Hurricane Ian: The Impact of Climate Change.

News | Nithya Kunta | October 5th, 2022.

According to a study conducted by Stonybrook University, climate change is responsible for increasing Hurricane Ian’s extreme rainfall rates by 10%. How does climate change exacerbate the impacts of hurricanes?

Global warming intensifies hurricanes through sea level rise, higher temperatures, and increased atmospheric moisture. Warmer waters give hurricanes more energy to release through high winds and severe rainfall. Specifically, ocean waters must be above 79°F for a hurricane to form and carry on, and surface temperatures for Ian were 86°F. Even worse, the ocean is beginning to warm below the surface, giving hurricanes more fuel to become a slow-moving storm, like Ian. The slow movement of storms can also be attributed to rapid warming at Earth’s poles, which has been slowing down global weather.

These factors contribute to a concept known as rapid intensification, which occurs when the speed and strength of a hurricane increases very quickly. Rates of rapid intensification are increasing, and the frequency of severe storms has been on the rise since 1980. In fact, 16 out of the 20 Atlantic hurricanes over the past 2 seasons have gone under rapid intensification, including Harvey, Irma, Maria, Michael, and more. Ian is the prime example of a hurricane that rapidly intensified, as winds nearly doubled within 24 hours.

The future of hurricanes and other natural disasters predicates on climate change. One study observed how 21 hurricanes that struck between 2000 and 2013 would look like under climate conditions in 2100 and concluded that floods would have been 30% worse. Addressing climate change could be the key to preventing more severe and widespread destruction by storms, saving lives.