Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program. Dr.
and damage on September 28, 2024 in Asheville , North Carolina . Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend on Thursday night with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges that killed at least 42 people in several states. The remnants of Hurricane Helene were catastrophic for a multitude of reasons in the Southeast. Parts of southern Appalachia were hit particularly hard. The state of North Carolina has confirmed at leastof hurricanes that resulted in at least $50 billion in damages.
The Great Floods of 1916 were caused by a series of hurricanes and produced historic devastation in the mountainous regions of North Carolina. It can be argued that impacts from Helene are not unprecedented for the region. However, there are some things to point out:Climate change is likely contributing to intensity and rainfall trends with the current generation of storms.Most current residents do not have a benchmark or context for this type of storm.
The point about benchmarks or context is also important in the Helene scenario as well as other extreme weather events. This challenge has been amplified in a recent National Academieson compound disasters in the Gulf Region. If you have not experienced an anomaly event, the “average” event may not adequately prepare you for the outcomes. Put differently, riding a bike does not necessarily give you a benchmark for what to expect while driving a Formula One race car.
Dr. Godrey indicated, “Rain in the preceding 30 hours on previously dry soil really did us in. The ground was super-saturated, so moderate winds of 40-60 mph uprooted large trees right and left when the storm came inland Friday morning.” This scenario led to compromised traffic arteries, power outages, landslides, and flash floods. Given her perspective as a weather expert and someone who is living through the aftermath of Helene, I asked Dr. Godfrey what improvements are needed.
French Broad Asheville WNC Hurricane Helene North Carolina Fema Hurricane Milton Biden
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