An "Extreme Heat Belt" Could Put a Quarter of the US in Danger by 2053
With temperatures predicted to exceed 125 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to a new press release from First Street Foundation, more than a thousand U.S. counties are predicted to experience extreme temperatures, putting a quarter of the country in danger by the year 2053.
“Increasing temperatures are broadly discussed as averages, but the focus should be on the extension of the extreme tail events expected in a given year,” said Matthew Eby, founder and CEO of First Street Foundation. “We need to be prepared for the inevitable, that a quarter of the country will soon fall inside the Extreme Heat Belt with temperatures exceeding 125°F and the results will be dire.”
The study indicates that the “Extreme Heat Belt” will stretch over to Northern Texas, Louisiana, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Florida, which will experience the highest temperatures. “The most severe shift in local temperatures is found in Miami-Dade County where the 7 hottest days, currently at 103°F, will increase to 34 days at that same temperature by 2053,” the press release stated. “Across the country, on average, the local hottest 7 days are expected to become the hottest 18 days by 2053.”
The foundation also stated that 50 U.S. counties are predicted to experience temperatures higher than 125 Fahrenheit by 2023.
Check out the full press release here.
