Massachusetts, however, is not among them. Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states awarded a grade of “A” for its extreme weather preparedness efforts.
In addition to Massachusetts, states receiving high grades include California, Connecticut, New York and Pennsylvania.
States getting an overall “F” grade include Arkansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada and Texas.
According to the report, Massachusetts gets an “A” because it is among the leaders in preparing for all three climate threats: extreme heat, inland flooding and coastal flooding.
In preparing for future inland flooding risks, the state has “assessed its vulnerability to climate change-related flooding, developed an adaptation plan that covers inland flooding, and has begun to implement strategies to improve the state’s resilience,” the report states.
Massachusetts has also taken some of the strongest action to prepare for future coastal flooding risks, compared to other coastal states, including planning for sea level rise and implementing regulations that require climate change projections for coastal flooding be included in state programs and activities.
The report, “States at Risk: America’s Preparedness Report Card,” grades each of the 50 states based on the threats the state faces. Grades are based on both the magnitude of the current and future threats and the actions states have taken to prepare for them relative to other states.
This report card explores the preparedness actions that each of the 50 states are taking in relation to their current and future changes in climate threats. Sources: ICF, Climate Central, States at Risk Project.
The report was prepared by the States at Risk Project, a collaboration of ICF International, a Virginia management consulting firm, and Climate Central, a nonprofit news organization.
Other findings include:
- States are least prepared for extreme heat risk. All states in the continental U.S. face this threat, but only 14 percent are taking strong action to prepare.
- States are more prepared for coastal flooding than any other risk, but still only half of all coastal states are taking strong action to prepare for this risk.
- More than half of all states assessed have taken no action to plan for future climate-related inland flooding risks or taken action to address them.
According to the Taxpayers for Common Sense, since the 1980s, the annual number of disasters with a price tag exceeding $1 billion has nearly tripled, from less than three to more than eight a year.
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