People that live in and around the Gulf of Mexico are no strangers to the storms that come ashore every hurricane season. Although there are steps people can take to prepare for some of these storms, others will cause devastation regardless of preparation. This was the case for both Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Maria which devastated the Texas coast and the island of Puerto Rico in 2017. Unfortunately, scientists believe storms like these are going to increase in number in the near future.
Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recently published a study that found the Atlantic Ocean is producing more intense storms than previous years. Researchers looked at the rapid intensification of hurricanes and storms in the Atlantic and found that over the past few years, storms have been intensifying at much quicker rates. The study listed examples such as Hurricane Michael (2018) that intensified from a Category 1 Hurricane to a Category 4 in only 24 hours time.
These quickly intensifying storms are dangerous for several reasons. First of all, they are extremely powerful. While many storms or hurricanes lessen in strength as they approach land, the rapidly intensifying storms occurring in the Atlantic are yielding hurricanes that don’t lose as much strength when approaching landfall. By the time these storms make landfall, they can have higher wind speeds and cause more damage.
Quickly intensifying storms are also dangerous because they don’t give people in the path of the storm enough time to prepare or evacuate. Because predicting the path of a hurricane is extremely difficult, quickly intensifying storms compound the problem and pose a huge threat to anyone in the path of the storm.
Effects of Catastrophic Storms
The U.S. will see more rapidly intensifying storms and hurricanes in the years to come, which will likely be catastrophic for anyone along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts. It’s been over a year since Hurricane Maria and Hurricane Harvey struck, but much of the areas affected by these storms are still struggling to recover.
Insurance companies refusing to pay out on valid claims have slowed down recovery in Puerto Rico. In Texas, many homeowners and property owners are trying to hold the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers accountable for flooding their homes as a result of the Addicks and Barker reservoirs dam releases in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
Helping Hurricane Victims
More intense storms means more property owners are going to face hurricane damage and potentially dishonest insurance companies. Raizner Law is helping hurricane victims rebuild by getting them the full compensation they deserve. Contact us today to see how we can help.
