New research by climate scientists indicates that there have been great changes to Atlantic hurricanes in just the past 50 years, with storms developing and strengthening faster.
For decades, climate scientists have warned that changes resulting from greenhouse gas emissions is causing worsening and more frequent severe weather patterns, with many studies focusing on trends since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Atlantic hurricanes developed faster, from a weak Category 1 hurricane to a major Category 3 or stronger, in a 24-period than they did between 1970 and 1990 and they are now more likely to strengthen faster along the east coast of the U.S. than they were during that period, Garner found. She also concluded that better communication methods are needed to warn at-risk communities as it's difficult to predict when, exactly, hurricanes will strengthen fastest.
Garner said ever-warming ocean waters, such as the record-high temperatures reported this summer off the coast of Florida, are especially troubling, because tropical storms feed off energy in ocean water and the warmer the water, the greater the amount of energy such storms can draw.For example, she said, September's Hurricane Lee, a massive Category 5 that was the third-fastest intensifying storm in recorded history, virtually exploded because of the unnaturally warm Atlantic waters.
"The increase in the number of times hurricanes turned from Category 1 or weaker to a major storm, , is particularly concerning, since major hurricanes often produce the most damage in our coastal communities," she said.
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