Publication Date November 5, 2012 | LiveScience

Climate Change Partly to Blame for Hurricane Damage

United States
Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Photo: Pamela Andrade, Flickr
Hurricane Sandy aftermath. Photo: Pamela Andrade, Flickr

Climate change likely made Hurricane Sandy 2012 much worse than it otherwise would have been, scientists said here yesterday at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America.

For one thing, rising sea levels set the stage for a more damaging storm surge, as Hurricane Sandy 2012 broke records with a 13.2-foot (4 meters) storm surge in New York City's Battery Park, said Pennsylvania State University climatologist Michael Mann. "At least 1 foot of those 13.2 feet was arguably due to sea-level rise," he said. That's because sea levels are 1 foot (30 centimeters) higher than they were a century ago, he continued