A law in North Carolina could make preparing for a giant storm like Hurricane Florence more difficult.
North Carolina passed a law six years ago that banned the state from using climate science to plan for rising sea levels.
Scientists have expressed concerns that North Carolina’s increasing, low-lying coast could put it at risk for expensive and dangerous flooding.
But in 2012, state lawmakers said studies done by climate change experts could not be used for forecasting or planning, saying the science wasn't solid enough.
Lawmakers worried people's property values would be affected and said climate change studies only look at the worst case.
The law even caught the attention of comedian Stephen Colbert, who poked fun at the law on his show in 2012.
Florida did something similar, discouraging the use of words like "climate change" and global warming" in official state documents.
