In recent years, the impacts of hurricanes in the U.S. and other parts of the world have worsened, being more costly in terms of physical damages and deaths. Scientists are unsure whether the number of hurricanes will change, but they are certain that their intensity and severity will continue to increase. In a recently conducted study, scientists discovered that warm oceans may trigger rapid intensification as a storm passes.
Rapid Intensification of Hurricanes
Rapid intensification is a term that describes tropical cyclones that have intensified rapidly. According to the National Hurricane Center, this phenomenon happens when a hurricane's
maximum sustained winds increased by at least 35 mph within 24 hours.
Hurricanes that demonstrate rapid intensification have recently become a common occurrence. In 2017, Hurricane Maria strengthened from a Category 1 to a Category 5 storm, causing more than $94 billion in damages and 3,000 deaths in Puerto Rico. In the same year, Hurricane Harvey went through an extremely rapid intensification as it quickly strengthened from a Category 3 to a Category 4 storm within the same day, resulting in $125 billion in damages and 88 deaths.
In 2021, Category 4 storm Hurricane Ida rapidly intensified several times and devastated Louisiana, causing $75 billion in damages and more than 90 deaths. The following year, Hurricane Ian rapidly intensified twice, first on September 25, 2022, and again as it reached Cuba the next day. This hurricane was responsible for 150 deaths and around $112 billion in damage, making it the most expensive hurricane in the history of Florida.
This year, Hurricane Lee made history by rapidly intensifying in such a short period. It went from Tropical Depression 13 on the morning of September 5 to a Category 5 hurricane by the night of September 7. Meanwhile, Hurricane Idalia also rapidly intensified as it traveled through the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall in Florida, strengthening from Category 3 to Category 4 storm in just 24 hours.
These hurricanes easily met and even greatly exceeded the definition of rapid intensification by the National Hurricane Center. These storms leave people little time to prepare, making them particularly dangerous to lives and properties.
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Role of Climate Change to Rapid Intensification
Stories of rapid intensification of tropical cyclones are becoming more common, not just in the Atlantic, and this trend has been linked to climate change. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) suggests that the recent spikes in rapid intensification are the side effects of human influences on tropical activity.
Warmer sea surface temperature is a major factor in intensifying tropical storms' wind speeds. This condition gives hurricanes the potential to deliver more damage upon making landfall. Warmer sea temperatures also produce wetter hurricanes with 10%-15% more precipitation.
Changes in the atmosphere could also contribute to climate change-related influences on the rapid intensification of hurricanes. Modern hurricanes travel more slowly than previously, subjecting coastal areas to higher total rainfall and extended periods of high winds and storm surges.
The warming of mid-latitudes may also change the pattern of tropical storms. Scientists have observed a northward shift in the location at which hurricanes peak, putting more lives and properties at risk.
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