Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene was among some of the strongest and most devastating of the 2024 Hurricanes as it rampaged across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. From insider accounts, we learn of the frightening experience in preparing for Hurricane Helene as people either desperately tried to evacuate amidst expensive plane ticket prices and crowded roads, or awaited the daunting Hurricane as they bunkered down in their homes. The increased frequency and scale of these disastrous Hurricanes are in part due to climate change’s increased greenhouse gasses trapping more heat in the atmosphere resulting in warmer waters. To reduce our role in the increased frequency of Hurricanes, it is important for us to actively take steps in reducing our environmental impact such as lowering energy and transportation usage.
The 2024 Hurricane Season has been catastrophic in more ways than one as the incredible number of destructive hurricanes and named storms wreak havoc. Of these many hurricanes, Hurricane Helene is considered one of the most destructive, if not the most destructive, of the 2024 season. Since its landfall in September, Helene has taken the lives of over 230 people and inflicted great destruction across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. This catastrophe has devastated and continues to devastate many families.
The Insider Experience
This September, Hurricane Helene broke records being the only Category 4 storm since hurricane records began in 1851 to hit Florida’s Big Bend region. The nearly 400-mile-wide storm brought intense flooding, power outages, and severe damages, impacting millions as it rampaged through the US. An interview with Olivia Rincon — a resident of Perry, Florida within the direct hit location of Hurricane Helene — reveals the intense impact of Hurricane Helene.
When asked what the most challenging aspect of her experience was, Olivia responded, “The most difficult part of my experience with Hurricane Helene was the preparation and the fear of how hard the storm was going to hit. Watching the forecast, it felt like it just kept escalating further and further until it was considered one of the biggest hurricanes recorded.” This sentiment proved true across the United States, as all eyes were on Hurricane Helene’s rapid progression from a named tropical storm to a category 4 hurricane within a mere 2 days.
As Hurricane Helene approached Florida’s Big Bend region, many were faced with a difficult choice: evacuate and leave their lives behind or stay despite the danger. If they choose to evacuate, residents became subject to extreme traffic and crowded airports with ticket prices quadrupling in price; not to mention the uncertainty of what will become of their homes — their entire lives held in one place. Staying behind proved equally difficult as residents prepared their homes for the incoming destruction and endured the fear of a massive hurricane heading toward them. As someone who did not evacuate, Olivia Rincon describes this feeling as “truly a scary feeling when there is a massive storm coming towards you, but you just can’t bear the fact of leaving your life behind.”
Even with the news reporting on Hurricane Helene’s expected devastation, Floridians were not prepared for how hard it would hit them. Olivia recounts how every single one of her neighbors experienced extreme damage such as, “half a roof blown off or fallen trees in front of their doors or even on their house”. Right after the hurricane passed, she recounts how she witnessed the, “completely flooded” roads and the difficulty of, “walking outside of my house after it had hit.”
Our Impact on Hurricanes
Hurricanes are not a rare occurrence in current years as an astronomical number of hurricanes wreak havoc every year. As paleotempestologists observe our tropical climate activity, it’s important for the rest of us to recognize our role in these increasing hurricanes. For those living in Florida and hurricane-prone areas, it is truly dangerous how frequently hurricanes and strong tropical storms are forming. As a resident of Florida herself, Olivia Rincon exclaims how “it has made me more anxious for the future because I see that the hurricanes are getting stronger each year and that hurricane season is extending because it’s hotter for longer periods of time.” We must recognize our environmental impact and talk about “why this happened and why it’s been happening more frequently.”
Hurricanes form as tropical storms that gain power from the moisture-rich, warm waters of the ocean. As warm ocean air rises into these storms, low-pressure areas form below the storm serving to pull in even more warm air. The air rises into the storm and rapidly cools resulting in the formation of clouds and thunderstorms. Thunderstorms amass together resulting in a destructive Hurricane with high-speed winds. Climate change amplifies both the frequency and destructiveness of Hurricanes as warmer air and waters from an increase in trapped greenhouse gasses leads to optimal conditions for the formation of strong Hurricanes. As Olivia puts it, “The warmer the water is in the surrounding areas of Florida, the longer hurricane season is stretched and the more hurricanes have a chance to form. It’s important to be talking about this so that we can prevent it from happening again in the future.” Recognizing that our impact even from states or countries away can have a devastating impact on the world and actively taking actions to reduce it is crucial to lowering our environmental impact.
What Can We Do?
In lieu of our role in the increasing frequency of Hurricanes, it is important for us to actively reduce our environmental impact. Hurricanes are formed more frequently than ever and have become more destructive than ever due to greenhouse gasses creating optimal conditions for Hurricane formation. Choosing to take actions such as riding your bike or walking instead of driving, taking public transportation, turning off lights in rooms you’re not in to reduce energy usage, and choosing to use more energy-efficient products can reduce our environmental impact from greenhouse gasses. Lowering transportation usage can lower the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses cars can emit. Reducing energy usage can lower the amount of fossil fuels burned to supply this energy. Choosing to take small actions that reduce our environmental impact can slow down this frightening future of Hurricane-caused destruction.
Further, we can support those impacted by these devastating Hurricanes by donating money or supplies to relief funds, volunteering to help in the clean up efforts, helping to set up shelters and refuge, etc. Organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Americares, United Way, CARE, state and local disaster relief funds, and local food banks in affected areas are more than willing to accept these donations to help those impacted by Hurricanes. However, be sure to do a few minutes of research to ensure you are donating to a reputable organization rather than donating to the multitude of charity scams.
Recap
Hurricane Helene was among some of the strongest and most devastating of the 2024 Hurricanes as it rampaged across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee. From insider accounts, we learn of the frightening experience in preparing for Hurricane Helene as people either desperately tried to evacuate amidst expensive plane ticket prices and crowded roads, or awaited the daunting Hurricane as they bunkered down in their homes. The increased frequency and scale of these disastrous Hurricanes are in part due to climate change’s increased greenhouse gasses trapping more heat in the atmosphere resulting in warmer waters. As tropical storms pass over these warmer waters, they grow into strong Hurricanes. To reduce our role in the increased frequency of Hurricanes, it is important for us to actively take steps in reducing our environmental impact such as lowering energy and transportation usage. Donating to those impacted by Hurricanes to relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Americares, United Way, CARE, state and local disaster relief funds, and local food banks in affected areas is also important to help Hurricane victims get back on their feet.