Humans have affected hurricanes’ power

North Atlantic hurricanes have intensified since the 1970s, and scientists are increasingly able to attribute aspects of individual hurricanes to human-caused climate change. Satellite data indicate the percentage of hurricanes reaching Category 4 or 5 has roughly doubled since the ’70s.

Recent studies concluded storm surge from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 affected 11 percent more homes because of sea level rise, caused primarily by hu- man activity. Likewise, Hurricane Harvey’s record-breaking rainfall was made three times more likely by humancaused warming. Research also suggests global warming is contributing to weather patterns like the high-pressure ridges that caused Harvey and Florence to stall after making landfall.

Hurricanes have and will always occur. But global warming is loading the dice, making intense storms more likely. Kristina Dahl, senior climate scientist Union of Concerned Scientists Oakland, Calif.

More people and more valuable infrastructure in the way of storms equal more fatalities and damage. Flooding is made worse by increased runoff due to more pavement and impervious surfaces.

Yes, the damage from Hurricane Florence is unfortunate, but Hurricanes Hazel, Hugo and other past storms in the Carolinas have been a lot more intense. Today's mainstream news media want to make every hurricane, or even snowstorm, into an example of climate change and the biggest, baddest storm ever. Storms are just daily variations in weather; just get used to it. Tom Haxby

No single weather event can be directly attributed to global warming, it’s just weather — but patterns are a different story. We’re seeing increases in the amount of storms and their intensities. Julio Rivera Ayala