Fall out from climate change is expected to add significantly to the $1 billion a year the state already spends to maintain the road system. Currently, more than 1,300 residential and commercial properties, valued at almost $340 million, are at risk of flooding at least 26 times per year. By 2045, with no climate action, this estimate jumps to almost 15,600 properties, valued at nearly $4 billion. That’s only the start of calculating what inaction on climate change will cost North Carolina if we fail to act.
Over the last century, the Earth’s climate has warmed at an unprecedented pace, and North Carolina is no exception. Evidence clearly shows that the state’s climate has been changing over recent decades, and even greater changes are projected for the next 20 to 30 years and beyond.
The researchers who put together the 56-page report “Climate Change in North Carolina: Near-term Impacts on Society” used the findings from the North Carolina Climate Science Report (NCCSR) released in June 2020 and updated in September to assess historical climate trends and potential future climate change impact under increased greenhouse gas concentrations.
Commissioned by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the report focuses on nine types of climate hazards--air temperature increases, precipitation changes, flooding, high winds, wildfires, landslides, water temperature and quality changes, air quality changes, and Insects, pathogens and invasive plants--and the financial ramifications over the next 20-30 years if no urgent action is taken to curb climate-warming pollution.
Average temperatures are projected to increase by about 2°F, after increasing by 1 to 2°F over the last 50 years.
The number of days with temperatures above 95°F will increase by 10 or more each year.
The frequency and intensity of days with more than 3 inches of rainfall increase across the entire state.
Severe droughts will be more frequent, leading will lead to more wildfires and more air pollution.
Coastal flooding will almost certainly become more frequent and severe due to the combined effects of sea level rise and more severe tropical storms and hurricanes.
Inland flooding will increase in the rest of the state due to more frequent and severe extreme precipitation events, including hurricanes.
Due to more and stronger extreme precipitation events, landslides are likely to increase, particularly in the mountain region.
Stronger rainstorms will lead to more soil erosion and wash more pollutants into the state’s water bodies.
Continued sea level rise in the coastal region will impact water quality in coastal rivers and streams, as well as in groundwater systems.
Researchers looked at the impact these events will have on eight major sectors of the state’s economy--human health and safety, agriculture and forestry, commercial fishing and aquaculture, transportation infrastructure, water infrastructure and services, energy supply and demand, recreation and tourism, and residential and commercial property. This is the danger of inaction.
