Heat is threatening the integrity of America’s infrastructure

As rising temperatures warp steel and strain power grids, the nation’s infrastructure is struggling to keep up with the demands of climate change.

Zoë Schlanger reports for The Atlantic.

In short:

• Heat expansion is causing rail lines, bridges and roads to warp and buckle, complicating transportation.
• Power grids are increasingly stressed, reducing electricity delivery while demand spikes during heat waves.
• Updating infrastructure to handle extreme heat is costly, and solutions may require significant public and political support.

Key quote:

"You can’t reengineer all of U.S. infrastructure as quickly as the climate is changing."

— Mikhail Chester, director of the Metis Center for Infrastructure and Sustainable Engineering at Arizona State University

Why this matters:

The rapid pace of climate change is outstripping the ability of existing infrastructure to adapt, posing risks to public safety and economic stability. Investing in resilient systems is crucial to mitigate these impacts and protect critical services.

Related:

• Summer heat risks escalating in the US
• California heat waves lead to deaths, financial losses
• Increasing workplace deaths from extreme heat prompt new regulations