Communicating Climate Change in Eastern North Carolina: Rural Attitudes on Extreme Weather and Climate Resilience

Abstract

Eastern North Carolina has historically experienced numerous hurricanes, however, Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Florence in 2018 heralded a new wave of climate-related extreme weather events. In partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund, this project aims to understand if and how the attitudes of residents of rural Eastern North Carolina have been influenced by extreme weather, changing weather patterns, and climate change following the double hits of Hurricanes Matthew and Florence. Through a series of semi-structured interviews throughout the Coastal Plain, this project found that while communities may be reticent to support climate mitigation policies, they were eager for solutions that would enable their communities to adapt to these climatic changes. This project provides insights into how to engage with these rural communities on the issue of climate change and extreme weather.