Climate scientist can explain why potentially deadly storms like Milton are developing so fast

GLASSBORO, N.J. (October 8, 2024) – As massive Hurricane Milton bears down on Florida’s western coast, with an expected landfall as early as Wednesday, residents are rushing to reach safer locales ahead of the storm. Milton, like other recent storms, has exploded into a faster, deadlier threat than hurricanes in the past, fueled by record high water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.

Dr. Andra Garner, an associate professor of Environmental Science at Rowan University, can speak to why hurricanes are developing and strengthening faster. Her research has examined how climate change impacts the speed with which hurricanes intensify, how storm surge flooding from hurricanes is worsened by higher sea levels, and how hurricane tracks may change as the planet warms. Her recent research on hurricane intensification in the Atlantic was identified as a top-100 downloaded paper from Scientific Reports in the category of Earth, Environment and Ecology for 2023.

For interviews, please emailed Dr. Garner at [email protected].