Authors

  1. Szulecki, Diane Associate Editor

Article Content

On this month's cover, a young boy witnesses the aftermath of severe flash flooding in Clendenin, West Virginia. His grandmother's home was among many thousands destroyed by the June 2016 extreme weather event, which killed at least 25 people.

  
Figure. On this mont... - Click to enlarge in new window On this month's cover, a young boy witnesses the aftermath of severe flash flooding in Clendenin, West Virginia. Photo (C) Nick Scott.

At the moment this photo was taken by a passerby, the boy's family members were combing through their possessions and trying to salvage what they could. The passerby, Nick Scott, posted the photo on Facebook; it ended up being shared more than 4,600 times and generated an outpouring of donations and support for the boy's family.

 

The deadly flash flooding was triggered by a storm system that dumped eight to 10 inches of rain over parts of West Virginia in just six to eight hours. A 2014 report from the National Climate Assessment, which evaluates current and future impacts of climate change on the United States, has identified a concerning trend: the Northeast region of the country-including West Virginia-has seen more than a 70% increase in the amount of precipitation falling in "very heavy events" between 1958 and 2012. The catalyst for climate change, global warming, is associated with stronger and more frequent precipitation events, because warmer air holds more water.

 

Much has been written about the physical impacts of climate change, but less attention has been paid to its effects on mental health and well-being. These effects, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, which result from experiencing natural disasters or being affected by other climate-related issues like food insecurity and displacement, present a growing public health problem. For an in-depth look at the emotional health risks associated with climate change, see "Climate Change and Mental Health" in this issue.-Diane Szulecki, associate editor