Connecticut’s on-going drought is just a ‘tiny taste’ of the climate change to come, experts warn

CT Insider – Thursday, November 21, 2024
By Cris Villalonga-Vivoni

Dr. Kirsten Ek said this is the first year she’s worried that a brush fire will break out in her heavily wooded backyard in over a decade of living in Connecticut. Between the number of dead and down trees, high winds from incoming cold fronts and persistent dry conditions, one good spark from a lightning strike or a hot coal from a campfire is enough to engulf her neighborhood and home.

Across Connecticut and the Northeast, many residents are experiencing one of the driest falls on record during a historic drought. Ek and other health officials from the Connecticut Health Professionals for Climate Action, a non-partisan environmental education and advocacy nonprofit, said that the heat and dryness residents are experiencing now is just the tip of the “heat iceberg” coming for future generations.

Although barely scratching the surface, Ek said the impact of these extreme weather patterns, especially a drought, is already profound, from scarce or contaminated water to poor air quality.

It’s a “tiny taste of what’s coming … it’s going to be much worse if we don’t act now for health,” said Ek, assistant professor of medicine at UConn Health and a steering committee member for the Connecticut Coalition for Climate Action and CHPCA.

Pediatric pulmonologist at Connecticut Children’s, Dr. Sanjiv Godse, moved to Connecticut just four years ago from New Jersey but said he’s already seen so many extreme weather events in his short time. From record-breaking heat waves to deadly flash floods to smoke from the Canadian wildfires, he and his fellow medical providers have seen the health effects unfold in real-time as they care for impacted patients.

In the winter, Connecticut typically sees around 8 to 9 inches of rain during September and October. The state has only seen about an inch this year, making it the second driest October on record, according to past reports.

The U.S. Drought Monitor, which tracks weather conditions across the country, reported on Nov. 12 that most of Connecticut is experiencing a “moderate drought.” Parts of Fairfield, Hartford and most of Litchfield counties, on the other hand, are experiencing a “severe drought.”

Rain is expected to come in this week, with even some snow in the forecast, but weather officials previously told CT Insider that it may not be enough to reverse the drought conditions.

Although Connecticut has a history of droughts, Godse said it seems they are getting more frequent and more severe. He said droughts directly and indirectly impact residents’ health, with some individuals more prone to developing illnesses or symptoms.

One of the biggest health issues brought on by the drought is brush fires that are breaking out throughout the state and Northeast. Since Oct. 21, Connecticut state environmental officials have reported more than 175 “fire starts,” with most covering between 1 and 5 acres.

As of Tuesday, officials reported that nine brush fires started over the weekend and they were monitoring 82 such fires statewide. Fires also broke out across state lines, with Connecticut residents reporting seeing smoke drifting south from a large wildfire burning in Great Barrington, Mass.

Godse said brush fires could cause many respiratory conditions because particulate matter, a type of air pollutant, is released, irritating lungs and causing chronic conditions, such as asthma. For example, he said he helped a few more patients with asthma and breathing problems after the Canadian wildfire smoke made landfall and covered the area last year.

There’s also a physical danger to the brush fires, Godse said, noting that a Connecticut and New York firefighter died fighting the brush fires in New England.

Ek said heat has also been a general concern for providers over time. For example, she said summer pneumonia in younger people and construction workers is more common because of the extreme heat.

“It’s just catching up with lots of different people from all different kind of walks of life who have illnesses that make them more vulnerable,” she said.

Water scarcity and quality are other significant but indirect impacts on health during a drought. Godse said the Connecticut drought is not at the point where residents are scaling back on their water intake. However, as the water levels lower and become stagnant, the bacteria in it flourishes and becomes concentrated.

Drinking a lot of bacteria-contaminated water can lead to gastrointestinal issues. In addition, Godse said there are risks of dehydration and other heat-related illnesses flaring up during a drought due to water scarcity.

Droughts and other extreme weather patterns also affect crops, which can lead to food insecurity or rising food prices. Godse said farmers struggle to make ends meet when there’s not enough water for crops and livestock. While Connecticut is not at that point, Godse said a situation like this would mainly affect populations with limited access to resources already. In addition, prolonged drought can also impact a person’s mental health, especially in farming communities. Ek added that extreme weather also impacts fishing industries, such as oysters and lobsters, both of which struggle to thrive and reproduce in the warming waters.

Godse said the state and world are in uncharted territory regarding climate change and its health impact, so there needs to be a collective response at the local, state, and national levels.

On a day-to-day level, Godse said residents can minimize their exposure to bad air by checking their local air quality index before heading outside and limiting non-essential use of water.

For water testing, Ek recommends looking at the state Department of Public Health’s website for well water testing information and says homeowners who use well water should check for contamination as the drought continues. She added that residents living in wooded areas should map out a quick escape from their homes or neighborhoods in case of a brush fire.

“No matter where you live, color, race, where zip code, it’s coming for all of us, and I think we need to invest right because of our health,” Godse said. “We need to treat it as we would COVID or any other health problem. We need solutions from every level.”

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