What rising extreme heat will mean for Georgia
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The number of Americans exposed to "extreme heat," or a heat index greater than 125°F, is expected to jump by 13 times over the next 30 years.
- That's according to a hyperlocal analysis of current and future extreme heat events by the nonprofit First Street Foundation using its peer-reviewed heat model.
Why it matters: Extreme heat can impact everything from personal health to electricity costs, as well as physical infrastructure such as public transport, which wasn't built to withstand the higher temperatures, the authors note.
Driving the news: In Georgia, that impact is projected to translate into the fifth highest increase in cooling costs by 2053, and the sixth highest increase in state CO2 emissions due to that increased AC usage.
Zoom in: The foundation estimates that while all of Georgia will see temperatures increase, Echols County in south Georgia will see the most: 20 days with a heat index temperatures above 107.7℉ by 2053. This year they saw a week of those temperatures.
💭 Thought bubble from Axios climate and energy reporter Andrew Freedman: The report makes clear how extreme heat will become far more common during the next few decades across the U.S., due to human-caused climate change.