Hitting close to home Global warming is fueling extreme across the U.S.

Every year, weather-related injure or kill hundreds of Americans and cause billions of dollars in damage. Many of the risks posed by will likely increase in a warming world. Scientists have already noted increases in extreme and heat waves as global warming raises temperatures and exacerbates weather extremes.

Weather-related disasters affect millions in New Jersey • Every New Jersey citizen lives in a county that was affected by at least one federally-declared weather since 2010. • New Jersey experienced nine weather-related disasters, including severe , , tropical storms, and ice storms, and since September 2010. New online map shows personal stories of extreme weather Environment New Jersey’s new interactive extreme weather map shows weather-related disasters in the United States over the last five years and tells the stories of the people and communities who have endured some of those disasters. Map visitors can focus in on specific types of weather and even add their own stories of how extreme weather has affected their lives. Extreme weather causes New Jersey must cut global widespread destruction warming pollution • In February 2015 a large and associated cold To protect our children and our communities from a wave impacted many central, eastern and northeastern future of worsening extreme weather, New Jersey, its cities, states, including New Jersey. The storm and cold wave and the nation should limit global warming pollution to caused at least 30 deaths and the total estimated costs were levels consistent with the Agreement. The over $1 billion in the affected region. state has a target of reducing pollution 80 percent below 2006 levels by 2050, but must do much more to get there. • In October 2012 caused extensive damage Essential steps include: across New Jersey due to high wind and a coastal . Hurricane Sandy caused at least 159 deaths and • Support the Clean Power Plan. New Jersey should the total estimated costs were $67.6 billion in the affected drop its legal challenge to the Clean Power Plan, the regions. largest single step that the United States has taken to reduce dangerous carbon pollution from power plants. • In September 2011 Tropical Storm Lee resulted in record flooding in the northeast, including New Jersey, and caused • Rejoin the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, an at least 21 deaths. The total estimated costs of Tropical important power plant cleanup program that Governor Storm Lee were $2.7 billion. Christie withdrew from in 2011. • Since 2010, extreme weather events have caused at least18 • Maximize energy efficiency. New Jersey and its cities power outages in New Jersey, including one outage that should expand energy efficiency programs and adopt lasted 10 days in 2011. net-zero energy building codes and retrofit standards. • Shift to 100 percent clean power. Meeting our climate goals will require accelerating deployment of clean, Weather extremes are becoming renewable energy sources such as solar and offshore more common wind power. The state should increase its clean energy standard at extend it beyond 2020. • Globally, 2015 was Earth’s hottest year on record, surpassing 2014. Many types of extreme weather are • Use clean energy for transportation and heating. expected to become more frequent or severe in a warming New Jersey should shift energy for transportation and world, which could lead to more weather-related disasters. heating away from fossil and toward electricity or other forms of clean energy. • Tropical Storms and Hurricanes: Global warming has the potential to make tropical storms more destructive. • Keep dirty fuels in the ground. To protect the Hurricanes and other coastal storms are likely to be more global climate and our health, the nation must cease powerful and rainier, while storm surges could be more construction of any new fossil infrastructure and destructive as sea levels rise. leave our coal, oil and gas reserves in the ground. • Heavy and Snow: Extreme precipitation is already increasing; continued trends could increase the risk of intense downpours, heavy snowstorms and severe flooding.

For more information and the full report, please visit www.EnvironmentNewJersey.org/ExtremeWeather Photos credits: Front — Leonard Zhukovsky/Bigstock; Back — zstock/Shutterstock