Hurricane Helene devastates Asheville, a once climate-resilient city

Hurricane Helene has destroyed large portions of Asheville, North Carolina, once considered a climate refuge, as unprecedented floods from the storm caused widespread damage and left the city cut off.

Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.

In short:

Asheville, promoted as a safe climate haven, was heavily damaged by catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene.
The storm, fueled by record heat, has killed more than 100 people across five states, with nearly a third of deaths in the Asheville area.
Recovery in Asheville and surrounding regions may take years, raising questions about how to rebuild amid worsening climate threats.

Key quote:

“This storm has the fingerprints of climate change all over it.”

— Kathie Dello, North Carolina state climatologist

Why this matters:

Hurricane Helene shows how climate change can push extreme weather into unexpected regions, challenging the safety of once-protected areas. The disaster in Asheville raises difficult questions about the notion of so-called climate refuge cities, and how and where to rebuild in an increasingly unstable climate.

www.theguardian.com

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