ECONEWS REPORT: Is Humboldt a ‘climate refuge?’

People often say that Humboldt County is a climate refuge. But what does that mean? And after hurricanes Helene and Milton hit the Southeast, including communities like Asheville, North Carolina, which was also described as a climate refuge. — What is still safe in the era of climate-driven megastorms?

Fortunately, we have Michael Furniss, adjunct professor at CalPoly Humboldt, and Troy Nicolini, meteorologist in charge of the U.S. National Weather Service, Eureka, on the show to discuss what is known about how climate change may affect the county of Humboldt. The good news: We’re fortunate to have a very stable climate, even in the face of climate change, and that’s not likely to change much. The Pacific will likely continue to act as our natural air conditioner. The bad news: Warmer temperatures elsewhere will increase moisture in the air and energy in storms, leading to bigger, more unpredictable weather. (But nothing like Hurricanes Helene or Milton).

If we are likely to have a desirable climate in the future, what does that mean for future development plans? We’ll save that for a future episode.

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