Did Global Warming Make Helene Worse? Here’s Where Americans Are Most Worried About Climate Change

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24/7 Wall St. Insights

• Nationwide, 64.1% of Americans say they are very or somewhat worried about global warming.
• In New York County, 81.0% of residents are worried about climate change, the most of any county nationwide.
• In Grant County, WV, just 40.3% of residents are worried about climate change, the least of any county.
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Hurricane Helene made landfall in the Florida Panhandle on September 26, traveling 600 miles inland up to Tennessee to become one of the most destructive hurricanes in U.S. history. And in what is becoming one of the most active hurricane seasons on record, much of the Gulf Coast is currently bracing for a Category 3 storm forecast to make landfall later today.

Climate change underpins many conversations surrounding the scale and intensity of recent natural disasters. While nationwide nearly three in four Americans believe the planet is warming, there is less consensus around the actual risks and consequences that will result from climate change.

Twice a year, the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication conducts the most comprehensive survey on climate change knowledge and opinion in the United States. Out of 30 questions, one of the most contentious is about how worried participants are about global warming.

In their survey, Yale asked participants, "How worried are you about global warming?" with options ranging from "very worried" to "not at all worried". While nationwide 64.1% of Americans say they are very or somewhat worried about global warming, large regional disparities persist throughout the country.

There are several factors correlated with climate change worry. In general, wealthier counties with high educational attainment are the most worried about climate change. Ironically, many of the counties where climate risk is highest – as measured by the FEMA National Risk Inde for natural hazards  – are the least worried about climate change.

To determine the counties that are worried about climate change the most, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data on climate change belief from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication . Counties were ranked based on the percentage of surveyed residents who answered that they are "somewhat" or "very worried" about global warming in 2023. Supplemental data on median household income and the percentage of adults with at least a bachelor's degree is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey and is for 2022. Data on natural hazard risk rating is from FEMA .

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