Magazine, with data from a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was used to predict this mass movement of people.

In the U.S., data shows that the human climate “niche,” or the regions with the most ideal precipitation and temperatures for humans, will shift substantially northward toward Canada as the lower half of the U.S. is left too hot and dry.

But aside from extreme heat, prolonged droughts and water scarcity, the southern U.S. is experiencing more intense hurricanes and other extreme weather. Just last month, Hurricane Sally made landfall along the Alabama-Florida border as a strong category 2, dumping four months’ worth of rain in just four hours, according to Pensacola city officials. The storm comes during a record-setting hurricane season on several counts.

Although the storm was not especially powerful, it slowly hovered over the region, moving at just three miles per hour, increasing the amount of time the region was pummeled by wind and rain. This trend of stalling storms and heavy rainfall has been increasingly linked to climate change, scientists say.

While individual actions do matter, policies to reduce carbon emissions by decisionmakers are key in curbing climate change impacts. And though Florida is set to lead the way in solar capacity per customer by 2021, a report by the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy says Florida utility companies’ plans to reduce emissions plans fall short of what’s needed to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

Last week during the first presidential debate, President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden also discussed their platforms related to climate change.

Why it matters.

Combined, climate change impacts could possibly force mass migration of Americans away from the southern and coastal regions of the country, leading to drastic economic losses, including in Florida. From Hurricane Sally alone, insurance forecasters are estimating $1 to $3 billion in damages.

In addition to economic impacts, climate change will affect Florida’s water supply and agricultural practices. Rising sea levels will exacerbate coastal flooding, putting cities, roads, ports and water supplies at risk while extreme heat will spur public health risks like heat stroke and dehydration.

In other words, climate change does not paint a pretty picture for Florida and much of the Southeast. However, the hope is that individual actions, along with state, national and international policies to reduce carbon emissions, can help lessen the blow of these looming impacts.

What can I do?

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