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Climate researchers say the idea of putting a “climate price tag” on individual storms may help the public understand how global warming directly affects them. Hans Paerl, professor of marine and environmental sciences at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, said that this is especially true in areas like North Carolina. Although the severity of hurricanes is increasing due to climate change, the development of coastal areas It continues to flourish. He said: “Coastal basins bear the brunt of floods, and rising sea levels have exacerbated the water problem.” “It brings water to more inland areas.”
According to a study published in the journal in 2019, Paerl reviewed historical flood and rainfall records since the late 1800s and found that catastrophic hurricane-driven floods have increased dramatically in the past 20 years. Natural Science Report. The study concluded that historical weather patterns have changed, and now each storm brings more rainfall to coastal areas.
In recent years, these floods and rainfall Pig washing waste From pork farms in North Carolina to nearby waterways, the coastal ecosystem and valuable commercial fisheries have been destroyed. However, the worsening floods have not stopped people from moving to the area, said Pal, who has lived in Beaufort, North Carolina for the past 40 years. “Real estate is booming. People still want to build houses here.”
And there are not even hurricanes that expose coastal residents to flooding problems related to climate change.Heavy rain occurs when the sky is clear-the so-called Annoying flood-There has also been an increase in cities such as Miami; Norfolk, Virginia; and Charleston, South Carolina A study Published in March. These researchers found that since the mid-19th century, nearly half of the 40 coastal tide gauges operated by NOAA have measured more nuisance flood days because of the greater range of local tides. The city built along the estuary experienced the greatest tidal changes, which was the result of rising sea levels and deepening of port transportation due to dredging operations.
In recent years, as the number and intensity of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean has increased, NOAA officials have been forced to Recalculate the statistical average of the “normal” hurricane season. The new normal is now 14 tropical storms, which is higher than the previous average of 12 per year. The adjusted figure includes 7 storms, which eventually became strong enough to be classified as hurricanes. (According to tropical storms, once the wind speed of a tropical storm reaches 74 miles per hour, it is called a category 1 hurricane. From there, the hurricane has progressed to category 5 with wind speeds of 157 mph. Saffir Simpson The scale of the hurricane. )
Last year was a record Atlantic season, with 30 tropical storms, 13 of which became hurricanes.NOAA officials are expected to announce its 2021 forecast on Thursday, but at the same time, the commercial weather forecasting company DTNRenny Vandewege said the company provides data for airlines, farms, cargo companies and other weather-related industries, and the company expects another above-average season, including 20 tropical storms, 9 hurricanes and 4 Major hurricanes of category 3 or above. , The company’s vice president of weather operations.
Vandewege said: “We believe that this year the east coast of the United States faces more threats of landing, and by 2020, it will be more threatened in the western Gulf of Mexico.” “This year, we think it will be more along the Florida coast Through Carolina, and then through the northeastern United States.”
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