There are many views on climate change, which vary in different political parties, generations, and religions. But despite what some may say, climate change is happening, and is advancing quickly. When climate change is discussed, one may think of carbon emissions and melting ice caps, but there are many factors that are affected by climate change. In this article, the trends in 2024 are observed.

 

2024 was the warmest year on record. Looking at statistics from the United States, the average annual temperature was 3.5℉  higher than previous years. Seventeen states had their highest temperatures on record. 

​

Annual precipitation in the United States reached 31.58 inches, which was also above average. While many may think that climate change is simply an increase in temperature, climate change “refers to significant changes in global temperature, precipitation, wind patterns, and other measures of climate,” according to the University of California: Davis. The increase in rainfall is due to climate change and may create flooding and destruction of land as climate change becomes more severe. 

 

The National Centers for Environmental Information reported 61,685 wildfires burned in the United States in 2024, with 8,851,142 acres destroyed. This surpassed the average acreage in the United States by 1,850,628.45 acres. 

 

Destruction of land in 2024 was not limited to wildfires or increased rainfall: 2024 placed second for the largest amount of tornadoes in the United States, with only 2004 surpassing it. Chow and Prociv note that this included at least 1,735 confirmed tornadoes, and when looking at the intensity of the tornadoes, 2024 was the most active season after 2011, killing at least 52 people.

 

According to the page,  Atlantic hurricane season, 2024 featured 18 named storms, 11 hurricanes, and 5 major hurricanes that reached the United States. Featuring multiple Category 5 hurricanes, the major hurricanes were record-breaking: Hurricane Beryl was the fastest-forming Category 4 and Category 5 hurricane on record, and was also the strongest June and July hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin; Hurricane Helene was the costliest event in 2024, with an estimated total cost of $78.8 billion, and 219 fatalities; and in early October, Hurricanes Leslie, Milton, and Kirk were simultaneously active, which was the first occurrence of such a situation on record. 2024 was the third costliest hurricane season on record, amounting to $128.072 billion.

 

The Climate Extremes Index (USCEI) is a tool used to quantify the extent of climate variability throughout a year. In 2024, the USCEI rating more than doubled the average ranking, making it the highest on record. One may wonder what this entails for the future and how they can help on an individual level. Combating climate change may seem like a daunting task, but individuals can help by speaking up and educating others, reducing energy waste, reduce water waste, only buy what is needed, buy better light bulbs and make sure fully-charged devices are not plugged in, drive a fuel-efficient car, and “reduce, reuse, recycle”. 

 

References

Bateman, J. (2025, January 10). 2024 was nation’s warmest year on record. Noaa.gov. https://www.noaa.gov/news/2024-was-nations-warmest-year-on-record

Chow, D., & Prociv, K. (2024, December 28). How 2024 became such an exceptional year for tornadoes. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/2024-tornado-outbreaks-activity-high-rcna185446

Denchak, M. (2023, August 7). How You Can Stop Global Warming. NRDC. https://www.nrdc.org/stories/how-you-can-stop-global-warming

Marlon, J., Neyens, L., Everett-Lane, B., Rosenthal, S. A., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2022, June 22). How Do Climate Change Views Differ by Generation? Generations.asaging.org. https://generations.asaging.org/how-do-climate-change-views-differ-generation

NCEI.Monitoring.Info@noaa.gov. (2024). Annual 2024 Wildfires Report | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Noaa.gov. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/monitoring/monthly-report/fire/202413

UC Davis. (2021, August 16). Climate Change Terms and Definitions. UC Davis. https://www.ucdavis.edu/climate/definitions

Wikipedia. (2024, April 10). 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Atlantic_hurricane_season