Hurricane Ian hammers Florida with '500-year flood'

The Independent Climate Newsletter

View in browser September 30, 2022 Florida, home to many seasoned storm veterans, has been left reeling after Hurricane Ian plowed a ruinous path across the state.   The hurricane crashed into the southwest coastline close to Fort Myers on Wednesday afternoon just shy of rare Category 5 status. Wind speeds reached 155mph amid record storm surge of up to 10ft (3metres) above ground level in some places.   The number of fatalities and magnitude of the destruction was still emerging - but the initial picture was nothing less than catastrophic. Ruined homes and debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian on Thursday, September 29, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) "We've never seen storm surge of this magnitude," Florida governor Ron DeSantis said on Thursday. "The amount of water that's been rising, and will likely continue to rise today even as the storm is passing, is basically a 500-year flooding event."   At least 15 people have been killed and disaster officials were readying for thousands of people to be displaced long-term after countless properties were rendered uninhabitable. Around 2 million people lost power and the damages are so far estimated in the multi-billions of dollars.    Aerial footage showed neighborhood after neighborhood of complete decimation where homes had been inundated with several feet of water and some swept clean from their foundations. Large boats and yachts were left upended on sidewalks and all manner of heavy debris strewn across the landscape.   Many people were trapped in their homes after high waters left streets impassable. A portion of one causeway collapsed, cutting off several barrier islands entirely from the mainland.   "This could be the deadliest hurricane in Florida's history," President Joe Biden said, following a briefing on Thursday.  "The numbers are still unclear, but we're hearing early reports of what may be substantial loss of life."   Forecasters warned Floridians not to let their guard down with more severe flooding expected from heavy downpours and tidal surges. Hurricane Ian is expected to swing north in the direction of South Carolina as a strong tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane on Friday.   The climate crisis does not necessarily mean more hurricanes in the future – but planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions are super-charging storms making it more common for them to rapidly-intensify and hold more water.   Rapid analysis, published by researchers at Stony Brook University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory on Thursday, shows that human-induced climate change increased Ian's extreme rain rates by more than 10 per cent, the nonprofit Climate Signals reported.   Read more Quote of the week "It crushed us."   Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno after Hurricane Ian hit southwest Florida What you might have missed   'Reckless emissions': Nord stream gas leaks prompt concerns for climate Drought could continue into 2023, UK Environment Agency warns Asian hornet alert as insects spotted in UK Over 1,700 environmental activists murdered in 10 years, investigation finds University bans fossil fuel companies from recruiting students with careers service Rich countries fail to strengthen climate plans ahead of UN deadline Carbon counter 417.75 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere on September 28, 2022 (Find out more at source: NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory)   Changemakers Zero-waste mum puts out bins for first time this year Jen Gale, a sustainability author and podcaster, and her family of four compost food waste and buy as little packaging as possible to reduce waste     INDYBEST / BEST ECO BUY  How to keep warm without turning the heating on In the face of the cost-of-living crisis, we share the cold-busting methods to try.   Click here for the story  Green living Are you energy literate? Here's how to tell  Knowing how much electricity a product consumes is not enough. You also need to understand how often you normally use an electrical gadget, writes Donnachadh McCarthy     Articles available exclusively to subscribers As a fan of hitchhiking – could it help with the cost-of-travel crisis? Often seen as a relic of a bygone era, Simon Calder explains why it could be a good way to combat rising costs – as long as technology can help mitigate some obvious criticisms Other newsletters you might like Independent Women Every Thursday, 8am (UK time) Written by Maya Oppenheim Sign up The Race Report Fortnightly, 7am (UK time) Written by Nadine White Sign up If you can spare a minute we'd love your feedback on our newsletters. Join the conversation or follow us Please do not reply directly to this email.   You are currently registered to receive The Independent's Climate email. 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