Background
The North Carolina Healthy and Resilient Communities Initiative (NC HRCI) supports state-wide, local multi-sector coalitions in North Carolina who are working to address adversity and trauma at multiple levels (individual, organizational, and community) and who are working to build resilient and healthy communities by increasing protective factors and positive childhood experiences. NC HRCI uses the 4 Realms of ACEs framework to define adversity; this case study will focus on the initiatives addressing the third realm, “Adverse Climate Events.”
Climate Change Impact
North Carolina (NC), located in the southeast region of the United States (U.S.), is experiencing dramatic changes to its regular climate. According to the NC State Climate Office and the U.S. National Center for Environmental Information (NCEI), NC has experienced the following:
- A 2023 average temperature of 60.7°F/15.9°C, ranking it as the 7th-warmest year since 1895Ten hurricanes in the past 10 yearsTwo tropical storms and 21 tornadoes in 2023Drought, specifically in western NC, which led to low lake levels and an active autumn fire season.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2016, the majority of North Carolina has experienced a temperature increase of between half to one degree Fahrenheit, and sea levels are rising at a rate of approximately one inch per decade over the past century. This rising water is causing erosion of beaches, submersion of low-lying areas, heightened coastal flooding, and elevated salinity in estuaries and aquifers (EPA, 2016).
Climate-Related Mental Health Impacts in North Carolina
These unusual climate patterns, such as warmer winters or hotter summers, have notable impacts on mental health, as discussed in the North Carolina State Climate Blog, including:
- Drought conditions contribute to water scarcity, leading to stress and anxiety over water availability for agriculture, households, and industries (SAMHSA, 2023).High temperatures are linked to heightened irritability and symptoms of depression, as well as an elevated risk of suicide. The extreme heat can influence behavior, leading to a rise in aggression, higher occurrences of domestic violence, and increased substance use (APA, 2024).Hurricanes, which pose a risk of loss of life and disruption to transportation and communication services, and enabling isolative environments, have the potential to result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and heightened levels of anxiety and depression (Raker et al., 2019).