hurricanes Archives - State of the Planet

The Cyclones She Experienced as a Child Led to a Career in Hurricane Risk

Atmospheric physicist Chia-Ying Lee is working to improve our understanding of how tropical cyclones will evolve in the future.

by Christopher D. Shea |September 19, 2023
suzana camargo

Faculty Spotlight: Suzana Camargo, Plasma Physicist Turned Extreme Weather Expert

When she came to Columbia, she started a research project on hurricanes that she thought would last a year. More than 20 years later, hurricanes are still her main area of interest.

by Frederique Fyhr |May 16, 2023

“Urgency. Gravity. Hope.” World’s Top Climate Report Highlights Dire Need for Climate Action

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s assessment report issues catastrophic warning if immediate climate action is not taken by governments across the globe.

by |March 23, 2023

She Led Scientists Advising New York on Climate Change. Did the City Listen?

Cynthia Rosenzweig co-chaired the New York City Panel on Climate Change, an expert body advising the mayor, from its inception four years before Hurricane Sandy, and well after. Here, she assesses what was learned, and done, before and after.

by |October 29, 2022

The ‘Cassandra of the Subways’ on Hurricane Sandy, Ten Years Later

Klaus Jacob predicted for years how the New York City subways would flood in a superstorm. Finally, authorities began to listen, but long-term preventive action came too little, too late.

by |October 21, 2022

New York City’s Former Top Climate Official on the Lessons of Hurricane Sandy

Engineer Daniel Zarrilli advised both the Bloomberg and deBlasio administrations in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. He is now a special advisor on sustainability and climate to Columbia University.

by |October 20, 2022

A Climate and Weather Expert on What We Know About Giant Storms Since Sandy

A scientist and writer reflects on the links between climate and extreme weather, New York City’s preparedness, and the role of the media in informing the public.

by |October 19, 2022
Hurricane Ian flooding aftermath

Hurricane Ian’s Aftermath: A Rising Death Toll and Questions About Preparedness

A disaster preparedness expert weighs in on the many factors that can complicate decisions around evacuations and preparedness.

by |October 5, 2022

Here’s What We Know About How Climate Change Fuels Hurricanes

When Hurricane Ian hit Florida, it was one of the United States’ most powerful hurricanes on record, and it followed a two-week string of massive, devastating storms around the world.

by Mathew Barlow and Suzana J. Camargo |October 3, 2022

Catastrophe Looms as Surge From Hurricane Ian Meets Fast-Growing Florida

This is a worst-case clash between an explosive storm and communities that grew explosively in a hurricane hiatus.

by |September 28, 2022