Bracing for the storm: Hurricanes and the impact of the climate crisis

By Dan Dowling – regional communications manager

“As we're changing the climate of our planet, we're going to be seeing climate changes associated with each of these effects, which could mean a lot of changes for what is happening in the Northeast region.”

Dr. Daniel Gilford - Climate Central

Dr. Daniel Gilford is a climate scientist with Climate Central, a non-profit organization that researches severe weather and the changing climate. As we usher in another Atlantic hurricane season, it’s crucial to understand the role the climate crisis plays in shaping these powerful storms.

“We've been looking at temperatures across the planet and in the United States, and we found an increasing number of them are being influenced by human-caused climate change. We can see the fingerprints of humans all over the planet,” says Gilford.

Dr. Gilford works in a field called climate attribution science, which investigates how changes in the climate system affect our day-to-day lives.

Meteorologists expect this to be an active Atlantic hurricane season. The combination of warm sea temperatures and the arrival of La Nina conditions could mean more named storms and an above-average probability for landfall in the U.S.

“These hurricanes, they act like engines, almost like the engine in your car, where they take in some amount of fuel and they convert that fuel, which is in the form of kinetic energy, which looks like wind. Because the atmosphere and the ocean temperatures are getting warmer, there's a lot more energy now that hurricanes can sort of gobble up as their fuel source and strengthen,” explains Gilford.

According to Dr. Gilford, warmer sea surface temperatures have led to storms rapidly intensifying more often. This means we’re experiencing more intense storms that are building faster than we would have seen in the past without the climate crisis.

“Over the last 40 years, we've seen an increase in the number of major hurricanes that we've observed in the North Atlantic. With those bigger storms, which are stronger, we have more potential for damage, which affects the coastal communities where we live,” adds Gilford.

As the atmosphere warms, the tropics expand. This expansion means that hurricanes can move further north. Regions like the New England coast, which historically experienced few hurricanes, are already seeing a small uptick in the number of storms reaching the region. This trend is expected to continue over time.

“Sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic Ocean are about a degree warmer than they were about 100 years ago, and we know that there's more energy now for these storms to be able to gobble up and become stronger,” says Gilford.

The number of billion-dollar disasters in the U.S. has increased 85% in just the last decade as disasters grow in frequency and intensity. People across the country are feeling the impact as an estimated 2.5 million were forced from their homes by weather-related disasters in 2023.

“Today, the Red Cross is responding to more large disasters — almost twice as many — than we did a decade ago,” said John Montes, regional disaster officer, Red Cross Northern New England Region. “This growing need for help means we need more volunteers trained and ready to support families facing their darkest moments. Additionally, it’s critical for residents right here in Vermont to make and practice their emergency plans now.”

Comprising 90% of the Red Cross workforce, volunteers are continuously providing shelter, comfort, hot meals, health services and recovery support to families in need across the country. In the last year, the Red Cross of Northern New England saw 549 volunteer deployments – a five-year high and nearly four times the deployments compared to 2019. These Red Cross volunteers supported disasters at home, including historic flooding events in Vermont and Maine, several large-scale, multi-family fires and a mass casualty response. They also deployed outside our region to support a variety of disasters like Hurricane Idalia, Typhoon Mawar, wildfires in California and Hawaii, and tornadoes in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas.

“This hurricane season is a fantastic opportunity to think about how hurricanes might affect your region, but also start conversations with people on how best to prepare, what the role of the climate crisis is in those hurricanes, how they're affecting you, and how we can make decisions that are going forward together,” says Gilford.

With the increasing risk of climate-driven disasters, help keep your family safe by getting prepared today.

• Build an emergency kit with bottled water, non-perishable food, a flashlight and battery-powered radio. Also include medications, copies of important papers, cell phone chargers and emergency contact information.
• Make an evacuation plan with what to do in case you are separated from your family during an emergency and if you must evacuate. Make sure to coordinate with your child’s school, your work and your community’s emergency plans — and don’t forget your pets.
• **Know how to stay informed** by finding out how local officials will contact you during a disaster and how you will get important information, such as evacuation orders.

Residents of Northern New England should prepare for the possibility of tropical weather in the months ahead. The best defense during an emergency is to be prepared and the American Red Cross advises everyone to get ready now. To learn more visit redcross.org.