A historic March heat wave in the Southwest that drove record-breaking triple-digit temperatures in Phoenix. An unprecedented, weeklong spring tornado outbreak—more than 30 twisters—in Illinois. Major wildfires burning over 1 million acres in Nebraska, Kansas, and Oklahoma. A powerful nor’easter that dumped nearly 3 feet of snow from Virginia to New York. These are just a few of the biggest weather headlines of 2026—and we’re not even halfway through.
It’s clear that climate change is making extreme weather even worse. And by now, nearly all of us have been affected. A new interactive map from the Environmental Defense Fund marries our experiences with data, bringing the extent of the crisis and its widespread impacts into stark relief.
This map comes at a pivotal moment. Earlier this year, the Trump administration repealed the Endangerment Finding, the legal and scientific foundation of EPA’s ability to regulate planet-warming greenhouse gas pollution. Alongside this repeal, they also rolled back vehicle pollution standards—transportation being the biggest source of climate pollution in the U.S. Together, these two moves will increase climate pollution and all its harms, from more disease and higher insurance premiums to less habitable cities. The map will track related changes.
Tell Congress: Hold Zeldin Accountable for Corrupting EPA’s Mission
Here are four takeaways from EDF’s new map about the real-life stakes of this administration’s massive deregulatory agenda:
1. Climate-fueled heat is harming our health.
Greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide and methane, trap heat in our atmosphere like a blanket. Thanks to increased climate pollution from industrial and agricultural activities, the atmosphere now traps too much heat and our planet cannot properly cool off. That means temperatures are rising rapidly all over the world.
While the extent of temperature increases varies based on region, EDF’s map shows that every county in the lower 48 has increased in median temperature since 1901, when temperatures were first recorded. Heat is the leading cause of weather-related deaths worldwide. But it’s not only deadly; extreme heat also triggers heat-related illnesses and makes existing health problems worse. Heat can also make air pollution worse, combining with chemicals in the air to create the potent lung irritant ozone, or smog. And extreme heat is interrupting how we live, shifting when it’s safe to work and play outside and requiring families to take precautions, like protecting kids from scorching playground equipment.
2. Significant drops in snowpack are altering our water cycle.
Snowpack, or the amount of snow that accumulates any given winter, is essential for millions in the American West, who depend on it for drinking water, irrigation, and electricity production—not to mention to keep local tourism industries afloat. But snowpack has decreased as temperatures have risen in the last decades. According to the new map, several localities have seen up to an 80% drop. This means more severe water stress in states from Montana to California, which can lead to drinking water scarcity, drought-fueled wildfires and poor air quality, food insecurity from lack of irrigation, and increases in water-, food-, and vector-borne diseases as people forgo washing with water and soap.
3. Climate disasters are costing us billions.
In 2024, the U.S. saw 27 major weather disasters—including severe storms, cyclones, flooding, drought, and wildfire—that cost us a total of $190 billion. Scientists expect more of the same this year thanks to an anticipated El Niño climate pattern.
Research has shown that over half of global damages from extreme weather in the last 20 years are because of climate change. Increases in population and expanded development are also factors. As the new map shows, more people in the U.S. are experiencing the very real costs of weather disasters each year—from rebuilding after major damage, to replacing lost assets, to losing income from shutting down businesses or missing work.
4. Home insurance premiums are skyrocketing.
As storms, floods, and wildfires are becoming more frequent and severe, homes, businesses, and entire communities are at risk of major damage. This means higher insurance premiums, especially in extreme weather hot spots like Florida and Louisiana, but also, as the map shows, across the U.S. It also makes it harder to find insurance coverage at all.
It’s not just extreme weather that’s driving up costs. Over the last decades, the U.S. has seen a surge of development in disaster-prone areas more likely to experience hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, wildfires, and tornadoes. More than half of buildings are in these areas. Insurance companies are not just raising premiums in riskier communities; they are also limiting coverage options there. Higher premiums and worse coverage means a growing insurance protection gap, especially among low-income homeowners, leaving more families burdened with the major expense of rebuilding after disasters.
Tell Congress: Hold Zeldin Accountable for Corrupting EPA’s Mission