Last updated October 15, 2021
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Hurricane Harvey 2017

United States

Climate change raises or amplifies the three primary hazards associated with hurricanes: storm surge, rainfall, and the power ceiling, aka potential speed limit, for hurricane winds.

In the case of Hurricane Harvey, extreme precipitation was most notable. Harvey set a new national tropical cyclone rainfall record of 60.58 inches near Nederland, Texas.[1] At least five attribution studies found that global warming added to the deluge of rainfall dumped by Hurricane Harvey., and climate change was responsible for up to $67 billion of Harvey's $90 billion price tag.[2] A warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor, feeding more precipitation into all storms including hurricanes, significantly amplifying extreme rainfall and increasing the risk of flooding.[3][4]

In addition to extreme precipitation, Harvey intensified rapidly amid sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico up to 2.7 - 7.2°F (1.5 - 4°C) above average, relative to a 1961-1990 baseline.[5] As climate change warms sea surfaces, the heat available to power hurricanes has increased, raising the limit for potential hurricane wind speed and with that an exponential increase in potential wind damage.

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Tropical Satellite
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Global Warming
Air Mass Temperature Increase
Sea Surface Temperature Increase
Land Surface Temperature Increase
Atmospheric Moisture Increase
Intense Atlantic Hurricane Frequency Increase
Glacier and Ice Sheet Melt
Thermal Expansion of the Ocean
Extreme Precipitation Increase
Storm Surge Increase
Sea Level Rise
Runoff and Flood Risk Increase
Wind Damage Risk Increase
Coastal Flooding Increase
Hurricane Harvey 2017