Hurricanes already were capable of causing severe damage to communities all over the world, and they’re only going to get worse. The most recent example is Hurricane Laura, a category 4 hurricane that hit Louisiana and Texas. The aftermath is horrifying. At least fourteen people have died (authorities currently aren’t sure of the exact count) thousands are without power and clean water, and many buildings were destroyed. Authorities are still calculating the numerous effects and their degree. If only this were the last hurricane to cause so many problems.
Climate change is making hurricanes stronger than they were years ago. There are many factors to this including the rising of sea levels, warmer surface temperatures, and the paths that the hurricanes take. According to the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, the warmer water surface temperatures will cause higher wind speeds and more rain, the higher sea levels will amplify damage, and the shift towards the north Atlantic will hit homes that are normally out of the way.
These changes will in turn threaten our economy, infrastructure, water systems, transportation, and much more.
What can we do? Well, we may not be able to control the weather, but we can predict and prepare for it. Reducing our greenhouse gas emissions will lessen the risk these hurricanes pose to our communities. We can also design more resilient buildings out of the way, elevate buildings closer to sea level, and preserve and protect beaches and coastal wetlands.
This problem won’t go away on its own. In fact, it probably won’t go away at all considering hurricanes are a part of nature, but we can decrease the threat it poses to us.
Sources
Blackburn, Jim. “Texas Is Running Out of Near Misses.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 28 Aug. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/08/28/opinion/hurricane-laura-texas-houston.html.
“Hurricanes and Climate Change.” Center for Climate and Energy Solutions, 13 July 2020, www.c2es.org/content/hurricanes-and-climate-change/.Lonsdorf, Kat.
“Southern States Assessing The Damage From Laura As Storm Continues To Weaken.” NPR, NPR, 29 Aug. 2020, www.npr.org/sections/hurricane-laura-live-updates/2020/08/29/907414349/southern-states-assessing-the-damage-from-laura-as-storm-continues-to-weaken.