Most Americans who have faced extreme weather see a link to climate change – Republicans included

Extreme weather events have affected many parts of the United States, and most Americans who have experienced one in the past year see at least some link to climate change, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. That includes majorities in both political parties, though Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say climate change contributed a lot to these events.

Overall, around four-in-ten Americans say their local community has experienced severe weather like floods and intense storms (43%) or long periods of unusually hot weather (42%) in the past year, according to the May survey of 10,282 U.S. adults. Smaller shares say their community has experienced droughts or water shortages (31%), major wildfires (21%) or rising sea levels that erode beaches and shorelines (16%). The survey was conducted before recent flooding that killed at least three dozen people in Kentucky and before the outbreak of a major wildfire in California.