All racial and ethnic minority groups face significantly higher risks of serious health problems from extreme weather events compared to non-Hispanic White Americans, with Indigenous populations bearing the heaviest burden, according to research published in The Journal of Climate Change and Health.
A nationally representative study of 2,646 U.S. adults examined health impacts from extreme weather events experienced during a five-year period ending in 2022. Researchers found that roughly 80 percent of respondents encountered at least one extreme weather event, including heat waves, severe storms, flooding, or wildfires.
Indigenous people faced nearly five times the odds of experiencing serious household physical health problems due to extreme weather compared to non-Hispanic Whites, even after adjusting for income, education, and geographic location. This population also showed significantly elevated risks for mental health problems related to these events, with odds more than 2.5 times higher than White Americans.
Hispanic, Black, and Asian populations all demonstrated substantially increased risks across multiple health categories. These included serious health problems from inadequate air conditioning during heat waves, poor water quality or water shortages, lack of adequate heating during cold weather, and exposure to smoke or poor air quality.
Approximately 26 percent of all respondents reported that household members experienced serious physical or mental health problems caused by environmental consequences of extreme weather events. The disparities persisted even when researchers controlled for regional differences and socioeconomic factors, suggesting that structural barriers beyond geography and income contribute to these inequities.
The findings underscore how climate change disproportionately threatens already marginalized communities through cascading health impacts.
See: “Racial and ethnic health inequities caused by extreme U.S. weather events: A nationally representative study” (September 8, 2025)Â
