In a new study, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory find that the U.S.
In a new study, researchers at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory find that the U.S. Atlantic Coast is becoming a breeding ground for rapidly intensifying hurricanes. Fueled by environmental conditions that beget increasingly severe storms—with climate change as a root contributor—the new research finds that hurricanes are growing wetter and strengthening faster near the already hurricane-battered coastline.
Looking at data that describe the past four decades of hurricane activity and the conditions that shaped them, researchers find the rates at which hurricanes strengthen near the U.S. Atlantic Coast have climbed since 1979. Looking into a future marked by continued fossil fuel reliance, the team finds this trend is likely to continue.
A warmer world, said climate scientist Karthik Balaguru, is poised to bring hurricanes that intensify quicker and, with them, a heightened risk of flooding to the U.S. Atlantic Coast.
Read more at: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
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