New Report Shows Weather Disasters In 2017 Cost More Than $300 Billion : The Two
Deke Arndt
That may be hard to remember in the thick of winter. But  climate scientist Deke Arndt  points out that even in a warm year  we still have frigid weather that invades from the north. "We still have very cold poles and we still have the same weather systems that pull cold air away from those poles into places where we live "  he  explains.
 Arndt  is part of a team at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that assesses each year's weather and climate. They note that 2017 is the 21st year in a row in which the average annual temperature was warmer than the average over the 20th century. And the five warmest years for the lower 48 states have all occurred since 2006.
NOAA's assessment acknowledges that part of the rising disaster toll is due to people building more homes and businesses in vulnerable places. That's especially true with recent losses from wildfires and hurricanes. But  Arndt  notes that a warmer world clearly makes some weather worse. "Heat waves  their duration  their intensity  their frequency is going up "  he  says  as is the frequency of very heavy rainfalls.
Oceanographer Antonio Busalacchi says climate models predict more of the same. "The trend is there  it is clearly evident " says Busalacchi  "we are on an upward and warming slope." And it's a slope that increasingly worries not only scientists but insurance companies.  He  says insurance companies have a lot of questions about where the climate is headed. "Where is the risk in the future going to be from regional sea level rise?"  he  asks. "Where is the risk going to be for the increase in Category 3  4 and 5 hurricanes? Where is the risk going to be for straight-line winds?"
That may be hard to remember in the thick of winter. But  climate  [TGT] points out that even in a warm year  we still have frigid weather that invades from the north. "We still have very cold poles and we still have the same weather systems that pull cold air away from those poles into places where we live "  he  explains.
  [TGT] is part of a team at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that assesses each year's weather and climate. They note that 2017 is the 21st year in a row in which the average annual temperature was warmer than the average over the 20th century. And the five warmest years for the lower 48 states have all occurred since 2006.
NOAA's assessment acknowledges that part of the rising disaster toll is due to people building more homes and businesses in vulnerable places. That's especially true with recent losses from wildfires and hurricanes. But   [TGT] notes that a warmer world clearly makes some weather worse. "Heat waves  their duration  their intensity  their frequency is going up "  he  says  as is the frequency of very heavy rainfalls.
Oceanographer Antonio Busalacchi says climate models predict more of the same. "The trend is there  it is clearly evident " says Busalacchi  "we are on an upward and warming slope." And it's a slope that increasingly worries not only scientists but insurance companies.  He  says insurance companies have a lot of questions about where the climate is headed. "Where is the risk in the future going to be from regional sea level rise?"  he  asks. "Where is the risk going to be for the increase in Category 3  4 and 5 hurricanes? Where is the risk going to be for straight-line winds?"