The United States of America is a vast country – covering 3.8 million square miles. As you might expect, this means that it has an incredibly varied weather system. Weather in the United States varies hugely across three distinct time zones. In recent years, there has been an increase in the amount of extreme weather events – almost certainly caused by human-induced climate change. The State Climate Extremes Committee measures and records the incidents of extreme weather in each area. These incidents can include high or low temperatures, storms, floods, snowfall, drought and a whole host of other events. Here is a list of the US states most impacted by extreme weather.
California
California is the state that is impacted by the most extreme weather in the entirety of the United States. As you might expect, the most commonplace extreme weather in California involves hot temperatures and drought. The state of California has to regularly limit the amount of water that people can use in order to prevent extreme drought and crop failure. Sadly, extreme hot weather also claims the lives of some Californians. Heat has been listed as the cause of death for around 600 people during the 2009 to 2019 decade – the hottest decade on record thanks to climate change. Almost all Californians have some form of air conditioning in their homes. Companies like Kaiser Air Conditioning near Los Angeles are essential for keeping Californians comfortable and safe.
Wildfires can be hugely damaging in California. They usually take place during times of extreme drought when even the smallest flame – like a lit cigarette – can set off massive chains of combustion that destroy whole forests and threaten the livelihoods of millions.
Minnesota
Although Minnesota does register some extremely high temperatures, heat and drought are not the main types of extreme weather in the state. Instead, storms and high rainfall cause the most damage in this upper Midwestern region. Minnesota is a highly-forested area, which makes it extremely vulnerable to wildfires that are caused by lightning strikes during storms.
Minnesota borders Canada, so you might not be surprised to find out that heavy snowfall and blistering winds also afflict this area. Heavy snowfall can impact the safety of mountainsides and cause flooding when the snow melts during the warmer months.
Illinois
The state of Illinois suffers from many of the same extreme weather events as its neighbor Minnesota. If you’ve ever visited Chicago in the Winter, you’ll know just how cold it can get. They don’t call it the windy city for nothing, you know. Illinois is regularly afflicted by heavy rain and snowfall. Rural communities can, on occasion, be completely cut off from the outside world due to heavy snow.
Colorado
Colorado is a mountainous state in the middle of the country that contains incredibly diverse environments. Colorado has everything from deserts to high mountainous areas. Tornadoes frequently tear through the hotter areas of the state, causing a huge amount of damage to homes and businesses.
