Climate Change Intensifies Hurricane Impacts: A Study on Helene and Milton

A rapid study indicates that human-caused climate change has intensified Hurricane Helene, increasing its rainfall by approximately 10% and wind speeds by 11%. The anticipated Hurricane Milton may experience similar effects. Continued fossil fuel use is likely to result in more devastating hurricanes and catastrophic flooding, necessitating urgent action for future preparedness and resilience planning against climate-related disasters.

A new rapid study has revealed that human-induced climate change significantly exacerbated Hurricane Helene’s impact, increasing its rainfall by approximately 10% and its wind speeds by about 11%. The analysis from World Weather Attribution (WWA) indicates that the enhanced wind speeds were elevated by roughly 13 miles per hour due to rising global temperatures, with sea temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average, making such high sea temperatures between 200 and 500 times more likely. According to Ben Clarke, a climate researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study, the heating climate enables the air to retain more moisture, resulting in precipitation levels that are already extreme becoming even more severe: “Hurricane Helene and the storms that were happening in the region anyway have all been amplified by the fact that the air is warmer and can hold more moisture…” This suggests that the forthcoming Hurricane Milton may experience similar intensifying effects. The WWA scientists have cautioned that persistent fossil fuel consumption is likely to result in increasingly severe hurricanes, with catastrophic flooding effects potentially spreading well inland, not solely affecting coastal areas. The tragic impact of Helene illustrates this, with the majority of fatalities occurring from extensive inland flooding rather than directly from wind damage. Helene made landfall in Florida with an unprecedented 15-foot storm surge and sustained winds reaching 140 miles per hour, claiming over 230 lives and causing massive destruction across several states, including Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Reports estimate that Helene released over 40 trillion gallons of rain, a figure that could have been significantly reduced without human-induced climate change. New projections indicate that hurricanes of Helene’s intensity, which historically occurred every 130 years, are now approximately 2.5 times more frequent in the affected region. A supplemental analysis from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory attributed a 50% increase in rainfall in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas to climate change, asserting that such rainfall was 20 times more likely due to global warming effects. Kim Cobb, the director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, emphasized the need for improved emergency preparedness and resilience in light of these findings, assertively stating that both Helene and Milton should act as alerts for increased planning against storm impacts. She noted, “Going forward, additional warming that we know will occur over the next 10 or 20 years will even worsen the statistics of hurricanes, and we will break new records.” Reports are already indicating that climate change has played a role in warming sea temperatures that have intensified Milton. Ben Clarke additionally pointed out the urgency for action, stating: “As we go into the future and our results show this as well, we still have control over what trajectory this goes in as to what risks we face in the future… that just hinges on how we change our energy systems and how many more fossil fuels we burn.”

The topic of climate change’s impact on weather patterns, particularly hurricanes, has garnered significant attention. Scientific studies utilizing climate models and weather data have increasingly demonstrated a correlation between rising global temperatures due to human activities—such as the burning of fossil fuels—and the intensity of extreme weather events, including hurricanes. Recent analyses have shown that severe storms are becoming more frequent and potent, resulting in heightened risks of catastrophic flooding and damage, necessitating urgent public awareness and action on climate change. Through collaborative efforts such as those from the World Weather Attribution organization, researchers assess how much of an extreme weather event can be attributed to climate change by comparing observed conditions against model predictions of a pre-industrial climate. These insights are crucial for informing public policy and emergency preparedness.

In summation, the findings from the recent study underscore the profound influence of climate change on the severity and frequency of hurricanes. With empirical evidence suggesting that both past and imminent storms like Helene and Milton are intensified by a warming climate, it is imperative to recognize the urgent need for climate action. The predicted increase in hurricane intensity, along with the associated risks of devastating flooding, highlights the critical nature of transitioning away from fossil fuel reliance to mitigate potential future disasters. Effective preparedness and resilience planning will be paramount as we navigate the challenges posed by an evolving global climate.

Original Source: www.wtnh.com