With NASA’s estimated 140 mile per hour winds and the reported 8-foot wall of water crashing ashore in Florida, Hurricane Helene was projected to be the strongest the state had seen since 1851. After it unexpectedly encroached onto Appalachia, conversations sparked about regions that used to be deemed climate “safe havens” — including New Mexico.
By the time Helene hit the Big Bend region of Florida as a Category 4 storm, it wreaked havoc from the Gulf Coast all the way to North Carolina, flooding neighborhoods and damaging buildings, according to NBC. At least 227 people were dead as of Oct. 5, according to the Associated Press.
Evacuation orders sent residents scrambling to escape the storm's path in the hours leading up to Helene’s hectic arrival on land late in the evening of Sept. 26, it brought with it a reminder of the devastation Hurricane Katrina caused in 2005.
The last 20 years have seen the dawn of more powerful and costly hurricanes, including Hurricane Michael in 2018 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Scientists say the phenomenon is due to global climate change and the increase of sea levels and water temperatures as the ice covering 10% of Earth’s surface melts, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists.
The number of Category 3 or stronger hurricanes — deemed “major” hurricanes — has doubled since 1980, and the time it takes for hurricanes to intensify has decreased in that same time frame, according to the Environmental Defense Fund.
The increase in casualties and destruction caused by hurricanes in the modern era has brought up an important question: Why are hurricanes seemingly becoming deadlier than they used to be?
Elizabeth Ripley, a middle school science teacher who lives in North Carolina, believes rising temperatures may be the reason.
Ripley lives in Weaverville, a small town near the North Carolina-Tennessee border that was impacted by Hurricane Helene.
“With warmer ocean waters causing hurricanes to be more intense and frequent, I definitely think climate change played a part in what happened,” Ripley said.
Ripley’s neighborhood suffered from flooded basements, and trees and powerlines collapsing onto homes and covering roads for the first few days after Helene hit, forcing residents to use bikes to get around.
Ripley was fortunate to have her water and power restored within four days, but she said other residents in her area were not so lucky.
Torrential rain hit the South in the days leading up to Helene’s landfall, causing saturated soils. Rivers and creeks were already full when the hurricane hit, Ripley said.
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“Resources are so strained right now, and with such a large area impacted, trying to meet everyone’s needs and get sufficient resources dispersed involves a lot of patience,” Ripley said. “Everyone is working really hard to help the neighborhoods, but a lot of people are frustrated and there are still a lot of needs that need to be met.”
As production of fossil fuels has increased, the output of gases traps heat from the sun, which leads to rising global temperatures, according to ClientEarth. Consequently, sea levels and water temperatures that feed hurricanes rise, making the storms exponentially more destructive.
New Mexico is one of the largest producers of crude oil in the nation, putting out just over 1.8 million barrels per day in 2023, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Oil production and use leaks carbon dioxide into the atmosphere — a key driving force behind climate change, according to Brookings.
While New Mexico doesn’t directly suffer the effects of hurricanes, the severity of climate change can be felt here at home.
Feleecia Guillen — the director of environmental affairs for the Associated Students at the University of New Mexico and the director of communication and outreach for UNM Leaders for Environmental Action and Foresight — wrote in a statement to the Daily Lobo that Albuquerque has been feeling some impacts of rising temperatures.
“While some of us witness the devastation of hurricanes from the safety of our phones, we haven’t truly internalized what these events mean,” Guillen wrote.
Poor and disadvantaged communities bear the brunt of the devastation, Guillen said. These communities are sometimes situated in flood-prone areas. They lack resources to evacuate and the means to rebuild when everything is lost, Guillen wrote, and some aspects of Appalachia parallel those of New Mexico.
“Both regions are heavily exploited for their natural resources,” Guillen wrote. “And both are experiencing environmental destruction and economic disinvestment, leaving vulnerable communities to fend for themselves in the face of climate disasters.”
According to Guillen, UNM students have a unique opportunity to contribute to the fight against climate change, as advocating at local universities is a key part of shaping the policies and priorities of local and state government.
Maria Fernandez is a freelance reporter and photographer for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at news@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
