Hurricanes like Francine are more dangerous as the Gulf Coast sinks

Hurricane Francine slammed southern Louisiana with 100 mph winds and an intense storm surge, made worse by climate change and subsidence along the Gulf Coast.

Matt Simon reports for Grist.

In short:

Hurricane Francine struck Louisiana as a Category 2 storm, pushing a massive storm surge inland.
Rising sea levels from climate change and subsidence make future hurricanes more dangerous.
Scientists found some areas of the Gulf Coast are sinking by more than half an inch annually, exacerbating storm surge risks.

Key quote:

“Once that land surface is lost...that actually loses some of the protective barriers, so the storm surge can move further inland.”

— Ann Jingyi Chen, geophysicist at the University of Texas at Austin

Why this matters:

As subsidence and rising sea levels worsen, Gulf Coast communities face higher risks of flooding and storm surges during hurricanes. Better planning and data collection are critical to mitigate future damage.

grist.org

Hurricanes like Francine are more dangerous as the Gulf Coast sinks

Climate activist Bill McKibben to Houston: It’s solar’s time to shine

New Hampshire snowpack decline reveals hidden impacts on forests and water

Syria's worst drought in decades pushes millions to the brink

Trump's call to end quarterly reports gets unlikely support from climate-conscious investors

Effort to curb Southern California rail yard pollution stalls under Trump

It isn’t just the U.S. The whole world has soured on climate politics.

New Mexico’s billion-dollar oilfield orphans

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Pennsylvania health advocates say Trump’s first 100 days in office have caused “100 harms” to local communities

“They're terrorizing these scientists because they want to keep them silent.”

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.