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Roger Pielke, Jr. quoted in Philly Inquirer on extreme weather
Long-term forecast sees more-damaging storms
by Anthony R. Wood and Sandy Bauers
The historic cyclone that made landfall on this date last year was so powerful and devastating that it was designated a “superstorm,” had its name retired, and entered the tropical storm hall of fame.
But hurricane experts fear that something far worse than Sandy, blamed for $50 billion in damage, is brewing. In the next two decades, the nation could experience a $500 billion storm.
The sea level is rising, and global warming might affect future storms. But even if the world’s temperature stops rising before you finish this paragraph, hurricanes far more damaging than Sandy are all but a certainty, they say.
Despite unprecedented forecasting, monitoring, and warning abilities, and a record period of hurricanes avoiding landfall, the disaster remains one of the nation’s most robust growth industries, with almost unlimited potential. Read more …
