Scientists weigh in on the hurricane-supersizing effects of
global warming In the wake of Superstorm Sandy, which left a
devastating trail of destruction, power failures and flooding in
its wake, people all over are wondering whether the
"Frankenstorm" is related in any way to climate change. Has
global warming helped create the conditions that make freak
storms like Sandy happen? Writing for Climate Desk, Chris Mooney
asked a handful of climate scientists this question, and here is
a quick breakdown of what he found: 1. Precipitation: "I have no
equivocation in saying that all heavy rainfall events, including
this one, have an element of climate change in them, and the
level of that contribution will increase in the future,"
explains meteorologist Greg Holland of the National Center for
Atmospheric Research. 2. Storm surge: There’s no doubt that
global warming has raised the sea level, meaning that every
hurricane—including Sandy—surfs atop a higher ocean and can
penetrate further inland. 3. Ocean temperatur