Special Report
These Places Are High Risk for Climate Disaster and Care the Least About Climate Change
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Published: November 12, 2024 7:15 am
24/7 Wall St. Insights
Many of the counties most at risk for climate disaster are worried the least about it.
While climate worry correlates somewhat with climate disaster risk, there are broad swaths of at-risk counties that are relatively unworried about climate change.
Most unworried, at-risk counties are in Southeast coastal communities or the Gulf Coast.
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In September 2024, hurricanes Helene and Milton tore through much of the Southeast, causing hundreds of deaths and hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. While the storms brought catastrophe to some of the most conservative parts of the country, and attribution scientists have declared that the hurricanes were made worse by global warming, natural disasters historically do little to shift climate change belief and action.
Many of the counties most at risk for climate disaster are worried the least about it. In their biennial survey, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication asked participants, “How worried are you about global warming?” with options ranging from “very worried” to “not at all worried.” Combining survey answers with FEMA climate disaster risk reveals dozens of high-risk counties that are relatively unworried about climate change.
To determine the high-risk counties that care about climate change the least, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on climate change belief from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication and disaster risk from FEMA. Counties classified as “relatively high” or “very high” risk for natural disasters like flooding, earthquake, and wildfire by FEMA were ranked based on the percentage of surveyed residents who answered that they are “not very” or “not at all worried” about global warming in 2023. Supplemental data on median household income is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and is for 2022.
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.3%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 34.0%
Median household income: $59,621
County seat: Memphis
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 57.6%
Median household income: $71,308
County seat: Titusville
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 53.9%
Median household income: $63,883
County seat: Bakersfield
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 54.4%
Median household income: $81,260
County seat: Beaufort
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 48.0%
Median household income: $79,490
County seat: Sanford
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.6%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 57.2%
Median household income: $72,654
County seat: Yuba City
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.6%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 56.7%
Median household income: $60,901
County seat: Bartow
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.8%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 65.3%
Median household income: $61,911
County seat: Lubbock
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 38.9%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 56.5%
Median household income: $65,229
County seat: Tulsa
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 39.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 63.3%
Median household income: $66,617
County seat: Lafayette
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 39.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 56.7%
Median household income: $61,642
County seat: Pensacola
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 39.2%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 63.8%
Median household income: $82,379
County seat: Toms River
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 39.4%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 42.6%
Median household income: $63,595
County seat: Birmingham
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 39.7%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 59.5%
Median household income: $63,187
County seat: Dade City
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 40.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 57.6%
Median household income: $71,385
County seat: Bradenton
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 40.3%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 61.9%
Median household income: $71,193
County seat: Bolivia
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 40.3%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 57.5%
Median household income: $79,742
County seat: Manteo
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 40.3%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 60.6%
Median household income: $83,913
County seat: Galveston
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 41.1%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 56.5%
Median household income: $63,075
County seat: DeLand
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 41.3%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 54.2%
Median household income: $73,686
County seat: St. George
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 41.7%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 50.2%
Median household income: $57,294
County seat: Beaumont
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 42.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 65.3%
Median household income: $93,800
County seat: Donaldsonville
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 42.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 62.0%
Median household income: $82,011
County seat: East Naples
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 42.3%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 68.6%
Median household income: $73,988
County seat: Crestview
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 42.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 62.0%
Median household income: $77,894
County seat: Stuart
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 42.7%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 58.5%
Median household income: $61,676
County seat: New Bern
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 42.9%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 62.5%
Median household income: $55,265
County seat: Ocala
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 43.1%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 71.2%
Median household income: $95,946
County seat: Conroe
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 43.1%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 65.6%
Median household income: $55,274
County seat: Amite City
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 60.4%
Median household income: $67,543
County seat: Vero Beach
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.1%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 54.9%
Median household income: $77,874
County seat: Moncks Corner
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.2%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 70.3%
Median household income: $66,965
County seat: Beaufort
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 66.1%
Median household income: $59,880
County seat: Conway
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.6%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 63.0%
Median household income: $62,164
County seat: Punta Gorda
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.6%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 70.1%
Median household income: $52,569
County seat: Inverness
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.7%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 67.8%
Median household income: $91,263
County seat: Provo
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 44.9%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 71.1%
Median household income: $76,914
County seat: Covington
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 45.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 71.1%
Median household income: $65,999
County seat: Panama City
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 45.1%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 64.6%
Median household income: $59,202
County seat: Brooksville
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 46.1%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 55.3%
Median household income: $55,352
County seat: Mobile
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 46.2%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 63.8%
Median household income: $59,976
County seat: Jacksonville
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 46.6%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 66.5%
Median household income: $60,045
County seat: Pascagoula
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 46.7%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 66.6%
Median household income: $64,370
County seat: Lake Charles
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 47.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 72.4%
Median household income: $84,715
County seat: Milton
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 48.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 73.9%
Median household income: $71,976
County seat: St. George
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 48.0%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 74.3%
Median household income: $63,088
County seat: Houma
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 48.8%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 76.2%
Median household income: $71,039
County seat: Bay Minette
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 49.5%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 61.8%
Median household income: $55,211
County seat: Biloxi
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Residents who are not worried about global warming: 50.7%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 84.1%
Median household income: $77,978
County seat: Livingston
Residents who are not worried about global warming: 50.9%
FEMA disaster risk level: Relatively High
Adults who voted Republican in 2020: 81.1%
Median household income: $71,910
County seat: Orange
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