We won’t judge.
#1
Well, this probably doesn't apply to me, because I ABSOLUTELY believe in climate change. I just wish forecasts could be better, but again, I understand why they're not. It's just extra stressful for me, and I hate it.
I live in a valley, in NE Ohio. I'm close to Lake Erie, but south of the snow belt and north of the thunderstorm/ice belt, by the PA border.
Last winter was... I don't even know what. I never had to shovel even ONCE last winter. Accumulation was nothing higher than 2" (5 cm) and it was settled/melted by afternoon. Never even had to put out salt!
I can't remember the last time a winter was like that.. but during the Christmas holiday it got.... bad. Bad, bad, bad. The 23rd through the 27th, we got hit with a major arctic vortex that just... sat, over top of us. Temps were around 0 F (-18 C) but with the wind chill... jesus. Wind speeds were constantly 40 - 60 mph so the wind chill dropped to -25 to -35 F (-32 to -37 C).
The last time I remember that hitting so hard, was around New Years, 2017 into 2018. It was scary because the power kept flickering, going out then coming back. It messed up my furnace. I had to reset the breaker.
A fire broke out at the bar across the street from me, the fire crews were struggling because hydrants were frozen, or when they got them working, the weather turned it all to ice so they're slipping and sliding EVERYWHERE.
Polar vortexes in my area have gotten worse. WINDS have gotten worse. SO many high wind days, it's nuts. Winds meaning, sustained winds 40 - 70 mph.
We're officially into summer now, but that's all messed up. Late May, out temps shot up to upper 80s-90's F (31 - 35 C) and put us into a 3 week drought. Then it all... crashed, hard and fast, with a low system. Temps down to the low 60's (16 - 21 C) with constant rain 24/7 and thunderstorms.
It just makes me... anxious. My house is OLD, 110 years old. I know we're heading from El Nina into an El Nino, which for my area means drier conditions even into winter. I just... I hate it. It makes me nervous.
In June, 2019, I had a tornado almost drop on top of my house. It was an E1 or 2, and it ended up touching down in the middle of the street between 4 houses (2 on each side of the road) and THAT was nuts. NEVER happened before. It lasted about 1 min and never moved, it ripped the shingles off the houses on the opposite side of the street, threw around.... everything.
Of course, only AFTER it dissipated did I get a tornado warning on my phone. A huge limb came down and took out my power, my phone, my cable. I have 0 family left, so my grass guy came screaming into my driveway with his wife, both of them were frantic, but I was okay.
I don't care what ANYONE says, climate change is real, even if my little valley is largely protected from most stuff. The temps are hitting harder, the winds are ridiculous, the thunderstorms are hitting harder, the rain fall totals can be overwhelming. I won't lie, the little "pocket" I live in seems to survive a lot better than other places nearby but it's STILL noticeable, year after year.
We had so much rain the last 2 years, that I upgraded my home owners policy to include "rising water" - which would cover me from flood damage due to backed up sewer drains.
I dunno if there's anywhere better, in the long term. I just know it bugs me.
1point