The unprecedented is quickly becoming precedented.
Climate change is well on its way to creating an unprecedented housing and refugee crisis. The devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, as well as this year’s fires in Los Angeles, California, have both upended and taken the lives of many. Entire homes and neighborhoods have been washed away or burned to the ground, instantly displacing people en masse.
These natural disasters have been undeniable tragedies. But they also serve as a warning. Climate change, and the natural disasters that come with it, are bringing about extraordinary crises. As an organization focused on addressing housing and food insecurity, we are deeply concerned by the unique threat that climate change brings to the systemic issues we tackle. According to the annual Greenhouse Gas Bulletin published by the World Meteorologist Organization on Oct. 28, greenhouse gas emissions reached new records in 2023, and we are off track to meet the carbon goals of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, which aimed to limit warming to 1.5°C globally. In 2024, the planet already reached 1.5°C of warming above pre-industrial levels, and have not reached net zero carbon emissions. Every .01° more of warming will have worse and worse environmental consequences, causing sea levels to rise, extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and more extreme weather events, like Hurricane Helene.
These effects mean that more and more geographical locations will be impacted by climate change. Rising sea levels, wildfires, and extreme weather events are already affecting millions, and millions more will lose their homes, becoming climate refugees. Rising rates of displacement are inevitable. Furthermore, agriculture is highly dependent on a stable climate, meaning that our food systems as we know them today are at risk of falling apart. Housing and food insecurity are already enormous, complex issues that are difficult to solve. Climate change will only exacerbate that fact, and we must prepare for the scenarios that may be around corner.
These tragedies generate a need for long-term shelter for thousands of people. Temporary shelters are opening in school gyms, churches, and other available buildings in addition to preexisting shelters. In cases like the fires in Los Angeles, new fires popping up due to high winds and flying embers caused evacuation orders to be constantly changing, and limited time to pack up sentimental or necessary items. Evacuating from a natural disaster is traumatic, costly, and extremely difficult for those without access to a vehicle. Many who evacuate return to their homes turned to ash and debris, with personal belongings lost to the elements.
Unhoused members of our communities are in a particularly unique position when it comes to climate change. They are experiencing firsthand the dangerously extreme temperatures, accessing cooling centers in the summer and warming centers in the winter. When wildfires burn and violently pollute their air, those without a home to escape to will bear the brunt of its impacts. Oregon’s summers have already gotten hotter this century, and that trend is only expected to continue; drier summers means an increased wildfire risk, posing a unique threat to both Oregon’s housed and unhoused populations alike.
What these natural disasters demonstrate is that we need to invest in our future and our communities. Disasters can happen anywhere, as evidenced by Hurricane Helene – Western North Carolina is not coastal and is not typically affected by hurricanes, yet it was devastated by the storm. Though we can’t fix climate change on our own, doing what you can, where you can, will be vital to addressing the ongoing threat of a climate crisis. The more people participate, the greater our change will be.
It is also vital that you and your loved ones are prepared for emergencies. Create an emergency plan with your household. Make sure you know what you would need to grab should you have to evacuate. Look into emergency preparedness resources to know what’s available to you. In Portland, you can become a Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) member, arming you with resources and knowledge on how to prepare for emergencies and help your neighbors. Though climate change is a global issue, there are ways that we can prepare for and protect ourselves through an uncertain future.