Back in 2005, Slate published a personal interest article, Where to hide from Mother Nature, which evaluated where the best place in the United States to hide from natural disasters was. Using a self-admitted non-scientific method, the author zeroed in on a little place in northeastern Connecticut called Storrs as the safest place to live away from earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, volcanoes, etc. To those unaware, Storrs is not actually a town — it is a one square mile zip code that houses the University of Connecticut and literally nothing else. As an Environmental Engineering major at the University of Connecticut, this article was of particular interest to me. The purpose of this blog post is not to debate the merits and methodology of the Slate article, but rather to discuss how climate change impacts the decisions I make for the future.

When you mention statewide natural disaster among Connecticut residents, the consensus topic of conversation is Hurricane Sandy, known to some as Superstorm Sandy. Sticking true to the article, UConn-Storrs Campus faired well during the storm. We have our own natural-gas power and water treatment plants on campus, both of which kept functioning during Hurricane Sandy. The Dining Halls and other essential services kept running, as there were thousands of students on campus during both hurricanes.

Others were not so fortunate.

Less than 70 miles from Storrs, the Connecticut shoreline got hammered by Hurricane Sandy. Up and down the shoreline, houses and businesses were destroyed, roads washed away, boats shattered. In total, it was estimated that the storm caused $50 billion in damages across the entire Northeast. Unsurprisingly, we later learned that that manmade climate change contributed to the size and severity of Hurricane Sandy. Essentially, the paper found that anthropogenic climate change is pushing extreme weather to be more extreme.

To me, this is terrifying. The rate of acceleration of climate change over the past decade has been staggering. Last year was the warmest recorded year ever on record. According to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the average global temperature was 1.62°F above 20th century average. That reference point is the time period before the post World War II industrialization period where humans started to pump enormous amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere. Even worse, this year is poised to break that record. As I begin to plan for the long-term future, I must factor in climate change.

The major climate related decision that comes to mind is where I am going to live and work. There are quite a few major cities across the United States that are extremely vulnerable to both acute and chronic climate disasters, which deter me from settling down there for the long term. Immediately a few major US cities come to mind: New Orleans, Miami, and Houston. Each city has a history of climate disasters and are vulnerable to epic climate damage in the future.

New Orleans literally sits below sea level and the only thing protecting it from another Katrina are levees which are still considered inadequate to protect the city from the next Katrina. Miami is slowly sinking into the ocean and the Governor of Florida refuses to even acknowledge that climate change exists. In fact, he has placed a gag order on state environmental employees from using the phrase “climate change” in official communication. So while the local Miami government is working to create a long term plan to combat the rising sea levels, their state government literally denies climate change exists. Houston just experienced historic flooding that cut power to thousands and decimated neighborhoods.

My no-go zones are not just limited to major cities — they include entire areas. I am opposed to living practically anywhere near the Gulf Coast. That includes southeastern Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. While this may seem like an extreme overreaction, I believe it’s a part of planning for my future and the havoc climate change will bring upon the Gulf Coast of the United States. For those interested, here is a Top 25 list of U.S. Cities Most Affected by Climate Change, by Weather.com.

I have read too many stories about families in the region losing everything they own to hurricanes, flooding, or tornadoes. Their lives are completely upended for months and sometimes years. One week they are engaged in the routine of daily life, the next they are living in a FEMA camp. I feel for them and I hope future generations do not have to suffer like those before them did. But I know this will not be the case. The extreme weather events in regions such as the Gulf Coast will become worse and the human suffering will continue.

I do not want to become a victim of a climate disaster and will do everything I can to minimize my risk. I acknowledge there will always be extreme acts of mother nature wherever I decide to settle down. But, I want to do what I can to avoid high risk areas.

The climate in Connecticut has been kind to me and my family. While we have experienced the typical blackout during the winter, the worst damage we have incurred is a fallen tree branch that sheared the power line off our house. Most parts of Connecticut carry minimal climate risk today and hopefully moving forward. The best rule to minimize the risk of climate disaster in Connecticut is to avoid living near rivers, streams, lakes, and the Sound.

I just finished my third semester at the University of Connecticut so I have a while to go before I start applying for a permanent job that could take me far away from home. When I graduate in 2019, anthropogenic climate change will likely have continued to worsen at a rapid pace and increase disturbance of weather patterns across the United States. While it does feel like ages away, it is important to begin setting myself up for long term security and stability. Hopefully it pays off.