5.7 million in LA County ‘highly exposed’ to severe climate impacts, study finds
More than half of Los Angeles County residents — about 5.7 million people — live in communities deemed “highly exposed” to severe climate impacts now and through 2050, according to a study released today by the county’s Chief Sustainability Office.
Impending dangers include extreme heat, wildfire, inland flooding, extreme precipitation, coastal flooding and drought, according to the LA County Climate Vulnerability Assessment.
The 141-page document found that an estimated 56% of county residents are vulnerable to such present-day and projected changes in exposure by 2050. In addition, the report found that low-income neighborhoods and communities of color face “a disproportionate amount of climate vulnerability as well as limited capacity to withstand and weather future threats.”