Racial-Ethnic and Regional Disparities in Climate Event Exposures in a National United States Sample

Within the U.S., there are racial–ethnic and regional disparities in climate event experiences. For example, the West region has experienced increased frequencies of wildfires, whereas minoritized racial–ethnic groups have experienced more climate events. There is limited research investigating the intersection between race–ethnicity and region in relation to multiple climate events, particularly with a national U.S. sample. We aimed to examine regional (Northeast, Midwest, South, and West) differences in five climate event exposures (wildfire, drought, sea level rise, severe weather, and heat wave), and assess whether race–ethnicity (White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian) moderates this relationship. Our study utilized the 2022 American Trends Panel data, a nationally representative sample of 9799 U.S. adults. Regional and climate associations were analyzed using chi-square tests, while moderation was tested using interactions between race–ethnicity and region in separate logistic regression models that adjusted for sociodemographic factors. We found elevated frequencies of wildfires, drought, and heat waves in the West, sea level rise in all coastal regions except the inland Midwest, and severe weather in the South. Within the Northeast, Black adults were less exposed to sea level rise, while Asian adults were less exposed to wildfires and sea level rise. Within the Midwest, Black adults were less exposed to drought. Within the South, Hispanic adults were more exposed to drought. These findings provide insights into tailoring emergency preparedness efforts by region and prompt further investigation into reasons why some racial–ethnic groups are less likely to experience certain climate events.