Published March 3, 2021 at 9:00 AM EST Listen • 49:32
Wednesday, March 3, 2021
Last month, a massive snowstorm in Texas left millions without power and roughly 15 million residents without water. Nearly a dozen people died due to hypothermia and carbon monoxide poisoning. In addition, it was potentially the most expensive natural disaster in the state’s history, blowing past the $125 billion in damage from Hurricane Harvey.
From Hurricane Hazel to Hurricane Florence, North Carolina is familiar with extreme weather. And climate change is making matters worse: in 2020, the state had its second-wettest year on record and tied for its third warmest. North Carolina also recorded its warmest 10-year span on record between 2009 and 2018, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information and North Carolina State University.