New Study Lists Philadelphia A Top 10 City To Be Most Affected By Climate Change
By Geoff Bansen
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Climate change has been and continues to be a hot topic these days, no pun intended.
Whether or not you believe in it, there has been mounting scientific evidence that points to it's existence. With ongoing speculation so rampant these days, Weather.com has released a list of the top 25 U.S. cities that are most likely to be affected by climate change.
A number of factors were considered in the making of this list, including sea level rise, precipitation/drought extremes, and temperature changes. Philadelphia came in at number 10 on this list. Why so high you might ask? Well first and foremost, the city's proximity to the Atlantic Ocean makes it vulnerable not only to sea-level rise, but Hurricanes impacts as well. Then there is the surplus of rivers, creeks, and streams that wind their way through the Delaware Valley, meaning extreme rainfall would put the city and surrounding areas at high risk for flooding. Couple in droughts and extreme heat to the equation, and you can start to see why the City of Brotherly Love ranked as high as it did.
Philadelphia is a very eclectic city in terms of the type of weather it experiences. Not many places can claim to see blizzards, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and large temperatures extremities all in the same calendar year.
