This week, the nation is getting a jarring reminder that extreme weather can imperil the infrastructure that provides our basic needs. In California, a record-shattering heat wave is pushing the power grid to its limit. In Jackson, Miss., more than 150,000 people are still suffering from the impacts of torrential rainfall that left most of the city without running water. Climate change is worsening such disasters, threatening basic necessities many take for granted. Heat waves are fueled by increasing temperatures, warmer oceans and drier soils — and when they hit, the grid struggles to keep up. The link between a warming planet and flooding is more complex, but scientists say it's clear that as sea levels rise, flooding will increasingly threaten vulnerable infrastructure. Flash floods, which are unexpected and particularly destructive, will also get shorter but bigger, as warmer temperatures cause evaporation that increases moisture in the atmosphere. Those with the fewest resources are hit the hardest. Today, California is bracing for potential rolling blackouts, as temperatures smash previously held records (Sacramento, for example, could hit an all-time high of 115 degrees Fahrenheit). The need for cooling sends energy demand soaring beyond what the state's grid can handle, a problem that has triggered repeated calls for residents to keep their thermostats at or above a balmy 78 degrees. At least 1,300 people die a year in the U.S. due to extreme heat — the largest weather-related killer in the country — though research suggests those numbers are likely undercounted. In addition to directly causing dehydration or heat stroke, extreme heat can also exacerbate underlying health problems, further imperiling the most vulnerable. People without access to consistent housing or air conditioning are also disproportionately affected. In Jackson, water pressure has been restored after heavy rains and flooding hit an already-damaged water treatment plant, leaving residents without enough water to brush their teeth or flush the toilet for days. Residents remain under a boil-water advisory, and officials are not sure when the water will be safe to drink. The crisis comes after years of neglect and deferred maintenance of large water systems in Black and low-income communities, a predicament all too familiar for many across the United States, writes reporter Hannah Northey. President Joe Biden has pledged to funnel money into cities like Jackson that have faced decades of disproportionate pollution and inequity. But residents and advocates say Democratic-controlled Jackson is merely the latest majority-Black city struggling to secure its fair share of spending in Republican-dominated states, writes reporter Zack Colman.
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