Rapid Population Shifts and Climate Impacts on Urban Areas

While the Southeast is historically known for having a rural nature, a drastic shift toward a more urbanized region is underway. The Southeast contains many of the fastest-growing urban areas in the country, including a dozen of the top 20 fastest-growing metropolitan areas (by percentage) in 2016.²² Metropolitan Atlanta has been swiftly growing, adding 69,200 residents in just one year.²³ At the same time, many rural counties in the South are losing population.²⁴ These trends towards a more urbanized and dense Southeast are expected to continue, creating new climate vulnerabilities but also opportunities to adapt as capacity and resources increase in cities (Ch. 17: Complex Systems). In particular, coastal cities in the Southeast face multiple climate risks, and many planning efforts are underway in these cities. Adaptation, mitigation, and planning efforts are emphasizing “co-benefits” (positive benefits related to the reduction of greenhouse gases or implementation of adaptation efforts) to help boost the economy while protecting people and infrastructure.

Increasing Heat

Cities across the Southeast are experiencing more and longer summer heat waves. Nationally, there are only five large cities that have increasing trends exceeding the national average for all aspects of heat waves (timing, frequency, intensity, and duration), and three of these cities are in the Southeast region—Birmingham, New Orleans, and Raleigh. Sixty-one percent of major Southeast cities are exhibiting some aspects of worsening heat waves, which is a higher percentage than any other region of the country.¹² The urban heat island effect (cities that are warmer than surrounding rural areas, especially at night) adds to the impact of heat waves in cities (Ch. 5: Land Changes, KM 1). Southeastern cities including Memphis and Raleigh have a particularly high future heat risk.²⁵

The number of days with high minimum temperatures (nighttime temperatures that stay above 75ºF) has been increasing across the Southeast (Figure 19.1), and this trend is projected to intensify, with some areas experiencing more than 100 additional warm nights per year by the end of the century (Figures 19.4 and 19.5). Exposure to high nighttime minimum temperatures reduces the ability of some people to recover from high daytime temperatures, resulting in heat-related illness and death.²⁶ This effect is particularly pronounced in cities, many of which have urban heat islands that already cause elevated nighttime temperatures.²⁷ Cities are taking steps to prevent negative health impacts from heat. For example, the Louisville, Kentucky, metro government conducted an urban heat management study and installed 145,000 square feet of cool roofs as part of their goal to lessen the risk of climate change impacts.²⁸

Vector-Borne Disease

The transmission of vector-borne diseases, which are spread by the bite of an animal such as a mosquito or tick, is complex and depends on a number of factors, including weather and climate, vegetation, animal host populations, and human activities (Ch. 14: Human Health, KM 1). Climate change is likely to modify the seasonality, distribution, and prevalence of vector-borne diseases in the Southeast.²⁹ Vector-borne diseases pose a greater risk in cities than in rural areas because of higher population densities and other human factors (for example, pools of standing water in man-made structures, such as tires or buckets, are breeding grounds for some species of mosquitoes). Climatic conditions are currently suitable for adult mosquitoes of the species Aedes aegypti, which can spread dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, across most of the Southeast from July through September (Figure 19.6), and cities in South Florida already have suitable conditions for year-round mosquito activity. The Southeast is the region of the country with the most favorable conditions for this mosquito and thus faces the greatest threat from diseases the mosquito carries.³⁰ Climate change is expected to make conditions more suitable for transmission of certain vector-borne diseases, including year-round transmission in southern Florida. Summer increases in dengue cases are expected across every state in the Southeast. Despite warming, low winter temperatures may prevent permanent year-round establishment of the virus across the region.³¹ Strategies such as management of urban wetlands have resulted in lower dengue fever risk in Puerto Rico.³² Similar adaptation strategies have the potential to limit vector-borne disease in southeastern cities, particularly those cities with characteristics similar to Caribbean cities that have already implemented vector control strategies (Ch. 20: U.S. Caribbean).^33,34 The Southeast is also the region with the greatest projected increase in cases of West Nile neuroinvasive disease under both a lower and higher scenario (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5).^35,36

Air Quality and Human Health

Poor air quality directly impacts human health, resulting in respiratory disease and other ailments. In the Southeast, poor air quality can result from emissions (mostly from vehicles and power plants), wildfires, and allergens such as pollen. The major urban centers in the Southeast are already impacted by poor air quality during warmer months. The Southeast has more days with stagnant air masses than other regions of the country (40% of summer days) and higher levels of fine (small) particulate matter (PM_2.5), which cause heart and lung disease.³⁷ There is mixed evidence on the future health impacts of these pollutants. Ozone concentrations would be expected to increase under higher temperatures; however, a variety of factors complicate projections (Ch. 13: Air Quality, KM 1). There are many possible future wind and cloud cover conditions for the Southeast as well as the potential for continued shifts in land-use patterns, demographics and population geography, and vehicle and power plant emissions standards. Increases in precipitation and shifts in wind trajectories may reduce future health impacts of ground level ozone in the Southeast,³⁵ but warmer and drier autumns are expected to result in a lengthening of the period of ozone exposure.³⁸ Warmer August temperatures in the Southeast from 1988 to 2011 were associated with increased human sensitivity to ground-level ozone.³⁹

The fast growth rate of urban areas in the Southeast contributes to aeroallergens, which are known to cause and exacerbate respiratory diseases such as asthma. Urban areas have higher concentrations of CO₂, which causes allergenic plants, such as ragweed, to grow faster and produce more pollen than in rural areas.⁴⁰ Continued rising temperatures and atmospheric CO₂ levels are projected to further contribute to aeroallergens in cities (Ch. 13: Air Quality, KM 3).

Infrastructure

Infrastructure, particularly roads, bridges, coastal properties, and urban drainage, is vulnerable to climate change and climate-related events (see Key Message 2) (see also Ch. 3: Water, KM 2; Ch. 11: Urban, KM 2; Ch. 12: Transportation, KM 1).⁴¹ By 2050, the Southeast is the region expected to have the most vulnerable bridges.³⁵ An extreme weather vulnerability assessment conducted by the Tennessee Department of Transportation found that the urban areas of Memphis and Nashville had the most at-risk transportation infrastructure in the state.⁴² Increasing precipitation and extreme weather events will likely impact roads, freight rail, and passenger rail, especially in Memphis, which will likely have cascading effects across the region.⁴³ Transit infrastructure, such as the rail lines of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA), are also at risk. As a result, MARTA has begun to identify vulnerable assets and prioritize improvements to develop a more resilient system.⁴⁴

Many cities across the Southeast are planning for the impacts sea level rise is likely to have on their infrastructure (see Case Study “Charleston, South Carolina, Begins Planning and Reinvesting” and Key Message 2). Flood events in Charleston, South Carolina, have been increasing, and by 2045 the city is projected to face nearly 180 tidal floods (flooding in coastal areas at high tide) per year, as compared to 11 floods per year in 2014.⁴⁵ These floods affect tourism, transportation, and the economy as a whole. The city has responded by making physical modifications, developing a more robust disaster response plan, and improving planning and monitoring prior to flood events.

Infrastructure related to drinking water treatment and wastewater treatment may be compromised by climate-related events (Ch. 3: Water, KM 2).. Water utilities across the Southeast are preparing for these impacts. Tampa Bay Water, the largest wholesale water utility in the Southeast, is coordinating with groups including the Florida Water and Climate Alliance to study the impact of climate change on its ability to provide clean water in the future.^46,47 Spartanburg Water, in South Carolina, is reinforcing the ability of the utility to “cope with, and recover from disruption, trends and variability in order to maintain services.”⁴⁸ Similarly, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which provides drinking and wastewater services, assessed flooding and sea level rise threats to their water infrastructure and developed potential adaptation measures.⁴⁹ The development of “green” water infrastructure (using natural hydrologic features to manage water and provide environmental and community benefits), such as the strategies promoted in the City of Atlanta Climate Action Plan, is one way to adapt to future water management needs. Implementation of these strategies has already resulted in a reduction in water consumption in the city of Atlanta, relieving strain on the water utility and increasing resilience.⁵⁰

There are still gaps in knowledge regarding the potential effects of climate change on cities across the Southeast. Cross-disciplinary groups such as the Georgia Climate Project (http://www.georgiaclimateproject.org) are developing research roadmaps that can help to prioritize research and action with relevance to policymakers, practitioners, and scientists.

Sea Level Rise Is Contributing to Increased Coastal Flooding in the Southeast

Average global sea level (or global mean sea level; GMSL) has risen about 8–9 inches since 1880, with about 3 inches of that rise occurring since 1990.^51,52 This recent increase in the rate of rise is projected to accelerate in the future due to continuing temperature increases and additional melting of land ice.⁵¹ This recent global rate increase, combined with the local effects of vertical land motion (sinking) and oceanographic effects such as changing ocean currents, has caused some areas in the Southeast to experience even higher local rates of sea level rise than the global average.^{53,54,55,56,57,58,59} Analyses at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tide gauges show as much as 1 to 3 feet of local relative sea level rise in the past 100 years in low-lying areas of the Southeast.^54,59 This recent rise in local relative sea level has caused normal high tides to reach critical levels that result in flooding in many coastal areas in the region.

Monthly and seasonal fluctuations in high tide levels are caused by a combination of astronomical factors (sun and moon gravitational attraction) and non-astronomical factors such as geomorphology (landscape of the area), as well as meteorological (weather) conditions. The highest tides of the year are generally the perigean, or spring, tides, which occur when the moon is full or new and is closest to the Earth. These perigean tides, also known as “king tides,” occur twice a year and in many cities are causing what has been called “nuisance” or “recurrent” flooding (referred to herein as high tide flooding). These floods can cause problems ranging from inconvenient to life changing. While the challenges brought on by rising perigean tides are diverse, important examples include increasingly frequent road closures, excessive water in storm water management systems, and deterioration of infrastructure such as roads and rail from saltwater. NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) issues coastal flood advisories and warnings when water levels at tide gauges are expected to exceed flood thresholds. These thresholds correspond to discrete water levels relative to NOAA tide gauges.

Recent analyses of historical water levels at many NOAA tide gauges has shown an increase in the number of times that these warning thresholds were exceeded compared to the past. Annual occurrences of high tide coastal flooding have increased 5- to 10-fold since the 1960s in several low-lying coastal cities in the Southeast (Figure 19.7).^51,60 In 2015, several Southeast coastal cities experienced all-time records of coastal flooding occurrences, including Wilmington, NC (90 days), Charleston, SC (38 days), Mayport, FL (19 days), Miami, FL (18 days), Key West, FL (14 days), and Fernandina Beach, FL (7 days). These flooding occurrences increased more than 50% in 2015 compared to 2014.⁵⁸ In 2016, three all-time records were either tied (14 days at Key West, FL) or broken (50 days at Charleston, SC, and 38 days at Savannah, GA). The Miami area nearly matched the 2015 record of 18 days.⁶¹ This increase in high tide flooding frequency is directly tied to sea level rise. For example, in Norfolk, Virginia, local relative sea level rise has led to a fourfold increase in the probability of exceeding NWS thresholds compared to the 1960s (Figure 19.8). High tide flooding is now posing daily risks to businesses, neighborhoods, infrastructure, transportation, and ecosystems in the Southeast.^1,2

Global sea level is very likely to rise by 0.3–0.6 feet by 2030, 0.5–1.2 feet by 2050, and 1.0–4.3 feet by 2100 under a range of scenarios from very low (RCP2.6) to high (RCP8.5),^51,52,62 which would result in increases in both the depth and frequency of coastal flooding (Figure 19.7).⁵¹ Under higher emissions scenarios (RCP8.5), global sea level rise exceeding 8 feet (and even higher in the Southeast) by 2100 cannot be ruled out.⁵¹ By 2050, many Southeast cities are projected to experience more than 30 days of high tide flooding regardless of scenario.⁶³ In addition, more extreme coastal flood events are also projected to increase in frequency and duration.⁶⁰ For example, water levels that currently have a 1% chance of occurring each year (known as a 100-year event) will be more frequent with sea level rise. This increase in flood frequency suggests the need to consider revising flood study techniques and standards that are currently used to design and build coastal infrastructure.

Higher sea levels will cause the storm surges from tropical storms to travel farther inland than in the past, impacting more coastal properties. The combined impacts of sea level rise and storm surge in the Southeast have the potential to cost up to $60 billion each year in 2050 and up to $99 billion in 2090 under a higher scenario (RCP8.5).³⁵ Even under a lower scenario (RCP4.5), projected damages are $56 and $79 billion in 2050 and 2090, respectively (in 2015 dollars, undiscounted).³⁵ Florida alone is estimated to have a 1-in-20 chance of having more than $346 billion (in 2011 dollars) in property value (8.7%) below average sea level by 2100 under a higher scenario (RCP8.5).⁶⁴ An assessment by the Florida Department of Health determined that 590,000 people in South Florida face “extreme” or “high” risk from sea level rise, with 125,000 people living in these areas identified as socially vulnerable and 55,000 classified as medically vulnerable.⁶⁵ In addition to causing direct injury, storm surge and related flooding can impact transportation infrastructure by blocking or flooding roads and affecting access to healthcare facilities (Ch. 12: Transportation, KM 1). Marine transportation can be impacted as well. Large ports in the Southeast, such as Charleston, Savannah, and Jacksonville, and the rails and roads that link to them, are particularly vulnerable to both coastal flooding and sea level rise (Ch. 12: Transportation, KM 1; Ch. 8: Coastal, KM 1). The Port of Jacksonville provides raw material for industries, food, clothes, and essential goods to Puerto Rico, thus impacting the U.S. Caribbean region, as well (Ch. 20: U.S. Caribbean, KM 3). It is estimated that with a meter (about 3.3 feet) of sea level rise, the Southeast would lose over 13,000 recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological sites and more than 1,000 locations currently eligible for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.⁶⁶ This includes many historic buildings and forts in cities like Charleston, Savannah, and St. Augustine.

Many of the older historical coastal cities in the Southeast were built just above the current Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) level (the average height of the higher of the two daily high tides at a given location), with a gravity-driven drainage system designed to drain rainwater into the tidal estuaries. As sea levels have risen locally in the last one hundred years, the storm water systems in these areas are no longer able to perform as designed. When these cities experience high tide coastal flooding due to perigean tides, the tidewater enters the storm water system, which prevents rainwater from entering storm drains and causes increased impacts from flooding. In the future, the gravity-driven nature of many of these systems may cease to function as designed, causing rainwater to flood streets and neighborhoods until the tide lowers and water can drain normally. Cities such as Charleston and Miami have already begun to improve storm water infrastructure and explore natural and nature-based infrastructure design to reduce future flood risk.

Much of the Southeast region’s coast is bordered by large expanses of salt marsh and barrier islands. Long causeways with intermittent bridges to connect the mainland to these popular tourism destinations were built decades ago at only a few feet above MHHW. Sea level rise has put these transportation connection points at risk. High tide coastal flooding has started to inundate these low-lying roads, restricting access during certain times of the day and causing public safety concerns. The U.S. East Coast, for example, already has 7,508 miles of roadways, including over 400 miles of interstate roadways, currently threatened by high tide coastal flooding (Ch. 12: Transportation, KM 1 and Figure 12.2).

Sea level rise is already causing an increase in high tide flood events in the Southeast region and is adding to the impact of more extreme coastal flooding events. In the future, this flooding is projected to become more serious, disruptive, and costly as its frequency, depth, and inland extent grow with time (Ch. 12: Transportation, KM 1).^52,63,67,68

Extreme Rainfall Events Are Contributing to Increased Inland and Coastal Flooding

Extreme rainfall events have increased in frequency and intensity in the Southeast, and there is high confidence they will continue to increase in the future (Figure 19.3).¹⁹ The region, as a whole, has experienced increases in the number of days with more than 3 inches of precipitation (Figure 19.3) and a 16% increase in observed 5-year maximum daily precipitation (the amount falling in an event expected to occur only once every 5 years).¹⁹ Both the frequency and severity of extreme precipitation events are projected to continue increasing in the region under both lower and higher scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). By the end of the century under a higher scenario (RCP8.5), projections indicate approximately double the number of heavy rainfall events (2-day precipitation events with a 5-year return period) and a 21% increase in the amount of rain falling on the heaviest precipitation days (days with a 20-year return period).^19,81 These projected increases would directly affect the vulnerability of the Southeast’s coastal and low-lying areas. Natural resources (see Key Message 3), industry, the local economy, and the population of the region are at increasing risk to these extreme events.

Across the Southeast since 2014, there have been numerous examples of intense rainfall events—many approaching levels that would be expected to occur only once every 500 years^82,83—that have made state or national news due to the devastating impact they had on inland communities. Of these events, four major inland flood events have occurred in just three years (2014–2016) in the Southeast, causing billions of dollars in damages and loss of life (Table 19.1 and Case Study “Coastal and Inland Impacts of Extreme Rainfall”).⁸⁴

A closer look at the August 2016 event in Louisiana provides an example of how vulnerable inland communities in the Southeast region are to these extreme rainfall events. Between August 11–15 2016, nearly half of southern Louisiana received at least 12–14 inches of rainfall. While urban areas such as Baton Rouge and Lafayette were hit the hardest, receiving upwards of 30 inches in a few days, coastal locations were also inundated with up to 20 inches of rain. Rainfall totals across the region exceeded amounts that would be expected to occur once every 1,000 years (or a less than 0.1% annual probability of occurrence), causing the Amite and Comite Rivers to surge past their banks and resulting in some 50,000 homes across the region filling with more than 18 inches of water.⁸⁵ Nearly 10 times the number of homes received major flooding (18 inches or more) during this event compared to a historic 1983 flood in Baton Rouge, and the damage resulted in more than 2 million cubic yards of curbside debris from cleaning up homes (enough to fill over 600 Olympic-sized pools).⁸⁶ A preceding event in northern Louisiana on March 8–12, 2016, caused $2.4 billion in damages (in 2017 dollars; $2.3 billion in 2015 dollars) and five casualties,⁸⁴ illustrating that inland low-lying areas in the Southeast region are also vulnerable to flooding impacts. Events of such magnitudes are projected to become more likely in the future due to a changing climate,^19,87 putting more people in peril from future floods. Existing flood map boundaries do not account for future flood risk due to the increasing frequency of more intense precipitation events, as well as new development that would reduce the floodplain's ability to manage storm water. As building and rebuilding in flood-prone areas continue, the risks of the kinds of major losses seen in these events will continue to grow.

The growing number of extreme rainfall events is stressing the deteriorating infrastructure in the Southeast. Many transportation and storm water systems have not been designed to withstand these events. The combined effects of rising numbers of high tide flooding and extreme rainfall events, along with deteriorating storm water infrastructure, are increasing the frequency and magnitude of coastal and lowland flood events.^45,88,89,90

The recent increases in flood risk have led many cities and counties to take adaptive actions to reduce these effects. Four counties in Southeast Florida formed a climate compact in 2010 to address climate change impacts, including sea level rise and high tide flooding.⁹¹ Recently updated in 2017, their climate action plan was one of the first intergovernmental collaborations to address climate change, adaptation, and mitigation in the country. Since then, cities like Charleston, South Carolina, have started to invest in flood management activities (see Case Study “Charleston, South Carolina, Begins Planning and Reinvesting”). Other examples include Miami Beach, Florida, which has a multiyear, $500-million program to raise public roads and seawalls and improve storm water drainage.⁹² Norfolk, Virginia, has begun comprehensive planning to fix its high tide flooding issues.⁹³ Biloxi, Mississippi, has put in place several adaptation strategies to lessen the future impacts, including enacting a new building code that requires elevating structures an additional one foot above the base flood elevation.⁹⁴ Tybee Island, Georgia, has developed a sea level rise adaptation plan with recommendations to flood-proof a 5.5-mile stretch of their sole access causeway, replace two vulnerable bridges, and retrofit their existing storm water infrastructure to improve drainage.⁹⁵ In response to the 2016 flooding, eight parishes in the Acadiana region of Louisiana came together to collaborate at a watershed level, pooling their federal hazard mitigation grant funding to support projects across the Teche-Vermilion watershed. This is the only watershed-level hazard mitigation collaboration of this kind happening in the state and has the support of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the Louisiana Office of Community Development.⁹⁶

Many communities in the Southeast also participate in FEMA’s Community Rating System (CRS) program, which provides reduced flood insurance premiums to communities that go above and beyond the minimum National Flood Insurance Program regulation standards.⁹⁷ Many communities require a safety factor, also known as freeboard, expressed as feet above the base flood elevation, for construction in special flood hazard areas. Several Southeast communities—such as Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, Florida; Biloxi, Mississippi; Chatham County, Georgia; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina—have earned low CRS classes (5 on a scale of 1–10, with 1 being the best or most insurance premium discount) by implementing freeboard and other regulations that exceed the minimum standards.⁹⁷

Increases in extreme rainfall events and high tide coastal floods due to future climate change could impact the quality of life of permanent residents as well as tourists visiting the low-lying and coastal regions of the Southeast. Recent social science studies have indicated that people may migrate from many coastal communities that are vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, high tide flooding, saltwater intrusion, and storm surge.⁷¹ Even though many communities are starting to develop adaptation strategies to address current flooding issues, many adaptation strategies are not being designed for longer time horizons and more extreme worst-case climate scenarios.^1,67

The 2017 Hurricane Season

For the United States, 2017 was a historic year for weather and climate disasters, with widespread impacts and lingering costs. While 2017 tied the previous record year of 2011 for the total number of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters—16—the year broke the all-time previous record high costs by reaching $306.2 billion in damages (in 2017 dollars; $297 billion in 2015 dollars). The previous record year was 2005 with a total of $214.8 billion (in 2017 dollars; $208.4 billion in 2015 dollars), which included the impacts of Hurricanes Dennis, Katrina, Rita, and Wilma.⁹⁹

In 2017, Hurricane Irma was one of three major hurricanes to make landfall in the United States and territories, with the most significant impacts occurring in the Southeast region. Irma was a Category 4 storm with 130 mph wind speeds when it made landfall at Cudjoe Key, Florida (20 miles north of Key West). Storm surge inundations at Cudjoe and the surrounding Keys were between 5 and 8 feet.¹⁰⁰ Prior to landfall in Florida, Irma caused significant damage in the U.S. Virgin Islands and parts of Puerto Rico as a Category 5 hurricane with 185 mph wind speeds (see Ch. 20: U.S. Caribbean, Box 20.1 and KM 5).⁸⁴

Irma’s intensity was impressive by any measure. According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Irma was only the fifth hurricane with winds of 185 mph or higher in the whole of the Atlantic Basin since reliable record keeping began, and it was the strongest observed hurricane in the open Atlantic Ocean.¹⁰¹ For three days, the storm maintained maximum sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, the longest observed duration in the satellite era.^101,102 Not only was Irma extremely strong, it was also very large with tropical storm force winds reaching as far away as 400 miles from the hurricane’s center and driving hurricane force winds up to 80 miles away.¹⁰¹ Two factors supported Irma’s strength: the very warm waters it passed over, which exceeded 86°F,¹⁰² and the light winds Irma encountered in the upper atmosphere (Figure 19.14).¹⁰¹ High-intensity hurricanes such as Irma are expected to become more common in the future due to climate change.¹⁰³ Rapid intensification of storms is also more likely as the climate warms,¹⁰⁴ even though there is also some historical evidence that the same conditions that lead to this intensification also act to weaken hurricane intensity near the U.S. coast, but it is unclear whether this relationship will continue as the climate warms further (see Kossin et al. 2017,¹⁰³ Box 9.1).

The storm tracked up the west coast of Florida, impacting both coasts of the Florida peninsula with 3–5 feet of inundation from Cape Canaveral north to the Florida–Georgia border and even further, impacting coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina with high tides and storm surge that reached 3–5 feet. Inland areas were also impacted by winds and heavy rains with river gauges and high-water marks showing upwards of 2–6 feet above ground level.¹⁰⁰ The winds eventually fell below tropical storm strength near Columbus, Georgia. Even though the wind speed fell below tropical storm strength, many communities along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia experienced severe wind and storm surge damage with some near-historic levels of coastal flooding. A state of emergency was declared in four states from Florida north to Virginia and in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and, for the first time ever, Atlanta was placed under a tropical storm warning.^{105,106,107,108} In Florida, a record 6.8 million people were ordered to evacuate, as were 540,000 coastal residents in Georgia and untold numbers in other coastal locations.^102,109,110 Nearly 192,000 evacuees were housed in approximately 700 emergency shelters in Florida alone.¹⁰⁹ According to NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI),⁸⁴ Irma significantly damaged 65% of the buildings in the Keys and destroyed 25% of them.

High rainfall totals were experienced in many impacted areas, with Fort Pierce, Florida, receiving the highest rainfall of more than 21.5 inches¹⁰⁰ and the Florida Keys receiving 12 inches of rain.^84,102 Flooding occurred on most rivers in northern Florida and in many rivers in both Georgia and South Carolina to the point that rescues were required. In Jacksonville, Florida, heavy rains were the major issue causing rivers to reach major or record flood stage and flooded some city streets up to 5 feet deep in water. The heavy rainfall was noted even in Alabama, at 5 inches, and near 6 inches in the mountains of western North Carolina.¹⁰⁰ Twenty-five tornadoes were confirmed from Hurricane Irma, and many of them occurred along the east coast of central and northern Florida.¹⁰⁰ Even as Irma headed north, continuing to lose force, there were still 6.7 million people without electricity.¹⁰⁹

According to NCEI,⁸⁴ the U.S. direct cost from Hurricane Irma is approximately $50 billion (in 2017 dollars), and the non-U.S. territory Caribbean Islands could add another $10–$15 billion to that total. Of the $50 billion, approximately $30–$35 billion accounts for wind and flood damage to a combination of residential and commercial properties, automobiles, and boats—with 80%–90% of this cost felt in Florida. The remainder of the costs include $5 billion for infrastructure repairs and $1.5–$2.0 billion for damage to the agricultural sector, also mainly in Florida. The remaining costs would address losses in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.⁸⁴ The losses could have been worse except for the fact that Florida has implemented one of the strictest building codes in the country after the destruction caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.¹¹¹ Recent estimates using insured loss data show that implementing the Florida Building Code resulted in a 72% reduction of windstorm losses, and for every $1 in added cost to implement the building code, there is a savings of $6 in reduced losses, with the return or payback period being roughly 8 years (in 2010 dollars).¹¹¹

Indirect impacts and costs are difficult to calculate and would add to the totals. In Central and South Florida, such things would include the closing of schools, colleges, and universities; the closing of tourist attractions and the cancellation of thousands of flights into and out of region; and the closing or restricting of the use of seaports including Canaveral, Key West, Miami, and Jacksonville, among others.^109,112 The Select Committee on Hurricane Response and Preparedness: Final Report¹⁰⁹ estimates that there were 84 U.S. deaths attributable to Hurricane Irma and other untold damage and human suffering. While the hurricane directly damaged portions of the Southeast, the impacts could be felt around the country in the form of business interruptions (such as tourism), transportation and infrastructure damages (such as ports, roadways, and airports), increases in fuel costs, and $2.5 billion (in 2018 dollars) in total estimated crop losses,¹⁰⁹ which had the potential to impact the cost of food and other products for all Americans.

Ecosystems in the Southeast span the transition zone between tropical and temperate climates. The region’s more temperate ecosystems include hardwood forests, spruce-fir forests, pine-dominated forests, and salt marshes. The region’s more tropical ecosystems include mangrove forests, coral reefs, pine savannas, and the tropical freshwater wetlands of the Everglades. Ecological diversity in the Southeast is high,^{113,114,115,116,117} and southeastern ecosystems and landscapes provide many benefits to society. In addition to providing habitat for fish and wildlife species, ecosystems in the Southeast provide recreational opportunities, improve water quality, provide seafood, reduce erosion, provide timber, support food webs, minimize flooding impacts, and support high rates of carbon sequestration (or storage).^118,119,120 These ecological resources that people depend on for livelihoods, protection, and well-being are increasingly at risk from the impacts of climate change.

Climate greatly influences the structure and functioning of all natural systems (Ch. 7: Ecosystems). An analysis of ecological changes that have occurred in the past can help provide some context for anticipating and preparing for future ecological changes. In response to past climatic changes, many ecosystems in the Southeast were much different than those present today. For example, since the end of the last glacial maximum (about 19,000 years ago—the most recent period of maximum ice extent),¹²¹ forests in the region have been transformed by warming temperatures, sea level rise, and glacial retreat.^122,123 Spruce species that were once present in the region’s forests have moved northward and have been replaced by oaks and other less cold-tolerant tree species that have expanded from the south.¹²⁴ And along the coast, freeze-sensitive mangrove forests and other tropical coastal species have been expanding northward and upslope since the last glacial maximum.^{125,126,127,128,129}

In the coming decades and centuries, climate change will continue to transform many ecosystems throughout the Southeast,^{6,130,131,132,133,134,135} which would affect many of the societal benefits these ecosystems provide. As a result, future generations can expect to experience, interact with, and potentially benefit from natural systems that are much different than those that we see today (Ch. 7: Ecosystems).^136,137

Warming Winter Temperature Extremes

Changes in winter air temperature patterns are one aspect of climate change that will play an especially important role in the Southeast. By the late 21st century under the higher scenario (RCP8.5), the freeze-free season is expected to lengthen by more than a month. Winter air temperature extremes (for example, freezing and chilling events) constrain the northern limit of many tropical and subtropical species.^{138,139,140,141,142,143,144} Certain ecosystems in the region are located near thresholds where small changes in winter air temperature regimes can trigger comparatively large and abrupt landscape-scale ecological changes (in other words, ecological regime shifts).^135,145 Reductions in the frequency and intensity of cold winter air temperature extremes can allow tropical and subtropical species to move northward and replace more temperate species. Where climatic thresholds are crossed, certain ecosystem and landscapes will be transformed by changing winter air temperatures.

Plant hardiness zone maps help convey the importance of winter air temperature extremes for species and natural systems in the Southeast. To help gardeners and farmers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has produced plant hardiness zone maps that can be used to determine which species are most likely to survive and thrive in a given location. The plant hardiness zones are reflective of the frequency and intensity of winter air temperature extremes in a specific region. Already, in response to climate change, plant hardiness zones in certain areas are moving northward and are expected to continue their northward and upslope progression.^{139,142,146,147} Continued reductions in the frequency and intensity of winter air temperature extremes are expected to change which species are able to survive and thrive in a given location (Figure 19.15). For example, citrus species are sensitive to freezing and chilling temperatures.¹⁴⁸ However, in the future, climate change is expected to enable the survival of citrus in areas that are north of the current tolerance zone.¹⁴²

The effects of changing winters reach far beyond just agricultural and garden plants. Along the coast, for example, warmer winter temperatures are expected to allow mangrove forests to move northward and replace salt marshes (Figures 19.16 and 19.17).^{135,149,150,151,152} Coastal wetlands, like mangrove forests and salt marshes, are abundant in the Southeast.^153,154 The societal benefits provided by coastal wetlands are numerous.¹¹⁹ Hence, where coastal wetlands are abundant (for example, the Mississippi River Delta), their cumulative value can be worth billions of dollars each year and trillions of dollars over a 100-year period.¹⁵⁵ Coastal wetlands provide seafood, improve water quality, provide recreational opportunities, reduce erosion, support food webs, minimize flooding impacts, and support high rates of carbon sequestration.¹¹⁸ Foundation species are species that create habitat and support entire ecological communities.^156,157 In coastal wetlands and many other ecosystems, foundation plant species play an especially important role. Hence, the loss and/or replacement of foundation plant species, like salt marsh grasses, will have ecological and societal consequences in certain areas.^{135,145,157,158,159,160,161,162,163,164} While salt marsh and mangrove wetlands both contain valuable foundation species, some of the habitat and societal benefits provided by existing salt marsh habitats will be affected by the northward expansion of mangrove forests.^{145,158,160,161,164,165}

In addition to plants, warmer winter air temperatures will also affect the movement and interactions between many different kinds of organisms. For example, certain insect species, including mosquitoes and tree-damaging beetles, are expected to move northward in response to climate change, which could affect human health and timber supplies.^{30,144,166,167,168,169,170,171,172} And some bird species, including certain ducks, are not expected to migrate as far south in response to milder winters,¹⁷³ which could affect birding and hunting recreational opportunities. Many recreational fishery populations in tropical coastal areas are freeze-sensitive^{138,174,175,176,177,178} and are, therefore, expected to move northward in response to warmer water and air temperatures. Although the appearance of tropical recreational fish, like snook for example, may be favorable for some anglers, the movement of tropical marine species is expected to greatly modify existing food webs and ecosystems (Ch. 7: Ecosystems, Figure 7.4).¹⁷⁹ Some problematic invasive species are expected to be favored by changing winters. For example, in South Florida, the Burmese python and the Brazilian pepper tree are two freeze-sensitive, nonnative species that have, respectively, decimated mammal populations and transformed native plant communities within Everglades National Park.^{180,181,182,183,184,185,186,187,188} In the future, warmer winter temperatures are expected to facilitate the northward movement of these problematic invasive species, which would transform natural systems north of their current distribution.

Changing Patterns of Fire

In the Southeast region, changing fire regimes (defined by factors including frequency, intensity, size, pattern, season, and severity) are expected to have a large impact on natural systems. Fire has historically played an important role in the region, and ecological diversity in many southeastern natural systems is dependent upon fire.^{115,116,134,189} Although the total area burned by wildfire is greatest in the western United States, the Southeast has the largest area burned by prescribed fire (see Case Study “Prescribed Fire”) and the highest number of wildfires.^134,190 In the future, rising temperatures and increases in the duration and intensity of drought are expected to increase wildfire occurrence and also reduce the effectiveness of prescribed fire.^3,4,5,6 Moreover, rapid urban expansion near managed forests has the potential to reduce opportunities to use prescribed fire, which could lead to native species declines, increased wildfire occurrence, and economic and health impacts.^134,191

A recent example of the importance of fire lies in the forests of the southern Appalachians. Over the last century, invasive insects, logging, and pathogens have transformed forests in the region.¹⁹² Warmer temperatures and insects have led to the loss of cold-adapted boreal communities, and flammable, fire-adapted tree species have been replaced by less flammable, fire-sensitive species—a process known as mesophication.^193,194 However, intense fires, like those observed in 2016, can halt the mesophication process. High temperatures, increases in accumulated plant material on the forest floor, and a four-month seasonal drought in the fall of 2016 collectively produced the worst wildfires the region has seen in a century. Intra-annual droughts, like the one in 2016, are expected to become more frequent in the future.⁶ Thus, drought and greater fire activity¹³⁴ are expected to continue to transform forest ecosystems in the region (see Ch. 6: Forests, KM 1).

Rising Sea Levels and Hurricanes

Rising sea levels and potential changes in hurricane intensity are aspects of climate change that are expected to have a tremendous effect on coastal ecosystems in the Southeast (Ch. 8: Coastal, KM 2; Ch. 9: Oceans, KM 1). Since coastal terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems are highly sensitive to increases in inundation and salinity, sea level rise will result in the rapid conversion of these systems to tidal saline habitats. Historically, coastal ecosystems in the region have adjusted to sea level rise by vertical and horizontal movement across the landscape.^{125,129,200,201} As sea levels rise in the future, some coastal ecosystems will be submerged and converted to open water, and saltwater intrusion will allow salt-tolerant coastal ecosystems to move inland at the expense of upslope and upriver ecosystems.^{128,202,203,204,205,206,207,208} Where barriers are present (for example, levees and other coastal infrastructure), the potential for landward migration of natural systems will be reduced and certain coastal habitats will be lost (Ch. 20: U.S. Caribbean, KM 3).²⁰⁴ With higher sea levels and increasing saltwater intrusion, the high winds, high precipitation rates, storm surges, and salts that accompany hurricanes will have large ecological impacts to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems.^209,210

An example of the effects of rising sea levels can be found in Louisiana, which faces some of the highest land loss rates in the world. The ecosystems of the Mississippi River Delta provide at least $12–$47 billion (in 2017 dollars) in benefits to people each year.¹⁵⁵ These benefits include hurricane storm protection, water supply, furs, habitat, climate stability, and waste treatment. However, between 1932 and 2016, Louisiana lost 2,006 square miles of land area (see Case Study “A Lesson Learned for Community Resettlement”),²¹¹ due in part to high rates of relative sea level rise.^{212,213,214,215} The rate of wetland loss during this period equates to Louisiana losing an area the size of one football field every 34 to 100 minutes.²¹¹ To protect and restore the Louisiana coast, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) has worked with local, state, and federal partners to iteratively develop a 2017 Coastal Master Plan that identifies investments that can provide direct restoration and risk reduction benefits.²¹⁶ The aim of the 50-year, $50-billion strategy is to sustain Louisiana’s coastal ecosystems, safeguard coastal populations, and protect vital economic and cultural resources.²¹⁶

Drought and Extreme Rainfall

Climate change is expected to intensify the hydrologic cycle and increase the frequency and severity of extreme events like drought and heavy rainfall. Drought and extreme heat can result in tree mortality and transform the region’s forested ecosystems (Ch. 6: Forests, KM 1).^{217,218,219,220,221,222,223} Drought can also affect aquatic and wetland ecosystems,²²⁴ for example by contributing to mortality and ecological transformations in salt marshes,^225,226 mangrove forests,^{227,228,229,230,231} and tidal freshwater forests.²³² In addition to drought, extreme rainfall events are also expected to become more frequent and severe in the future. The prolonged inundation and lack of oxygen that results from extreme rainfall can also result in mortality, such as the dieback of critical foundation plant species, and other large impacts to natural systems.²³³ In combination, future increases in the frequency and severity of both extreme drought and extreme rainfall are expected to transform many ecosystems in the Southeast region. Natural systems in the region will have to become resistant and resilient to both too little water and too much water. The ecological transformations induced by these extreme events will affect many of the benefits that natural systems provide to society.

Warming Ocean Temperatures

Warming ocean temperatures due to climate change are expected to have a large effect on marine and coastal ecosystems (Ch. 9: Oceans, KM 3).^234,235,236 Many species are sensitive to small changes in ocean temperature; hence, the distribution and abundance of marine organisms are expected to be greatly altered by increasing ocean temperatures. For example, the distribution of tropical herbivorous fish has been expanding in response to warmer waters, which has resulted in the tropicalization of some temperate marine ecosystems and decreases in the cover of valuable macroalgal plant communities.¹⁷⁹ A decrease in the growth of sea turtles in the West Atlantic has been linked to higher ocean temperatures.²³⁷ Due to climate change, warming ocean temperatures in the coming decades are expected to transform many marine and coastal ecosystems across the Southeast. However, the impacts to coral reef ecosystems in the region have been and are expected to be particularly dire. Coral reefs are biologically diverse ecosystems that provide many societal benefits, including coastal protection from waves, habitat for fish, and recreational and tourism opportunities.^238,239 However, coral reef mortality in the Florida Keys and across the globe has been very high in recent decades, due in part to warming ocean temperatures, nutrient enrichment, overfishing, and coastal development.^{240,241,242,243,244} Small increases in ocean temperature can cause corals to expel the symbiotic algae upon which they depend for nourishment. When this happens, corals lose their color and die in a process known as coral bleaching (Ch. 9: Oceans, KM 1). Coral elevation and volume in the Florida Keys have been declining in recent decades,²⁴⁵ and present-day temperatures in the region are already close to bleaching thresholds; hence, it is likely that many of the remaining coral reefs in the Southeast region will be lost in the coming decades.^246,247 In addition to warming temperatures, accelerated ocean acidification is also expected to contribute to coral reef mortality and decline.^248,249 When coral reefs are lost, coastal communities lose the many benefits provided by these valuable ecosystems, including lost tourism opportunities, a decline in fisheries, and a decrease in wave protection.^246,247

In the Southeast, over 56% of land remains rural (nonmetropolitan) and home to approximately 16 million people, or about 17% percent of the region’s population.²⁵⁰ These rural areas are important to the social and economic well-being of the Southeast. Many in rural communities are maintaining connections to traditional livelihoods and relying on natural resources that are inherently vulnerable to climate change. The Southeast has the second highest number of farmworkers hired per year compared to other National Climate Assessment (NCA) regions.²⁵¹ Climate trends and possible climate futures show patterns that are already impacting—and are expected to further impact—rural sectors, from agriculture and forestry to human health and labor productivity (Ch. 10: Ag & Rural, KM 3). For example, shrimping, oystering, and fishing along the coast are long-standing traditions in the coastal economy that are expected to face substantial challenges. For example, by the end of the century, annual oyster harvests in the Southeast are projected to decline between 20% (19%–22%) under a lower scenario (RCP4.5) and 46% (44%–48%) under a higher scenario (RCP8.5), leading to projected price increases of 48% (RCP4.5) to 140% (RCP8.5).³⁵ Projected warming ocean temperatures, sea level rise, and ocean and coastal acidification are raising concern over future harvests (Ch. 9: Oceans, KM 2).^35,252 While adaptation and resilience can moderate climate change impacts, rural areas generally face other stressors, such as poverty and limited access to healthcare, which will make coping to these climate-related challenges more difficult.

Heat-related stresses are presently a major concern in the Southeast. Future temperature increases are projected to pose challenges for human health. While recent regional temperature trends have not shown the same consistent rate of daytime maximum temperature increase as observed in other parts of the United States, climate model simulations strongly suggest that daytime maximum temperatures are likely to increase as humans continue to emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.¹³ The resulting temperature increases are expected to add to the heat health burden in rural, as well as urban, areas.³⁵ Projected temperature increases also pose challenges for crop production dependent on periods of lower temperatures to reach full productivity. Drought has been a recurrent issue in the Southeast affecting agriculture, forestry, and water resources.²⁵³ With rapid growth in population and overall demand, drought is increasingly a concern for water resource management sectors such as cities, ecosystems, and energy production.

Diverse Rural Regions

Urban and rural areas exist along a continuum from major metro areas to suburbs, small towns, and lightly populated places. These areas are linked through many processes, commuting patterns, and shared central services, such as airports and hospitals, that connect the risks. Rapid population growth with associated urbanization and suburbanization over the last several decades has resulted in a more fine-grained forest landscape with smaller and more numerous forest patches.²⁵⁴ Agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and other major economic sectors are spread across the Southeast region. Rural counties in the region generally have a diversified economy with a relatively low percentage being heavily dependent on one sector. While well known for agriculture and forestry, rural areas also support manufacturing and tourism.²⁵⁰

In 2013, approximately 34% of the U.S. manufacturing output, or about $700 billion (dollar year not reported), came from the Southeast and Texas, including rural areas.²⁵⁵ While manufacturing growth has been particularly strong in the Southeast in recent years, future climate changes would pose challenges for economic competitiveness. For companies involved in food processing, there are additional secondary economic risks associated with climate impacts on crops and livestock that could alter price or availability.^64,255 Facilities that are energy- or water-intensive are more likely to face increases in the costs and decreases in the availability of these resources, with potential impacts to their economic competitiveness.^246,255

Energy production, and its dependence on water availability, is a key concern in the Southeast, given the region’s growing population and large, diversified economy. An increasing number of high heat and dry days as the climate warms poses a risk to efficient power generation, particularly under conditions where the mode of primary generation moves towards natural gas and water-intensive nuclear power.²⁵⁶

Risks to Agriculture and Forestry

Agriculture, livestock rearing, and forestry activities are widespread and varied through the Southeast region.⁷ Climate change is expected to have an overall negative impact on agricultural productivity in the United States,³⁵ although some crops could also become newly viable alternatives (Key Message 3, Figure 19.15). Increases in temperatures, water stress, freeze-free days, drought, and wildfire risks, together with changing conditions for invasive species and the movement of diseases, create a number of potential risks for existing agricultural systems (Ch. 10: Ag & Rural, KM 1).⁷ In particular, precipitation trends for the Southeast region show an inclination towards slightly drier summers, which could reduce productivity, and wetter fall seasons, which can make it difficult to harvest the full crop. Multimodel averages of climate model simulations (CMIP3 [SRES A2] and CMIP5 [RCP8.5] higher scenarios) show that there is a greater risk of drier summers by the middle of the century in the western portion of the Southeast and in southern Florida, while wetter fall seasons are more likely in the eastern portion of the region.²⁵⁷

The conditions for raising and harvesting crops and livestock are projected to change. Higher temperatures can result in decreasing productivity of some cultivated crops, including cotton, corn, soybeans, and rice.⁷ Livestock, which includes hogs and pigs, horses, ponies, mules, burros, and donkeys as well as poultry and processed poultry for consumption (for example, chicken nuggets), is a large component of the agricultural sector for these states and the Nation.²⁵⁸ Livestock are all vulnerable to heat stress, and their care under projected future conditions would require new or enhanced adaptive strategies (Ch. 10: Ag & Rural, KM 3).

Recent changes in seasonal temperatures that are critical for plant development will continue to impact regionally important crops. Plants collected from the wild may become less available as the ideal conditions for their growth shift to other areas (see Case Study “Mountain Ramps”). Peaches—an important crop in the Southeast—require an adequate period of cool temperatures, called the chill period, to produce yields that are economically viable. Peaches also require warm temperatures at specific times during their development.²⁵⁹ If the warm temperatures come too early, the chill periods could be too short or the peach blossoms can flower too soon and be in danger of late freeze impacts. A late freeze in March 2017 caused over a billion dollars of damages to peaches and other fruit crops.⁸⁴ To assist peach growers in adapting to such changes, researchers are working to develop peach varieties that can produce quality fruits in warmer winters and are developing winter chill models that can assist in adaptation planning efforts.^260,261

Forests, both natural and plantation, in the Southeast are vulnerable to climate variability and change. Southeastern forests represent almost 27% of the U.S. total²⁶² and are the highest-valued crop in the region.⁷ The vast majority of forest is held in private hands, primarily corporate. Forest cover ranges from almost 50% to 80% in these states, creating large areas of interface between populations and forests.²⁶² Jobs in timber, logging, and support for agriculture and forestry totaled approximately 458,000.²⁶³ (See Ch. 6: Forests, KM 3 for additional discussion on forest change impacts on rural landscapes.)

The Southeast is one of the most dynamic regions for forest change on the globe,²⁶⁹ though much of the change owes to intensive rotations of pine production and economic forces that drive frequent conversion between forest and agricultural uses in rural areas.^270,271 Climate is expected to have an impact on the region’s forests primarily through changes in moisture regimes.²⁷² Species migration westward across the eastern United States in response to changing precipitation patterns has already been noted.²⁷³ Drought is likely to alter fire regimes and further interact with species distributions (see Key Message 3). The interactions of altered precipitation and natural disturbances will be important in understanding impacts to the forests not dominated by industrial forestry (Ch. 6: Forests, KM 1 and KM 3).²⁷⁴

Wildfire is a well-known risk in the Southeast region, where it occurs with greater frequency than any other U.S. region.²⁷⁵ However, mitigation strategies, particularly the use of prescribed fire, can significantly reduce wildfire risk and have been widely adopted across rural communities in the Southeast.¹⁹⁰ A doubling of prescribed fire at the landscape scale has been found to reduce wildfire ignitions by a factor of four,⁴ while it is well documented that prescribed fire reduces the potential for crown fire in treated forest stands.²⁷⁶ With greater projected fire risks,^191,277 more attention on how to foster fire-adapted communities offers opportunities for risk reduction (see Case Study “Prescribed Fire” and Key Message 3).^278,279

Heat, Health, and Livelihoods

Heat-related health threats are already a risk in outdoor jobs and activities. While heat illness is more often associated with urban settings, rural populations are also at risk. For example, higher rates of heat-related illness have been reported in rural North Carolina compared to urban locations.²⁸⁰ However, strategies to reduce health impacts on hot days, such as staying indoors or altering times outdoors, are already contributing to reducing heat-related illness in the Southeast.²⁸¹

Workers in the agriculture, forestry, hunting, and fishing sectors together with construction and support, waste, and remediation services work are the most highly vulnerable to heat-related deaths in the United States, representing almost 68% of heat-related deaths nationally.²⁸² Six of the ten states with the highest occupational heat-related deaths in these sectors are in the Southeast region, accounting for 28.6% of occupational heat-related deaths between 2000 and 2010.²⁸² By 2090, under a higher scenario (RCP8.5), the Southeast is projected to have the largest heat-related impacts on labor productivity in the country, resulting in average annual losses of 570 million labor hours, or $47 billion (in 2015 dollars, undiscounted), a cost representing a third of total national projected losses, although these figures do not include adaptations by workers or industries (Figure 19.21).³⁵

Investing in increased cooling is one likely form of adaptation. Among U.S. regions, the Southeast is projected to experience the highest costs associated with meeting increased electricity demands in a warmer world.³⁵

Compounding Stresses and Constraints to Adaptation

The people of the rural Southeast confront a number of social stresses likely to add to the challenges posed by increases in climate stresses.²⁸³ Rural communities tend to be more vulnerable due to factors such as demography, occupations, earnings, literacy, poverty incidence, and community capacities (Ch. 10: Ag & Rural, KM 4).^8,9,10 Reducing stress associated with these factors can increase household and community resilience.^9,284

Persistent rural poverty stands out in the Southeast (Figure 19.22). The rural counties in the region are experiencing higher levels of population loss (13% of rural counties lost population) and low educational attainment (38% of rural counties), with 35% of rural counties experiencing poverty rates of more than 20% persisting over approximately 30 years.¹⁰ The Southeast is expected to experience the highest costs associated with meeting increased energy demands; an estimated $3.3 billion each year under a higher scenario (RCP8.5) and $1.2 billion annually under a lower scenario (RCP4.5) by the end of the century.³⁵ Energy poverty is a situation “where individuals or households are not able to adequately heat or provide other required energy services in their homes at affordable cost.”²⁸⁵ A case study from rural eastern North Carolina further explains energy poverty as a function of the energy efficiency of the home, energy provision infrastructure, physical health, low incomes, and support of social networks, which collectively influence households’ choices about the amount of heating and cooling they can afford.²⁸⁶ The National Weather Service (NWS) calculates degree days,²⁸⁷ a way of tracking energy use. NWS starts with the assumption that when the average outside temperature is 65°F, heating or cooling is not needed in order to be comfortable. The difference between the average daily temperature and 65°F is the number of cooling or heating degrees for that day. These days can be added up over time—a month or a year—to give a combined estimate of energy needed for heating or cooling. Although heating costs are expected to decrease as the climate warms in the Southeast, the number of cooling degree days is expected to increase and the length of the cooling season expected to expand, increasing energy demand and exacerbating rural energy poverty (Figure 19.22).

The ability to cope with current and potential impacts, such as flooding, is further reduced by limited county resources. A study of hazard management plans (2004–2008) in 84 selected rural southeastern counties found these plans scored low across various criteria.²⁸⁸ The rural, geographically remote locations contributed to more difficult logistics in reaching people. Interviewees also identified low-income and minority communities, substandard housing, lack of access to vehicles for evacuation, limited modes of communication, and limited local government capacity as contributing factors to difficulties in emergency planning.²⁸⁸

The healthcare system in the Southeast is already overburdened and may be further stressed by climate change. Between 2010 and 2016, more rural hospitals closed in the Southeast than any other region, with Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee being among the top five states for hospital closures.²⁸⁹ This strain, when combined with negative health impacts from climate change stressors (such as additional patient demand due to extreme heat and vector-borne diseases and greater flood risk from extreme precipitation events), increases the potential for disruptions of health services in the future. The Green River District Health Department recently did an assessment of ways to reduce vulnerability to negative health impacts of climate change in a mostly rural region of western Kentucky.²⁹⁰ As a result, the local health department plans to enhance existing epidemiology, public health preparedness, and community health assessment services.²⁹⁰