Did Global Warming Make Hurricane Ian Intensify Faster than Normal? Let's Look at the Evidence

American Thinker ^ | 10/05/2022 | Neil L. Frank

[SeekAndFind]

Hurricane Ian “rapidly transformed from a relatively weak storm into a strong one, [a] phenomenon that has become more common” due to climate change.

So reported the New York Times in its daily email newsletter. It also said, “Ian embodies several of the major hurricane trends in recent years, as the world copes with the effects of climate change. It’s a strong storm -- and strong storms are becoming more common in the Atlantic Ocean, as its surface water has warmed.”

The prayers of a nation go out to the people in Florida devastated by Hurricane Ian, particularly those in the Ft. Myers area. Ian was indeed one of the most powerful and destructive hurricanes ever to strike southwest Florida.

Unfortunately, the tragedy is compounded by climate-change activists who are using it for political purposes. They blame Ian on global warming. Headlines in the mainstream media claimed Ian was the fourth-strongest hurricane ever to hit Florida and that its strong winds were caused by global warming. Both statements are wrong.

The strength of a hurricane can be determined in two ways. First, you can fly into the storm and measure the winds. Second, you can drop a barometer into the eye and determine the pressure. There is an excellent relationship between wind and the pressure in the eye. The lower the pressure, the stronger the winds. If you know one, then you can calculate the other. For decades before the 1990s, pressure was the main factor in determining the strength of a hurricane.

Using pressure, Ian was not the fourth-strongest hurricane in Florida history but the tenth. The strongest hurricane in U.S. history moved through the Florida Keys in 1935.

[SeekAndFind]

Among other Florida hurricanes stronger than Ian was another Florida Keys storm in 1919. This was followed by the hurricanes in 1926 in Miami, the Palm Beach/Lake Okeechobee storm in 1928, the Keys in 1948, and Donna in 1960. We do not know how strong the hurricane in 1873 was, but it destroyed Punta Rassa with a 14-foot storm surge. Punta Rassa is located at the mouth of the river leading up to Ft. Myers, where Ian made landfall.

Note well: all these hurricanes occurred before SUVs, so CO2 and the warming it purportedly causes were not their cause.

Another false claim is that CO2 generated by burning of fuels is causing an increase in the number of Atlantic hurricanes. This is based on the historical list of hurricanes since 1850, which shows a significant rise over time. But this claim rests on misunderstanding hurricane science. There are two reasons for the apparent rise in the number of hurricanes, and neither is related to global warming.

First, there has been a dramatic change in our ability to detect hurricanes.

[moovova]

Of course it did.

[Jim W N]

Do we really need to wring our hands about whether some weather event was due to “global warming” or “climate change” or some such thing?

To pound on something, let’s pound ceaselessly that weather has been around for millennia and that man-made weather is a lie and not supported by true science. Let’s pound on that.

[dhs12345]

Knee jerk reaction to score political points. Glad that someone is looking at it objectively and scientifically.

[rlmorel]

Excellent, EXCELLENT article. Very well done, and authored by someone who has the credentials.

Thank you for posting it. I will bookmark and save that one.

[dhs12345]

Yes we do if you are pushing an agenda. The agenda trumps science and logic.

And lets punish any so called scientists who are pushing the agenda without facts. The scientists think that they have shelter but lets call them out.

[George J. Jetso]

Of course there were no hurricanes prior to globull warming.

[Steve_Seattle]

"The strongest hurricane in U.S. history moved through the Florida Keys in 1935."

Sounds like the one described by Lionel Barrymore ("Mr. Temple") in the film Key Largo. As a hurricane was moving in, he was trying to rattle gangster Johnny Rocco (Edward G. Robinson) whose gang had taken over Temple's small hotel. Humphrey Bogart noticed Rocco's increasing alarm about the storm and began to needle him: "Don't like the storm, Rocco? Why don't you get out your gun and shoot it?" Rocco: "Shut up, soldier."

[SeekAndFind]

For those who don’t have the time to read the entire article,at least read this conclusion:

Buried in the midst of all these claims is a logical fallacy — the fallacy of hypothesis contrary to fact. We simply do not know if Hurricane Ian would have been weaker, or would have intensified more slowly, in the absence of global warming. Why not? Because it did not occur in the absence of global warming.

What we do know is that hurricanes were at least as frequent and powerful before the current period of global warming as they have been during it — indeed, we know they were actually more frequent and more powerful.

Climate-change activists and the mainstream media are wrong. There has not been an increase in the frequency, intensity, or speed of intensification of Atlantic hurricanes in the past several decades. You might clue your representatives in Congress about that so they won’t be so likely to cater to alarmists.

[metmom]

No, it was a late season storm going over water that was essentially hurricane rocket fuel.

[Texas resident]

Great movie. I watch it every time it comes on.

[Steve_Seattle]

This article is good as far as it goes, but it doesn't address the claim that human generated CO2 ("greenhouse gases") and cattle flatulence are driving "climate change." This is always assumed, never proven, despite the fact that there is little to no evidence that a small increase in a trace element in the atmosphere (about .04%, only 5% of which is caused by human activity)) is overwhelming all other factors which influence climate.

I remember an article in my local newspaper about five years ago that said we finally had the first EMPIRICAL evidence of the excess heat caused by human-generated CO2. This was the energy equivalent, for every cubic meter of the atmosphere, of raising your arm over your head ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS. The article admitted that "this doesn't sound like much, but blah blah blah." And, after years of our being told that "the science is settled," they conceded that this was the FIRST field research to support the anthropogenic climate change hypothesis.

[SunkenCiv]

• Democrats blaming climate change for Hurricane Ian at odds with science, climate experts say [09/30/2022]

[Joe Brower]

All the usual suspects trying to spin (no pun intended) tragedy to further their agenda.

I am so surprised.

Florida Freeper

I'm compiling a list of FReepers interested in Florida-related topics.
If you want to be added, please FReepMail me.

[pfflier]

It’s a strong storm -- and strong storms are becoming more common in the Atlantic Ocean, as its surface water has warmed.”

When Ian made landfall in Florida it was from the Gulf of Mexico, not the Atlantic. The gulf is notoriously warmer than the Atlantic this time of year and most storms intensify more as they travel through warmer water.

So, only the ny slimes is surprised by this?

[MeganC]

Hurricane Ian was made worse by global warming, climate change, systemic racism, fascism, capitalism, cows, SUVs, commercial airplanes (but not private jets!), cruise ships (but not private superyachts!), coal, natural gas, heterosexuality, white supremacy, math, English language competency, engineering, video games, election integrity laws, gun rights, self defense, private property, failure to use the right pronouns, gas powered leaf blowers, corporate agriculture (except the stuff owned by Bill Gates!), cutting down trees, wearing white after Labor Day, and sunlight.

[steve in DC]

I would like to help clarify something.

During hurricane Sandy, the storm surge in NYC was such that the subway in and around Wall St was overtopped and it flooded out.

That was weather.

During the last glaciation, Manhattan was buried under a mile thick block of frozen glacier.

That is climate.

You’re welcome.

[DocRock]

For future reference: https://www.sciencenewslab.com/environment/the-tonga-eruptions-50-million-tons-of-water-vapor-may-warm-earth-for-months-to-come/