In 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused a destructive damage along the east cost of the United State. It was the biggest storm that hit the US after hurricane Katrina. The storm basically was a combination of winds, rain and snow, which made it worse. Unexpected changes in the storm size and speed caused a massive damage. The wind speed kept increasing until it reached 145 kilometers per hour, which made the storm devastating. The storm shut down the power in almost 17 states leaving 8.2 million people without electricity. Billions of dollars were estimated as economic losses caused by hurricane sandy. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, said “The level of devastation at the Jersey Shore is unthinkable, It is beyond anything I thought I’d ever see…. it is a devastating sight right now.”
Was global warming the cause for such a disaster?
Scientists point out that global warming was not the only cause, but climate change and other factors were behind this extreme event. A report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that these natural events caused by climate change were related to human activity and might increase in the future. The rise in sea level due to global warming had a crucial role for hurricane sandy to happen. A study done by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge and Princeton University in New Jersey illustrated that the higher the sea level is, the more likely these extreme weather events to happen. Both rise in sea level and high ocean temperature allowed the hurricane to expand and cause damages. Apparently, global warming was one of the major factors that lead to this climate crisis. Scientists found that natural disasters are partly caused by global warming. The concern of the global warming issue is getting larger, thus it needs to be looked after by politicians, scientists and environmentalists to find fast and appropriate solution.
References
http://globalwarmingisreal.com/2012/11/01/hurricane-sandy-climate-change-and-the-upcoming-election/
http://0-www.nature.com.library.law.suffolk.edu/news/hurricane-sandy-spins-up-climate-discussion-1.11706
http://www.weatherwise.org/Archives/Back%20Issues/2013/March-April%202013/hurricane-sandy-full.html
I also agree with your view on the cause of these extreme storm. It is important for everyone to realize what we are doing to the environment and together we can make a change to help our future.