Oct 6, 2021 - News

Mapped: How Arkansas compares on weather disasters

Data: FEMA; Chart: Jared Whalen/Axios

Arkansas has recently been better off than most of the country — and certainly its neighbors to the north, west and south — when it comes to major weather-related disasters worsened by climate change.

Why it matters: Some regions of the U.S. are safer from climate-fueled extreme weather events than others, but no region will be untouched, Axios' Ben German writes.

  • Climate change, scientists have found, is increasing the intensity and, in many cases, the frequency of these kinds of events. This is especially true when it comes to heavy rain or snow, heat waves and wildfires.

Zoom out: The map above shows major disasters declared by FEMA during the past two decades — a snapshot that ranges from hurricanes and severe storms to wildfires and drought.

Zoom in: Below, check out a county-by-county look at the weather disasters over the past two decades in Arkansas.

  • Most of our disasters have been related to severe storms, flooding and tornados.

Of note: Climate change policies adopted by NWA's global companies (Walmart, JB Hunt and Tyson Foods) have the potential to cut greenhouse gases to help mitigate global warming, especially if shareholders demand progress and accountability.

Data: FEMA; Map: Axios Visuals
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