Report Shows Climate Change Has Arrived In NJ, And It's Not Good

NEW JERSEY – Swimming areas have been shut down. Strange illnesses that once only appeared in warmer climates have surfaced. And across New Jersey, evidence clearly shows that it's been getting hotter.

A Washington Post report says this is no string of coincidences. Climate change is the likely culprit, the report says, and it's having a negative impact on New Jersey.

The report notes that New Jersey is one of the fastest-warming states in the nation, and its average temperature has climbed by close to 2 degrees Celsius since 1895, which is double the average for the continental U.S.

The two New Jersey areas that had the highest increases were Hunterdon and Somerset counties, which both climbed by 2.2 degrees Celsius, according to the report. The lowest were Gloucester and Salem counties, which rose by 1.6.

Cyanobacteria, as a result, has been blooming at several New Jersey swimming sites – a phenomenon directly attributed to climbing temperatures. As a result, the state Department of Environmental Protection has been taking action by either shutting down the beaches this summer or issuing advisories to minimize the risk of toxic blue-green algae. Read more: Harmful 'Cyanobacteria' Shuts Down Swimming At Several NJ Sites

Also, a horrible disease that once was supposedly limited to year-round warm-weather climates now appears to be a threat to New Jersey.

Five people have recently been treated in New Jersey – and one person has died – for what's commonly known as "flesh-eating bacteria," or Vibrio, according to a report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Read more: 5 People In NJ Got Flesh-Eating Bacteria; 1 Died, Report Says

The harmful algae blooms happen when cyanobacteria overproduces in a body of water. In the right situations – such as sunlight, hot and calm waters and high nutrients – the bacteria can cause a bloom that's toxic to humans and animals.

The blooms are fairly common in North Jersey lakes, but it is unusual to see the blooms this early in the season, the DEP says. And this year, they've been happening in lakes throughout the state.

Acute illnesses caused by exposure to cyanotoxins can happen, the DEP says. After short-term exposures, the toxins can cause liver and kidney damage. Livestock and pets could be particularly vulnerable, and contact with the water could be fatal to animals. Read more: Dogs In TX, NC, Killed By Same Algae Found In Lake Hopatcong

Just this past week, a harmful algae bloom prompted authorities to ban swimming and other water activities at Manasquan Reservoir until further notice. Drinking water pulled from the reservoir is being treated to remove the algae and any of its byproducts, a New Jersey Water Supply Authority official said. Read more: Algae Bloom Closes Manasquan Reservoir To Swimming, Boating

Indeed, the Washington Post report focuses specifically on the troubles that have beset New Jersey's largest lake this summer: Lake Hopatcong, where swimming – and even touching the water – was banned until recently because of a harmful algae bloom.

Wintertime carnivals used to take place at Lake Hopatcong, according to The Washington Post report, where ice-skating was once a daily experience to enjoy. Now, following one of the warmest springs ever, harmful bacteria known as blue-green algae has bloomed while the carnivals have vanished, the report noted.

A similar recent report in The New York Times noted that more frequent, more intense rainstorms that drive nutrients like sewage and fertilizer into waterways create ideal conditions for the blooms.

As a result, workers have been laid off, sailing lessons have been canceled and summers have been "ruined" at Lake Hopatcong, the report says.

Read the entire Washington Post report here, and see how climate change has impacted your area.