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Cities / Washington D.C.

Washington D.C.

United States

Washington D.C. faces a future marked by increasing climate hazards, particularly frequent heatwaves and heavy rainfall events. The city is projected to experience an uptick in heatwaves, raising public health concerns, particularly for vulnerable populations susceptible to heat-related illnesses. These events may disrupt daily life and strain local resources. Additionally, heavy rainfall events are expected to increase, potentially leading to significant flooding issues that could damage infrastructure and impede transportation systems. The aging infrastructure may struggle to cope with these changing climate conditions, resulting in costly repairs and prolonged recovery periods. Although technology-enabled climate resilience solutions specific to D.C. have not yet been documented, the projected risks emphasize the necessity of proactive measures to safeguard the city’s residents and infrastructure against impending climate challenges.

Hazard Outlook

How will Washington D.C.'s projected climate hazards compare to other cities under a 3.0°C future warming scenario?

Maximum Temperature

59th percentile Elevated exposure

Washington D.C.'s projected maximum temperature of 9.8°C is higher than most cities globally under a 3.0°C warming scenario.

Washington D.C.
5.0 Cooler → Hotter 13

Heavy Rainfall Days

55th percentile Elevated exposure

With 10 days of heavy rainfall expected, Washington D.C. ranks higher than most cities for extreme precipitation events.

Washington D.C.
0.0 Fewer → More 36

Maximum Rainfall

64th percentile Elevated exposure

Washington D.C.'s projected maximum rainfall of 13 mm is higher than most cities globally.

Washington D.C.
0.0 Lower → Higher 35

Elevation

51st percentile Moderate exposure

At 88 m elevation, Washington D.C. faces moderate risk from coastal flooding and sea level rise.

Washington D.C.
-8.0 Lower → Higher 4k

Longest Heatwave

7th percentile Lower exposure

Washington D.C. may experience heatwaves lasting up to 3 days, lower than most other cities.

Washington D.C.
0.0 Shorter → Longer 92

Exposure Summary

Max Temp
Heavy Rain
Max Rain
Elevation
Heatwave

Adaptation Priorities

Washington D.C. faces elevated exposure to max temp, heavy rain, max rain. These areas may warrant priority attention in adaptation planning.

Data source: Climate projections from the IPCC AR6 scenario analysis. See our methodology for details on how we process and interpret this data.

Deployed Solutions

Deployed climate adaptation technologies identified in Washington D.C..

No solutions have been documented for Washington D.C..

This is an archived snapshot of the database.

Recommended Solutions

Proven solutions from similar cities that could help diversify Washington D.C.'s resilience portfolio

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