STATEIMPACT PENNSYLVANIA – The remnants of Hurricane Ida caused flooding and multiple deaths in Pennsylvania. Scientists say climate change is one of the reasons the storm was so severe.
Climate change – mainly caused by fossil fuel burning and other human activities – has already raised the earth’s temperature by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit.
Vehicles are submerged during flooding in Norristown, Pennsylvania on Thursday, September 2, 2021, following downpours and high winds from the remnants of Hurricane Ida that struck the area. (AP Photo / Matt Rourke)The recently released United Nations report on climate change concluded that man-made climate change increases the amount of rainfall in hurricanes and tropical storms.
This is due to a growing Amount of evidence backed by evidence that continued warming makes storms more intense.
Jon Nese, a Penn State meteorologist, said in an email that storms like Ida have « a fingerprint of climate change » on them.
« (B) asmatic, the atmosphere has the potential to hold more water as global temperatures rise, increasing the risk of extreme heavy rain, » said Nese.
Ida let over nine inches of rain in parts of the northeast and up to 6 1/2 inches in Pennsylvania.
Michael Mann, professor of meteorology and atmospheric science at Penn State University, said the unusually warm Gulf of Mexico quickly turned Ida from a humble hurricane to a monster rm transformed.
« This storm intensified extremely quickly over very warm Gulf water, » said Mann. « We saw one of the fastest intensifying events ever in 24 hours, going from a very weak hurricane to something right on the brink of a category five storm. »
Mann says studies have shown past storms like this Hurricanes Harvey in 2017 and Florence in 2018, two of the largest flooding events in US history, were “astronomically unlikely” without climate change.
« We would have an event like this without the planet warming from fossil burning Not seeing fuels and the rise in carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere, « said Mann.
Climate change is » an important driver « that is causing recent hurricanes to slow down, which increases their damage, said Friederike Otto, deputy Director of the Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, UK, and co-leader of the World Weather Attribution group Impact of climate change on extreme weather events studied.
« (W) When hurricanes occur, the associated precipitation is more intense due to man-made climate change and Ida will be no exception, » said Otto.
More than 40 People in the northeast died as a result of the storm, including several in Pennsylvania. Low lying areas in Pittsburgh were flooded. Part of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was evacuated after flooding caused Wilmore Dam to overflow. The Schuylkill River in Philadelphia reached its highest point in 100 years.
Scientists say more climate change is preventable. Reducing our CO2 emissions by moving away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energies can help keep the world from getting any warmer, said Mann.
« We can keep things from getting worse if we do ours Decarbonise the economy fast, « said Mann.
BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) – This year marks a decade since the floods of Tropical Storm Lee left the area without power and tried to save their homes. WSKG shares some of their stories.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG) – A decade ago, the Southern Tier experienced historic rains and floods that continue to set records to this day. The frequency of these storms is increasing and the region is more prone to flooding.
WSKG joined WBNG, WICZ, WIVT, Equinox Broadcasting, Clear Channel, Citadel Communications and GM Broadcasting on September 14, 2011 for Local Broadcasters Flood Relief 2011
After the floods in our region in September, the WSKG organized a flood relief telethon with commercial radio and television stations, which led to a monumental action. Together, our community helped raise over $ 250,000 in a single day.
VETAL, NY (WSKG) – Much of the area experienced devastating floods this summer, and minor floods have washed water into basements. This is not necessarily new for residents who have had to live with the consequences of water damage, including mold.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG) – The 2011 flood of Tropical Storm Lee devastated the Susquehanna River Valley, but a decade later, businesses are still grappling with an unpredictable river. The flood
The Dietrich Theater on Tioga Street in Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania first opened in 1937 but closed in the 1980s.
Contributions from the community
The WSKG called on the people in the region that was affected by floods in 2011. We have compiled these submissions of stories, pictures, and sound into a digital scrapbook.
VESTAL, NY (WSKG) – A decade ago, Tropical Storm Lee brought record flooding to communities along the Susquehanna River. Thousands of buildings were destroyed, including a school in Binghamton.
BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) – In September 2011, floods from Tropical Storm Lee wreaked havoc along the Susquehanna River. The Binghamton-Johnson City Joint Sewage Treatment Plant (BJCJSTP), which also serves other communities in the area, was facing a number of problems before the flood.
BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) – The 2011 flood devastated homes along the Susquehanna River in Sidney were some of the cheapest homes in the village. They had already survived historic floods in 2006, and many were extensively rehabilitated in the period that followed.
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