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: