A recent study reveals that Hurricane Helene’s impact was heightened by climate change, increasing its rainfall by 10% and wind speeds by 11%. This trend is expected to continue with Hurricane Milton. The findings highlight the crucial role of climate change in increasing the severity of hurricanes, calling for improved emergency preparedness and a reduction in fossil fuel reliance.
Climate change has significantly influenced the severity of Hurricane Helene, augmenting its rainfall by approximately 10% and increasing wind speeds by about 11%. This revelation comes from a recent study conducted by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) as Hurricane Milton poses a new threat to the Florida coast. The analysis indicated that the warmer climate raised Helene’s wind speeds by roughly 13 miles per hour and made the warmer ocean temperatures that powered the storm between 200 to 500 times more probable. According to the WWA’s study, ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico were reportedly 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above average. Ben Clarke, a climate researcher at Imperial College London and co-author of the study, noted that warmer air increases moisture retention, resulting in exacerbated rainfall during hurricanes, including Helene. The study also suggests that Hurricane Milton may experience similar intensifications. The scientists have expressed concerns that ongoing fossil fuel consumption will engender more hurricanes akin to Helene, which resulted in devastating inland floods responsible for the loss of many lives. Helene made landfall in Florida with an unprecedented storm surge of 15 feet and sustained winds reaching 140 miles per hour, resulting in extensive destruction across several states and causing over 230 fatalities. This hurricane has been recognized as the deadliest to strike the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, unleashing over 40 trillion gallons of rain across the region. As previously assessed, hurricanes of Helene’s intensity were historically expected to arise approximately every 130 years but are now about 2.5 times more likely due to climate change. WWA has been conducting rapid climate attribution studies since 2015 to gauge the impact of climate change on extreme weather conditions. Although their studies are not peer-reviewed, they employ peer-reviewed methodologies for their analyses. A separate evaluation conducted by scientists from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab concluded that climate change resulted in 50% more rainfall in certain regions affected by Helene and rendered the observed rainfall 20 times more likely due to global warming. Kim Cobb, director of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, emphasized the significance of Helene and Milton as indicators for urgent enhancements in emergency preparedness and resilience planning against climate risks, particularly in the context of fossil fuel reliance. She cautioned that the expected additional warming over the next few decades will further exacerbate hurricane statistics, potentially leading to new records. As climate change prepares to escalate its impact, the sequential emergence of these major storms poses critical questions regarding future climate conditions, emphasizing the responsibility of humanity in determining the trajectory of climate change through energy system transformations and fossil fuel consumption patterns.
The discussions surrounding climate change often emphasize its pivotal role in intensifying natural disasters, particularly hurricanes. Recent studies have indicated that human-induced climate change is responsible for significant alterations in hurricane behaviors, leading to increased wind speeds, rainfall, and resultant flooding. Understanding this correlation is essential as regions prone to hurricanes face heightened threats.
In conclusion, climate change has notably amplified the severity of hurricanes, as evidenced by the recent assessments of Hurricane Helene and the looming threat of Hurricane Milton. The findings reveal that continued reliance on fossil fuels will likely exacerbate the frequency and intensity of such storms, resulting in devastating floods and increased fatalities. The scientific community calls for urgent action to mitigate climate change by transforming energy systems and emphasizes the importance of enhancing emergency preparedness and resilience planning.
Original Source: www.detroitnews.com
