*[Enwl-eng] Climate Change and Hurricanes Harvey and Irma
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Our hearts are heavy and our thoughts are with everyone affected by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. It’s nearly impossible to grasp the weight of these natural disasters, which will be felt for years to come. Just days after one of the most destructive storms in our nation’s history dropped more than 50 inches of rain on parts of Texas, another historic storm, Hurricane Irma, has already devastated portions of the Leeward and Virgin Islands and is expected to make landfall in the southeastern US this weekend. Hurricane Irma is the strongest hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin, outside of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico. This is why the climate crisis is ultimately a human issue – because our health, our livelihoods, and our homes are directly impacted by the changes happening in our environment. So, what do Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have to do with climate change? The climate crisis intensifies the impact of hurricanes. Here’s how: 1. By adding fuel to the fire, climate change makes hurricanes more devastating. As sea surface temperatures become warmer because of climate change, hurricanes can become more powerful and cause more damage and loss of life. 2. Climate change is linked to extreme rainfall (and therefore, flooding). As the world becomes warmer, more water evaporates from oceans (and other water bodies) into the air. Hurricanes tap into this moisture-enriched atmosphere and are capable of producing heavier precipitation, and this can result in more flooding when the hurricane approaches land. 3. Sea-level rise caused by climate change can greatly increase the storm surge from hurricanes. With higher sea levels, storm surges are able to move further inland and can lead to more widespread and greater damage than they otherwise might. Click here to see a list of organizations helping the victims of Hurricane Harvey. Devastating storms like Harvey and Irma remind us how critical it is to solve the climate crisis and do our part to help mitigate increasing future disasters. If you’d like to learn more about how the climate crisis affects hurricanes and what you can do to take action, visit our recent blog post, “Hurricane Harvey and Climate Change: Here Are the Facts.” - Your friends at Climate Reality |
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