One Uprooted Life At A Time, Climate Change Drives An American Migration

Margaret Elysia Garcia tried hard to rebuild her life in Greenville, California after it was devastated by a wildfire in 2021.

But the difficulty of life there — power outages, mud slides, razed streets she could barely recognize — eventually it all became too much. She left her home there and moved to Southern California.

Jake Bittle's new book, The Great Displacement: Climate Change And The Next American Migration, argues that stories like this are becoming more common. From drought-hit farms in Arizona to flooded coastlines in Virginia, it's a close look at the way climate-fueled disasters are forcing people to move.

In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment to help you make sense of what's going on in your community.

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This episode was produced by Connor Donevan and Lee Hale, with engineering by Josh Newall. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and William Troop. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.