Scientists have found that climate change intensified the rainfall from Hurricane Helene by approximately 10% and wind speeds by 11%. Researchers at Imperial College in the UK tested the storm's data and their developed "storm model" to assess climate change's impact on Helene.
In separate analysis by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, it was noted that climate change caused up to 50% more rainfall in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas, with observed precipitation becoming "up to 20 times more likely due to global warming."
Kim Cobb, director of the Brown Environmental and Society Institute, highlighted that climate change increases the severity of hurricanes like Helene, predicting that upcoming warming over the next 10 to 20 years will worsen hurricane statistics and set new records.
Researchers warned that fossil fuel use will lead to more hurricanes like Helene, causing significant flooding not just along coasts but also in inland areas.
Ben Clarke, a climate researcher at Imperial College London, stated that the warmer air holds more moisture, resulting in even higher rainfall totals than expected, regardless of climate change.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida with towering waves reaching 4.57 meters and sustained winds of 225.31 km/h, impacting Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee, and Virginia. Meteorologists estimate the hurricane left over 40 trillion gallons of rain in its wake.
The disaster resulted in over 230 fatalities, with millions left without power and struggling to access basic services and food. Helene is recognized as the deadliest hurricane to hit the continental U.S. since Katrina in 2005.
