NORTH CAROLINA -- After a year where severe weather rocked the Tar Heel state, a new climate report from the Trump administration offers more bad news: natural disasters are getting worse.

  • Specifically, the report details how sea level rise, extreme heat, and heavy precipitation will impact the southeast part of the country.
  • The report lists Raleigh as one of only “five large cities” nationwide that “have increasing trends exceeding the national average for all aspects of heat waves (timing, frequency, intensity, and duration).”
  • For a climate fix, experts say keep an eye on local and state governments.

Specifically, the report details how sea level rise, extreme heat, and heavy precipitation will impact the southeast part of the country. North Carolina is one of the states that could bear the brunt.

"Some of the effects of climate change are just going to be felt so much more intensely here," said Kate Konschnik, the Climate and Energy Director at Duke University’s Nicholas Institute for Environmental Policy Solutions.

The report lists Raleigh as one of only “five large cities” nationwide that “have increasing trends exceeding the national average for all aspects of heat waves (timing, frequency, intensity, and duration).”

Konschnik says from agriculture to coastal communities, the report shows North Carolina and its economy have plenty at stake.

Rising temperatures and drier summers could impact crops, the report says, cutting back on the productivity of a North Carolina staple: soybeans. They could also limit how much time farmers can work.

“The humans in those industries can’t withstand the heat as long and can’t be outdoors as many days of the year,” she said.

Agriculture is currently North Carolina’s biggest economic driver, worth about $84 billion each year.

Then there is the coast, another economic driver for the state. Those communities are already prone to flooding and could see more.

The report says globally, seas have already risen 3 inches since 1990, outpacing the rate of sea level rise in the century before.

“You’re looking at a lot of the Outer Banks at ground zero for what climate change could mean for North Carolina and our economy,” Konschnik said.

But despite the dire warning, will lawmakers in Washington do anything to combat the climate crisis? Lawmakers – even those from the same party – are divided on the report itself.

In reaction to the report, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, called for lawmakers to work together to find a solution to combat climate change. He tweeted that the report serves as a “glaring reminder of the long-term risks of climate change.”

However, the president threw water on the report’s findings, particularly when it comes to the projected economic impact. “No, I don’t believe it,” he said of a report that his own administration released.

For a climate fix, Konschnik says, do not necessarily look to the folks in Washington. Instead, she says, keep an eye on local and state governments.

“On the ground, when you talk to governors of all parties, when you talk to mayors of cities, when they see the impact of increased storm events, flooding, they really just want to come up with solutions,” Konschnik said.

However, any of those solutions need to come fast, experts say. Time is of the essence.

The full report can be found here. The section of the report focused on the southeastern United States can be found here.