Last updated October 15, 2021
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Atlantic Hurricane Season 2018

Atlantic Ocean

During the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season, Hurricanes Florence and Michael devastated communities in North Carolina and the Florida Panhandle. Due to human interference in the climate system, rainfall during Florence increased by over 50 percent in the heaviest parts of the storm, according to a first of its kind advanced forecast attribution statement about the influence of climate change on a tropical cyclone.[2] Hurricane Michael, meanwhile, was the Florida Panhandle's first landfalling Category 4 hurricane on record and one of the most powerful landfalling U.S. hurricanes ever, after having traveled through seas that were up to 3.6°F (2°C) warmer than the historical average.[3]

Human‐caused climate change is supercharging hurricanes and exacerbating the risk of major damage in three primary ways.[1] Sea level rise elevates and extends the reach of coastal storm surge flooding, which is the main driver of damage in coastal regions. Warmer air temperatures allow storms of all types, including hurricanes, to hold more moisture, which increases the risk of extreme precipitation and flooding. Finally, there is a significant risk that climate change may be driving increases in storm intensity and the rate at which storms intensify, increases which have been documented in several ocean basins, including the Atlantic. These increases are thought to be linked to warming seas that offer more energy to passing storms.

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Historic Storm Tracks
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Global Warming
Sea Surface Temperature Increase
Air Mass Temperature Increase
Intense Atlantic Hurricane 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
Atlantic Hurricane Season 2018