Study Links Climate Change to 44% Hurricane Damages

Forecasters say above-normal Atlantic activity is likely over the next two weeks as low vertical wind shear and much warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the Gulf, Caribbean and tropical Atlantic favor storm formation, and the National Hurricane Center is monitoring a tropical wave in the western Tropical Atlantic and a disturbance near Florida for possible development. New research from Imperial College using the IRIS hurricane model finds human-driven warming has measurably intensified recent storms, estimating roughly 44% of Helene’s and 45% of Milton’s direct economic damages are attributable to climate change and that warming boosted those storms’ peak winds by about 10–11%. October is historically a busy and dangerous month that has produced some of the Atlantic’s most destructive storms—Milton, Wilma, Mitch, Hazel and Michael—whose rapid intensification and high winds caused catastrophic damage and loss of life. Regionally, the Canadian Maritimes face gusty winds worsening a Kings County wildfire along with air quality concerns and a Frost Advisory in New Brunswick, while Humberto is now post-tropical well east of the region and Hurricane Imelda had strengthened to Category 2 as it approached Bermuda.