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Mapping the shadow of experience of extreme weather events

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Abstract

Climate change will increase the frequency and/or intensity of certain extreme weather events, and perceived experience with extreme weather may influence climate change beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors. However, the aspects of extreme events that influence whether or not people perceive that they have personally experienced them remain unclear. We investigate (1) the correspondence of reported experience of extreme weather events with documented events, and (2) how characteristics of different extreme events shape the geographic area within which people are likely to report they have experienced it—the event’s perceived “shadow of experience.” We overlay geocoded survey responses indicating personal experience with hurricanes, tornadoes, and drought—from a 2012 nationally representative survey (N = 1,008) of U.S. residents—on maps of recorded event impacts. We find that reported experiences correspond well with recorded event impacts, particularly for hurricanes and tornadoes. Reported experiences were related to event type, proximity, magnitude and duration. The results suggest locations where disaster preparedness efforts and climate change education campaigns could be most effective after an extreme weather event.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment and Society, Quinney College of Natural Resources, Utah State University, 5215 Old Main Hill, Logan, 84322, UT, USA

    Peter D. Howe

  2. Department of Sociology, School of Public Policy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA

    Hilary Boudet

  3. School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA

    Anthony Leiserowitz

  4. Center for Climate Change Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA

    Edward W. Maibach

Authors
  1. Peter D. Howe
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  2. Hilary Boudet
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  3. Anthony Leiserowitz
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  4. Edward W. Maibach
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Correspondence to Peter D. Howe.

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Howe, P.D., Boudet, H., Leiserowitz, A. et al. Mapping the shadow of experience of extreme weather events. Climatic Change 127, 381–389 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1253-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-014-1253-6

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