Hurricane Helene is the Climate Crisis in Action

Over the weekend, Hurricane Helene wreaked widespread devastation in the Southeast, with high winds and unprecedented flooding killing at least 100 people with hundreds more missing and millions without power. The storm fed off record warm water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, supercharging the storm’s power. The National Weather Service identified Helene as “one of the most significant weather events to happen in the [area] in the modern era.”

The science is clear that the climate crisis, driven by the continued expansion of fossil fuels, is causing weather events like this one to be more frequent and more intense. Data have shown that the damage caused by hurricanes can be exacerbated by warmer ocean temperatures caused by climate change and the associated sea level rise.

The storm comes at a time when extreme proposals seek to block climate action and dismantle weather agencies critical to tracking hurricanes and coordinating disaster response.

In response, Sierra Club Executive Director Ben Jealous released the following statement:

“Our thoughts are with the communities who are dealing with the devastation of climate-driven extreme weather, and our gratitude goes out to the first responders who are risking their own safety to help others. As with many other recent and deadly storms, it is vulnerable communities that are facing the greatest risk. We need to help ensure a just and equitable recovery that leaves no one behind, and ensure that communities and critical infrastructure are made more resilient against future disasters.

“Make no mistake: the unimaginable devastation we’re seeing across the Southeast is the climate crisis in action. As long as we continue with the status quo of unchecked fossil fuel use, these disasters will only become more frequent, more severe, and more deadly. We must act with urgency to transition away from dirty fossil fuels to clean energy that cuts climate pollution, and we need to support leaders who understand that dire need for action, not those who ignore it.”