Effects of global warming on North Carolina

In this paper, we identified the following potential physical impacts of climate change on North Carolina (NC): a.) An increase in sea level would have a significant negative effect on the NC coastal region leading to flooding,erosion and increased salinity; b) Potential increases in intensity and/or frequency of Atlantic hurricanes will have direct, negative impacts on NC’s coastal plain;stronger hurricanes will extend their reach to the Piedmont and mountains leading to heavy rainfall, possible flooding, and landslides in the mountains;c.) The temperature increase in NC is likely to be uneven due to the state’s complicated physical geography and influences from atmospheric motion and processes in nearby states; d.) Other effects of rising temperatures are heat waves during the summer months, which will have significant impact on agriculture, health,and air quality. The impact of global warming on NC cannot be ignored or overestimated.For example, projections for Atlantic hurricanes are highly uncertain, and could therefore be easily under/over-estimated.More research is needed to improve the weather and climate models, computing facilities, and observations,so that effects of global warming on the weather in North Carolina, with its distinct geographical areas, can be identified and more precisely predicted. Recommendations for concrete actions are given.