- NC's cost for Hurricane Helene damage is nearly $60 billion, state says
- State to develop drone program to better respond to disasters like Helene, Florence
- South Carolina residents face deadline to get storm debris out to the curb after Hurricane Helene
- SCDOT to pick up Hurricane Helene debris for a final day in South Carolina
- Hurricane Helene destroyed this county's only hospital. Now, an urgent care facility is caring for the community.
Researchers say wildfires in NC will likely only get worse. Here's why
As droughts become more severe and more frequent, it could mean more wildfires in the mountains.
Let’s connect the dots.
Climate change could be making wildfires larger and stronger. Researchers at NC State University found the more extreme and frequent droughts in the Carolinas will increase how much of the forest will burn by 2100.
Researchers said anywhere between 230 to 3,100 square miles of forest could burn every decade for the next 80 years.
It’s not just forests that will take a hit.
Researchers also found climate warming would increase upward of 13 degrees, based on the greenhouse gas emissions released in the fires.
Researchers say the goal isn’t to scare people. They want to use the information to create plans for development, and inform firefighters and forest management of future trends.
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