Weather Disasters: Climate Change and the Potential for Conflict
Photo Source U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | CC BY 2.0
East Island was an uninhabited remote island in the Hawaiian chain, but it was an important refuge for wildlife: Many of the endangered Hawaiian monk seals numbering about 1400 raised their young on that island; others like the green sea turtle and the albatross used it as a shelter. Not any more because Hurricane Walaka washed away most of the island a few days ago.
It was not the only major Pacific storm last week for category 5 Typhoon Yutu devastated the Northern Marianas, a U.S. territory. It was reputedly the worst U.S. storm since 1935. Perhaps happenstance, but the rise in mean temperature due to global warming also exacerbates storms.
In September, Hurricane Florence hit North Carolina — 51 people died. The next month Hurricane Michael slammed the Florida panhandle at 5 mph short of a category 5, a record for the area. Following just a few days after the IPCC (October 8, 2018) report on restricting global warming to 1.5 C, it seemed like nature’s affirmation. The residents of the area have not yet recovered from the devastation. The same is true in Puerto Rico and the other affected areas where over 3000 people reportedly have lost their lives due to Hurricane Maria a year ago. It followed on the heels of Irma tearing through several other Caribbean islands before arriving in Florida. And Harvey flooded Houston causing a record $125 billion in damage.
Across the Atlantic, there have been heavy rains in Turkey where a 300 year-old bridge was washed away, and flooding in France, Wales and Scotland. Hurricane Leslie targeted Portugal weakening fortunately to a tropical storm before landfall, and last year Hurricane Ophelia skirted past, its winds fanning wild fires in Portugal and Spain before becoming the worst storm to hit Ireland in 50 years although not at hurricane force, having dissipated in the colder northern waters.
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