Hurricanes, Rainfall, and Climate Change

In the midst of a severe hurricane season and the destruction wrought by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, many people are claiming that man-made global warming has intensified rainfall and hurricanes. However, comprehensive facts show that rainfall and hurricane activity are well within the bounds of natural variation, and there is no cogent evidence that they have increased over the past century. Moreover, the United States contains only 1.9% of the world’s surface area, and the earth’s climate oscillates widely over time and place. Hence, focusing on U.S.-area hurricanes in a single year can easily misinform the issue of climate change.