Here's how much stronger climate change has made hurricanes
FILE-A family from the coastal town of Guanimar, in Artemisa province, southwest of Havana, move in a boat to safer areas after their homes were flooded due the passage of Hurricane Helene on September 25, 2024. (Photo by YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Ima
A recent study shows human-caused climate change has made Atlantic hurricanes about 18 mph stronger in the last six years.
The study published in the journal, Environmental Research: Climate, determined that for most of the storms the added impact from warmer oceans made the storms spike an entire hurricane category.
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Citing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Associated Press reported that a Category 5 storm causes over 400 times the damage of a minimal Category 1 hurricane, more than 140 times the damage of a minimal Category 3 hurricane and more than five times the damage of a minimal Category 4 storm.
In three storms, including Hurricane Rafael in Cuba, the climate change factor increased wind speed to the point that the winds spiked by two storm categories.
This year’s three most devastating hurricanes — Beryl, Helene, and Milton — increased by 18 mph (29 kph), 16 mph (26 kph) and 24 mph (39 mph) respectively because of climate change, study authors told the AP.
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The AP noted that since 2019, eight storms — 2019’s Humberto, 2020’s Zeta, 2021’s Sam and Larry, 2022’s Earl, 2023’s Franklin and 2024’s Isaac and Rafael — rose by 25 mph (40 kph) in wind speed. Humberto and Zeta gained the most: 31 miles per hour (50 kph).
Warm water is the main fuel of hurricanes. The AP noted that the warmer the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico get, the more potential energy goes into hurricanes. Other factors like high level crosswinds and dry air can act to weaken hurricanes.
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The waters in the hurricane area grew by 2 to 3 degrees Fahrenheit and as much as 4 degrees because of climate change, lead study author Daniel Gifford, a climate scientist at Climate Central, told the Associated Press.
According to the AP, past studies have shown that climate change has made hurricanes strengthen quicker, and slower moving, which causes even more rain to be dumped on an area.