When Hurricane Helene struck the Southeast in late September, it left an indelible mark, claiming 228 lives and affecting millions across Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Virginia, and Tennessee.
At 400 miles wide, Helene’s unprecedented winds and rainfall disrupted power for nearly 2 million people, making it one of the deadliest and largest hurricanes in recent decades, second only to Hurricane Katrina.
But what does “unprecedented” mean in a changing climate? Erin Coughlan de Perez, a climate risk expert at Tufts University, explains that extreme rainfall from storms like Helene is increasing.
With warmer air holding more moisture, climate change has made heavy rainfall 10% more intense and significantly more likely in affected regions.
The World Weather Attribution (WWA) report highlights that climate change not only intensifies storms but also causes them to move slower, leading to extended rainfall and damage.
Helene’s record-breaking 15-foot storm surge along Florida’s coast, fueled by abnormally high sea temperatures, exemplifies this.
While advancements in forecasting helped mitigate loss by enabling timely evacuations, the hurricane’s impact revealed vulnerabilities.
Preparing for future storms requires to be improved forecasting, equitable adaptation, and climate resilience strategies.Areas with higher poverty rates, limited mobility, and housing instability suffered disproportionately.
Coughlan de Perez emphasizes that addressing these disparities is crucial. Evacuating often requires financial resources, a vehicle, or remote work flexibility—privileges not available to everyone.
Rapid intensification also complicates storm preparation.
Helene transformed from a Category 2 to a Category 4 within hours, highlighting the challenges of forecasting in a warming climate.
If global temperatures rise by 2°C, storms like Helene are predicted to become 3% more intense and 25% more frequent in certain regions.
Despite the grim statistics, there’s hope. Communities and researchers are working together to improve preparation and resilience.
“What we’re doing now isn’t fast enough,” says Coughlan de Perez, urging for adaptive strategies to match the pace of climate change. The need for equitable disaster planning and enhanced climate resilience has never been clearer.