In late September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene swept across the south-eastern United States.
In late September 2024, Tropical Storm Helene swept across the south-eastern United States. When the storm subsided a few days later, the destruction was extensive and more than 250 people had lost their lives. The event occurred just five weeks before the US presidential election, prompting researchers to ask whether this type of extreme weather can influence public attitudes towards climate change and support for environmental policy.
To be able to assess cause and effect, the researchers conducted a two-wave study. The first wave took place one month before the hurricane, when 1,155 Americans responded to a survey. The second wave was conducted immediately after the hurricane, when the same participants answered the same questions again. The survey asked about voting intentions in the upcoming election, views on climate change, and concerns about extreme weather. Some participants lived in areas affected by the hurricane, while others lived in regions that were not affected.
“The results show that the hurricane did not change people’s views on climate change. Concerns about extreme weather were also unaffected, and there was no increase in the number of people planning to vote for politicians in favor of stricter climate policies. The findings relate to group-level effects of this specific hurricane and do not necessarily apply to individuals or other extreme weather events,” says Magnus Bergquist, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Gothenburg.
Read more at: University of Gothenburg
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