Annual Meetings-Hurricanes and Climate Change

Pdf Summary

The document discusses the impacts of climate change on severe weather events such as hurricanes, severe convective storms, and wildfires. It highlights how oceans absorb excess heat, attributing 90% of it to greenhouse gas emissions, impacting hurricane behavior. The confidence in climate change impacts on hurricanes includes increased storm surge, heavier rainfall, and higher maximum intensities. Factors like sea level rise and warmer temperatures play significant roles. The document also mentions the upcoming hurricane season is expected to be above average in activity. In addition, it touches on the trends of large hail potential days, tornado potential, and the influence of urbanization on severe weather events. The section on wildfires addresses concerns about their frequency, the impacts of smoke, extended wildfire seasons, and their occurrence in unexpected areas due to rising temperatures and reduced precipitation. The relationship between fuel moisture, drying times, and fire behavior is explained, illustrating how dry conditions contribute to faster-spreading wildfires. Overall, the document emphasizes the correlation between climate change and the increasing intensity and frequency of severe weather events like hurricanes, severe storms, and wildfires.

Asset Caption

Presented by Dr. Ian Giammanco, Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) and Kimberly Roberts, Guy Carpenter

Keywords

climate change impacts

severe weather events

hurricanes

convective storms

wildfires

ocean heat absorption

greenhouse gas emissions

storm surge

sea level rise

urbanization effects