Musings: It's obvious why Helene, Milton hit
An aerial view of the debris from tornadoes in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton on Thursday in Fort Pierce, Fla. Credit: AP/Gerald Herbert
Hurricane Helene was extremely powerful, causing hundreds of deaths and devastating the Southeast, wiping out roads and bridges, and causing massive damage. Less than two weeks later, Florida was hit by the powerful Hurricane Milton. All this damage was due to climate change.
When we use fossil fuels as energy, the chemical reaction produces carbon dioxide. This is a greenhouse gas along with methane. These gases form a layer around our planet which keep heat energy from escaping.
This is what happens in your car when you park in the sun. The car’s glass traps the heat energy and causes the interior of the car to heat up more than the outside air temperature.
Likewise, heat energy trapped in our atmosphere causes our air and water to heat up and fuels hurricanes. Hotter air can hold more moisture and can make storms dump tremendous rainfall. So as a result, we will see stronger hurricanes, higher wind speeds, and more rainfall.
We need to stop burning fossil fuels, find alternate energy sources, and prepare our country for future storms.
— Janet Mar, Massapequa
The writer was a science teacher.
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