Climate Change Impacts: Stronger Storms and hurricanes

 

Climate change and global warming - impacts and threats - Stronger storms and hurricanes

planet, change, nature, people, solutions

Climate change and global warming: Warmer ocean waters helped fuel Hurricane Katrina

Warmer ocean waters helped fuel Hurricane Katrina.

Climate change and global warming: See the Louisiana Barrier Islands before and after Katrina

See the Louisiana Barrier Islands before and after Katrina.

We Want to Hear from You

Tell us what you think about our climate change work. What do you think are the biggest impacts of climate change?

What’s Your Impact?

Get an estimate of your carbon footprint using the Conservancy’s carbon footprint calculator and see how you compare to U.S. and global averages.

Climate change and global warming - impacts and threats - Stronger storms and hurricanes

Scientific research indicates that climate change will cause hurricanes and tropical storms to become more intense — lasting longer, unleashing stronger winds, and causing more damage to coastal ecosystems and communities.

Scientists point to higher ocean temperatures as the main culprit, since hurricanes and tropical storms get their energy from warm water. As sea surface temperatures rise, developing storms will contain more energy.

At the same time, other factors such as rising sea levels, disappearing wetlands, and increased coastal development threaten to intensify the damage caused by hurricanes and tropical storms.

Donate now to help stop climate change and global warming

With your help, we can reduce the impacts of climate change.

Climate change picture credits (top to bottom, left to right): Photo © Mark Godfrey (violent thunderstorm); Photo © NASA (Hurricane Katrina); Graphic © NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center (Hurricane Katrina); Photo © USGS (Louisiana Barrier Islands).