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The summer of 2023 brought record-breaking heat to Arizona by almost every measure. Tucson experienced its longest heat streak at or above 100°F (53 consecutive days) and Phoenix had record-breaking streaks at or above 105°F (56 days) and 110°F (31 days).[1]

Climate change made this extreme heat event at least 3x more likely.[2]

Heat is the leading cause of extreme-weather event deaths in the country — even more than hurricanes, fires, floods, or earthquakes. In Maricopa County alone, 645 people died of heat related causes in 2023, a number that had been steadily increasing in recent years.[3] There are countless stories of Arizonans dealing with extreme heat whether it’s outdoor workers suffering heat illness and losing wages, kids sitting out sports, and people

Roads, sidewalks, home and driveways, railways, airports, and even communications infrastructure all suffer damage from extreme heat, leading to serious issues in transportation and emergency response.

[1] Climate Central
[2] Climate Central
[3] AZ Central

 

In the last 10 years, 8 billion-dollar disaster events have affected Arizona.[1] Seven of these events were droughts. The scale of drying in the state is so great, in fact, that experts call the event a “mega-drought”. And there are strong links between climate change and increased drying up of the state.

A shrinking water supply paired with rising temperatures mean popular Arizona crops, like wheat, corn, cotton, mint, and alfalfa are suffering. Arizona is also a top producer of lettuce, broccoli, and cantaloupe. This means that consumers in the state and across the country will feel farmers’ pain too through increased prices and staple foods becoming less readily available.

Agriculture contributes tens of billion annually to the state’s economy. As farmers choose to grow less water intensive crops or reduce livestock herds, we will see a changed agriculture industry in Arizona.

[1] NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters (2024)., DOI.

 

Hot, dry, windy days create the conditions for wildfires and all parts of the state have seen an uptick in the number of “wildfire days.” The area in and around Phoenix is seeing almost 7 weeks more wildfire days on average while Northern Arizona is seeing 4-6 weeks.[1]

As insurers suffer greater and greater losses on wildfire claims, they pull out of markets in the area. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for Arizonans in some parts of the state to find homeowners insurance, leaving them to foot the bill when disaster strikes.[2]

[1] Climate Central
[2] NYT

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