There have been a lot of reports of late detailing the physical impacts from our changing climate. Sweltering summers, flooding, wildfires, droughts, torrential downpours, hurricanes… It seems like most of the United States (and the world) is facing a climate battle. But there are some cities in the United States which are marketing themselves as a refuge from the frontlines of the climate crisis. These so-called “climate haven cities” are launching campaigns to entice people to move there for a respite.
What is a climate haven?
A climate haven city will not be immune from the impacts of the climate crisis. Let’s face it, the whole planet is going to feel the effects of global warming. The idea is that a climate haven city will feel these impacts more moderately than others. Or as Stephen Vermette, Buffalo State University professor told BBC, “it’s not an oasis, it just sucks less.” And in a drastically changing world, sometimes sucking less feels like an oasis.
Where are climate havens?
Climate haven cities are mainly located in the midwest and along the northern border of the United States. They are places where the climate is more continental with lower temperature summers to counteract the insufferable heat we’re starting to experience more frequently.
These cities are normally inland and thus won’t be impacted directly from rising sea-levels and hotter oceans (e.g., more floods and intense hurricanes). These cities also are located around reliable sources of water (like the Great Lakes and tributary rivers) which will prevent extreme drought.
Can you give me an example?
Ever heard of Buffalo, New York? It’s located in the northern US bordering Canada and known for its intense winter weather. And let’s be clear – that isn’t changing. But starting in 2019, the city began championing itself as “climate haven” to lure the climate weary populations of the south to its city borders.
Buffalo officials are pitching the idea as such: “Sure, in January we might have an average temperature of 26 degrees Fahrenheit with an average snowfall of 26.8 inches – but our summers only average out to 90 degrees Fahrenheit at its hottest. For comparison, Phoenix, Arizona averages out about 115 degrees Fahrenheit for the same month. And we’re not nearly as humid as any of our southern counterparts.”
Other benefits Buffalo, NY is hyping as proof of its haven status include its location on the shores of Lake Erie. This provides the city with water security and a much smaller likelihood of intense droughts. Further, as the climate crisis warms the air and water temperatures in the region, climate analysis done by Buffalo State University found no evidence to anticipate increasing weather disasters which are facing much of the rest of the United States.
Buffalo isn’t alone in its marketing journey. The city is joined by other northern cities labelling themselves as climate havens – Duluth, Minnesota; Ann Arbor, Michigan; Madison, Wisconsin; and Burlington, Vermont are cities which have all embraced the self-imposed title.
Duluth, Minnesota even got its own New York Times article which showed that under high warming scenarios, by 2080 its climate would probably look like that of present dayToledo, Ohio which enjoys a summer heat maxing out in the mid-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
Are these cities really safe from the climate crisis?
No place is going to be safe from the climate crisis – it is a global event. The U.S. Government even puts out a report detailing the challenges each part of the country will face from climate change.
But some cities will feel the impacts less severely. One of the reasons climate havens have the opportunity to be a haven is that many of them are located in northern regions and thus have a fairly cold temperature baseline compared to the global south. Therefore, as temperatures rise around the globe, these cities feel that heat slightly less than others.
Another option being seen around America is the idea of a “climate-proof” town. These are towns which have embraced the fact that their existence will be continually challenged by the climate crisis and are planning resilience for future disasters. The city of Babcock Ranch in Florida has been planned to face intense hurricanes; Utah and Texas are building drought resilient communities; and wildfire proof towns are popping up in California. One way or another, it seems many cities across the United States are factoring in climate change as a way of life.
Should I move to a climate haven?
Moving is tough no matter when or why you do it. For that reason, most of us don’t want to bop around from place to place every few years – we like to settle down and build a community in one location. If you’re looking to move somewhere new in the near future, climate resilience of your new city should probably be a factor.
According to a new study, 30% of Americans agree and cite the climate crisis as a factor for moving. Some have moved to get ahead of the increasing inclement weather in a region (be it hurricanes or wildfires) and others have moved in search of better weather after their home was destroyed. In 2021, one in ten American homes were impacted by natural disasters.
However, there seems to be conflicting data. One of the fastest-growing cities in the United States is Phoenix, Arizona, despite an average temperature in July of 115 degrees Fahrenheit (yikes!).
In fact, domestic migration experts found that Americans seem to be fleeing cities exposed to hurricanes and other natural disasters and moving to cities with extreme heat waves, even though these cities are seeing an increase in heat-related illnesses and death.
Whether or not you decide to move to a climate haven will ultimately depend on your personal preferences and economic situation. But if you are considering a move, I’d certainly recommend factoring in the climate projections!
Be curious!
- Check out weather trends for prospective cities to which you might be thinking of moving.
- Explore how climate projections might impact your part of the world!
- If you are not planning to move and want to find ways to climate-proof your home, here are some suggestions.