Two rapid attribution studies released Tuesday found that human-induced global warming made Hurricane Helen stronger and wetter, and that these factors contributed to the storm’s destructive power.
Report from climameterA consortium that analyzes extreme weather events has found that Helen’s total rainfall and winds have been enhanced by anthropogenic climate change, with precipitation increasing by up to 20% and winds up to 7% stronger.
The consortium said rising temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, something climate scientists have been warning about for years, were likely contributing to Helen’s power.
“Intensive research is needed to confirm this, but perhaps Unusually high heat levels in the Gulf of Mexico Helen’s rapid intensification and the exceptional atmospheric river that caused extreme flooding across the southeastern United States contributed to both,” the consortium said in its report.
Another report from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory California researchers suggested that parts of Georgia and the Carolinas received 50% more rain than expected due to warming effects from climate change.
“Furthermore, we estimate that due to global warming, observed rainfall has become up to 20 times more likely in these regions,” the report added.
Neither study has been peer-reviewed or published in a journal, which is normal for rapid attribution research.
A wealth of research has revealed a strong link between climate change and tropical systems that are rapidly intensifying and becoming wetter due to a warming atmosphere. heavy rain falls on land. For every degree Fahrenheit increase in temperature, the amount of water in the atmosphere increases by approximately 4%.
Parts of North Carolina continue to respond to the disaster, with more than 150 people dead and hundreds missing. Historic amounts of rain pounded southern Appalachia, flooding entire towns.
The official rainfall peak from Helen was more than 30 inches over Busick, North Carolina, with radar estimates showing up to 40 inches or more in more rural areas and the highest parts of the Appalachian Mountains. It is possible that
Source: www.nbcnews.com
