Wildfires: Climate change has made Los Angeles hotter and drier, creating conditions that provoke wildfires. Human-made climate change increased the likelihood of wildfires by 35%.

• How Does This Impact Me? Wildfire smoke exacerbates the spread of unhealthy air, leaving lasting health impacts. 1⁄4 of all California residents live in high-risk fire zones, and over 200,000 individuals had to evacuate in January of 2025 while thousands of homes were destroyed.

Droughts: Climate change has intensified California’s continuous cycle of droughts due to limited water supplies from reservoirs that LA depends on.

• How Does This Impact Me? 90% of accessible water in LA is outside the region, indicating water is mostly imported elsewhere. This reduces water quality severely because long transport risks contamination and becomes less reliable in droughts.

Extreme heat: LA is predicted to triple in the number of heat days by 2053 to 31 days per year, while most cities only experience a few a year. LA expects to lose 1.3 million local residents due to deadly high temperatures by 2050.

• How Does This Impact Me? Extreme heat in California has hospitalized more than 5,000 individuals, specifically targeting the elderly.