July 16, 2015
A recent study by Weather.com lists Philadelphia as one of the top 25 U.S. cities that are most likely to be affected by climate change.
To create the Climate Disruption Index, Weather.com began with cities with a population greater than 200,000 people. They then factored in sea-level rise, extreme precipitation and drought, urban heat islands and changes to average temperature and precipitation.
Philadelphia ranked No. 10 on the list of 25 cities.
Many minimal factors add up to significant risk for The City of Brotherly Love: It’s exposed to flood loss from sea-level rise, it experiences some degree of the urban heat island effect, extreme precipitation and extreme drought are expected to continue rising. Plus it’s on the Atlantic Coast, adding hurricane risk to the picture.
“Ten years ago, it used to be a city wouldn’t really have seen anything happen unless it was a city in Alaska,” Katharine Hayhoe, Ph.D., a climate scientist based out of Texas Tech University, said in a statement. “Now, they already have a list of ways they’re being impacted by changing climate. All of the impacts are tied to services or infrastructure.”
Newark, N.J., and Pittsburgh also ranked in the top 25. New Orleans topped the list.
Read more about the study on Weather.com.
