Ian was close to a Category 5 storm when it hit Florida. Entire neighborhoods were flooded in a matter of hours because of the strong wind and storm surge.
Climate change is believed to be a factor in storms like Ian.
Hurricanes are powered by heat and make big, powerful and rainy storms. The amount of heat trapped on Earth increases as humans burn fossil fuels. The air and water get hotter. All that heat is available when a baby hurricanes forms in the Atlantic.
Ian was affected by that. The storm was not very strong when it formed. It grew very quickly as it moved through the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Hurricane Ian went from a tropical storm to a Hurricane in less than 24 hours. It went from a Category 3 storm with winds strong enough to damage roofs to a Category 5 storm with winds strong enough to remove roofs.
Since the beginning of the year, there have been at least one landfalling hurricanes in the US. Hurricane Ida gained strength before it hit Louisiana. In addition, it happened to Hurricanes Harvey and Laura in 2020.
According to research, hurricanes that form in the Atlantic are more likely to be powerful. The hot water is partly to blame. Climate scientists are studying how global warming affects storm intensity, given how dangerous hurricanes can be.
Flooding from hurricanes and tropical storms is caused by a warmer planet. The atmosphere can hold more water. When a storm gains power, it holds a huge amount of water vapor, which falls as rain, hundreds or even thousands of miles away from where the storm initially hits land.
Climate change has been shown to cause storms to drop more rain.
The storm surge is larger when the storm is bigger. Ian pushed the water onto the beach. The ocean water is closer to buildings and roads now than it used to be. Ocean flooding can happen on sunny days.
Sea level rise and storms like Ian can cause catastrophic flooding in the US when a Hurricane hits land.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
