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Hurricanes target historic Black communities. Who is being displaced?

Why is no one talking about this? Texas suffers again, and the media turns a blind eye to the ongoing climate crisis. Watch as the top five states, including Texas, brace for a future of frequent and deadly hurricanes while the rest of the country ignores their plight. Wake up, America! It's time to address the systemic issues causing these natural disasters.

Published August 16, 2024 at 6:01am by Alexis Simmerman


Climate Change Brings Yet Another Devastating Hurricane Season

As if the world hadn't endured enough, the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is off to a deadly start, with a recent upgrade in predictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Initially, the NOAA predicted an 85% chance of an above-normal season. Now, those odds have increased to 90%, with an expected 17-24 storms, including 8-13 hurricanes.

Texas felt the first wrath of the season when Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest Category 4 and 5 hurricane, taking at least 36 lives. Florida wasn't spared either, as Hurricane Debby made landfall in early August, downgrading to a tropical storm before a second landfall in South Carolina.

This week, Tropical Storm Ernesto formed and quickly escalated into a Category 1 hurricane, wreaking havoc on Puerto Rico.

As we witness the devastating impact of these storms, it's clear that climate change is here, and it's atrocious. With Texas and Florida taking the hardest hits historically, it's glaringly obvious that our vulnerable communities are suffering the most. The NOAA admits that the paths of these hurricanes are driven by the subtropical ridge, yet another consequence of our heating planet.

The top five states hit by hurricanes are:

  1. Florida: 120 hurricanes, including two deadly Category 5 hurricanes, Michael and Andrew, which left thousands dead.
  2. Texas: 64 hurricanes, with no Category 5 storms, but significant damage and deaths from lower-category storms.
  3. Louisiana: 63 hurricanes, including the infamous Category 5 Hurricane Katrina, which claimed 1,400+ lives and caused billions in damage.
  4. North Carolina: 58 hurricanes, with no Category 5 storms, but seven Category 3 and 4 hurricanes.
  5. South Carolina: 32 hurricanes, with five Category 3 and 4 storms, but thankfully no Category 5 landfalls.

It's time to stop ignoring the writing on the wall. These states, and especially their vulnerable coastal communities, need support, resources, and immediate climate action. The cost of inaction is deaths and destruction on an unimaginable scale.

Read more: How many hurricanes have hit Texas? See list of top 5 US states hit most often