Originally published March 2006 at fightglobalwarming.com
Floridians Becky Withstandley and her husband Chris have been stranded from their home since Labor Day weekend, 2004. That's when Hurricane Frances struck, blowing the top off their seaside condo on South Hutchinson Island, Florida.
The tale is becoming all-too familiar — lives turned upside down by brutal hurricanes. In 2005, as Hurricane Katrina shocked the world with its ferocious damage, many Americans ravaged by earlier hurricanes continued to rebuild their lives out of the spotlight.
The Withstandleys' dislocation began in late August, 2004. As Hurricane Frances whipped into the season's third major hurricane, Florida folks like the Withstandleys prepared for the coming storm, storing up on provisions and boarding up windows.
On September 1, a state of emergency was declared, forcing half a million people, including the Withstandleys, from their homes. Barely two weeks after Hurricane Charley hit the Withstandleys' barrier island, leaving 15 people dead, Hurricane Frances tore into the area.
"Businesses were destroyed; houses were destroyed," said Withstandley, a bank manager. Three years later, and they're still not back home.
Storms already getting fiercer
The evidence linking global warming and hurricanes is mounting. Our warmer climate is heating up ocean waters, and warm ocean water fuels hurricanes. Scientists have long predicted that global warming will lead to more intense storms. The questions that remained were: "When will stronger hurricanes arrive?" and "How much fiercer will they be?"
Several scientific papers published over the last two years provide strong evidence that the answers are "the increase has already appeared" and "by quite a lot." Recent research, encapsulated in the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on climate Change (IPCC), indicates that in the North Atlantic fiercer hurricanes are "correlated with increases of tropical sea surface temperatures."
A 2005 MIT study found that the destructive potential of tropical storms has doubled over the past 30 years. It correlates this increasing ferocity with warmer sea surface temperatures, suggesting a strong link to global warming. Research at the Georgia Institute of Technology found that the number of Category 4 and 5 hurricanes has doubled since the 1970's. (More on the link between hurricanes and climate change.)
For the thousands of Americans displaced by Andrew, Charley, Frances and many others, the anecdotal evidence is hard to miss.
In the wake of Hurricane Frances, Withstandley, her husband Chris and their cat Cody moved to safety on the mainland to wait out the storm.
"I felt very comfortable that our condo would be fine because it's made with concrete blocks and we had hurricane shutters," says Withstandley. But it wasn't fine.
"What happened is that the roof came loose and once that started peeling away," explains Withstandley, "the whole roof came off and the water started coming in." The water inundated all three levels of the condo.
About six weeks after the storm, when South Hutchinson residents were allowed back to their homes, the Withstandleys started regular trips to check on their property. After several visits, they discovered the major problem. "More and more mold would appear," says Withstandley. The insurance company told the couple they needed to remove everything the mold could grow on. In short order, the mounting mold problem forced all 15 units in the condo complex to be evacuated.
After the Withstandleys found an alternative place to live, the waiting began. For many, many months nothing happened while the Withstandleys and their neighbors awaited permits and contractors and then a temporary roof before the new roof could be installed. Finally, $50,000 later — since the insurance company wasn't ready to settle — the condos were gutted to shells.
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