Last updated September 12, 2019
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Hurricane Lane August 2018

United States

Hurricane Lane reached Category 5 strength on August 21 with top sustained winds near 160 mph and a minimum central pressure of 940 mb. On August 22, Hurricane Lane drew close to Hawaii, prompting hurricane warnings and watches on the islands. Though it never made landfall, the storm brought high winds, torrential rains, and major flooding to large parts of the state. With 52.02 inches of rain measured at one gauge on the Big Island, Lane was the second-wettest tropical cyclone ever recorded in the U.S., after Harvey.[1] It was only the 6th recorded Category 5 hurricane in this part of the Pacific and the nearest to Hawaii a Category 5 hurricane has ever been observed.[2] 

Climate change affects hurricane activity and amplifies the damages in three ways: (1) increasing the rainfall that drops during the storm, (2) increasing sea surface temperatures which in turn raises the maximum potential energy that a storm can reach, and (3) elevating storm surge, via sea level rise, which greatly extends the storm's reach along low-lying areas.

Sea surface temperatures on August 19, 2018 along the path of Hurricane Lane were as much as 4.5°F above the average from 1961 to 1990. Unprecedented storms such as Lane are more likely now due to global warming.

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Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Global Warming
Sea Surface Temperature Increase
Air Mass Temperature Increase
Intense Cyclone, Hurricane, Typhoon Frequency Increase
Glacier and Ice Sheet Melt
Thermal Expansion of the Ocean
Atmospheric Moisture Increase
Storm Surge Increase
Sea Level Rise
Extreme Precipitation Increase
Coastal Flooding Increase
Runoff and Flood Risk Increase
Wind Damage Risk Increase
Hurricane Lane August 2018