Photo: Mario Tama/Getty
Newly released climate data suggests a quarter of the United States' land could experience temperatures exceeding 125 degrees Fahrenheit in just 30 years.
These counties are currently home to 107.6 million Americans who, according to data from theU.S. Census Bureau, make up about a third of the country’s population.
The foundation is also warning of what it calls an “extreme heat belt,” which would stretch from the Northern Texas and Louisiana borders to Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin.
A map showing areas at risk.First Street Foundation
Next year, 50 counties in the United States are expected to experience temperatures above 125 degrees Fahrenheit, the foundation said. More than 8 million residents currently live in those areas.
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Counties in Texas, California, Arizona and Florida are expected to see the largest number of dangerously hot days, per the article.
Some southern states could see more than 70 straight days of a heat index over 100 degrees,The Washington Postreported.
David McNew/Getty
Heat indixes between 103 and 124 degrees are considered dangerous, and can lead to heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke “with prolonged exposure” to the conditions, according to theNational Weather Service.
Heat stroke is “highly likely” if the heat index reaches 125 degrees or above.
First Street Foundation is a nonprofit “research and technology group working to define America’s growing climate risk,” they say.
The foundation’s website says the group is comprised of “cutting-edge scientists, technologists, and communicators.”
source: people.com
