Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind in November 2013

The report details shifts in how Americans in the Northeast, Midwest, South, and West experienced extreme weather between Fall 2012 and November 2013. It highlights a general consensus on the vulnerability of agriculture and electricity systems, with a majority of citizens advocating for government prioritization of water supplies, transportation, and public health. Additionally, 56% of Americans believe global warming is impacting U.S. weather.

• Regional reports of extreme weather events shifted between Fall 2012 and November 2013: Northeasterners reported increases in extreme high winds, hurricanes, snowstorms, and cold temperatures, but decreases in rainstorms, heat waves, and droughts. Midwesterners saw increases in rainstorms, cold temperatures, and snowstorms, while reporting significantly fewer droughts and heat waves. Southerners reported more extreme cold but fewer high winds, heat waves, rainstorms, droughts, and tornadoes. Westerners reported more wildfires but fewer droughts and heat waves.
• A majority of Americans identify specific community resources as being at risk or requiring government protection from extreme weather over the next decade. Agriculture (55%) and the electricity system (51%) are viewed as being at 'high' or 'moderate' risk. Priority for government protection is highest for public water supplies (78%), followed by transportation/roads/bridges (73%), people’s health (72%), the electricity system (71%), agriculture (70%), public sewer systems (69%), and forests/prevention of wildfires (59%).
• Over half of the American population (56%) believes that global warming is having an effect on the weather within the United States.

APA

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication (2014). Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind in November 2013. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-in-november-2013/

Chicago

Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind in November 2013. 2014. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-in-november-2013/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Yale Program on Climate Change Communication |title=Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind in November 2013 |date=23 January 2014 |url=https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-in-november-2013/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yaleprogramonclimatechangecommunication2014extreme, author = {{Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}}, title = {{Extreme Weather and Climate Change in the American Mind in November 2013}}, institution = {Yale Program on Climate Change Communication}, year = {2014}, month = jan, url = {https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/extreme-weather-and-climate-change-in-the-american-mind-in-november-2013/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }