In recent years, hurricanes have ceased to be isolated disasters and have instead become a clear signal of our collective vulnerability. As the waters in the Atlantic warm and storms intensify at unprecedented speeds, communities are facing mounting costs: the loss of homes, prolonged power outages, and increasing health risks.
Tell Congress: Support Families Displaced by Climate Disaster
During a recent EcoMadres webinar, three experts—John Morales, renowned meteorologist and founder of ClimaData; Dr. Gredia Huerta-Montañez, pediatrician and cofounder of Puerto Rico Clinicians for Climate Action; and Perla Marvell, editor at Yale Climate Connections—explored how the climate crisis is transforming our lives and what we can do to protect and strengthen our communities.
How climate change fuels hurricanes
Morales explained that global warming is caused by human activity—specifically, the burning of fossil fuels. While an average global temperature increase of 1.3°C may sound small, its effects are enormous. In the Atlantic, for example, higher temperatures mean warmer waters, which fuel stronger, faster hurricanes. Events of “rapid intensification”—when a storm’s wind speeds increase by nearly 60 miles per hour in just 24 hours—are becoming more common. This means more Category 4 and 5 hurricanes, like María in Puerto Rico and Harvey in Houston, with devastating impacts.
“In the 20th century, a hurricane like María would occur once every 200 years. By the end of this century, it could happen every 20,” Morales warned. With this frequency, could our societies truly recover between one extreme event and the next?
A hurricane’s health impacts last long after the storm
The consequences of a storm don’t end when it passes. Dr. Huerta-Montañez emphasized that hurricanes don’t just destroy homes—they also disrupt essential services like electricity, clean water, transportation, and medical care. This disruption can lead to more health risks, including:
- Respiratory illnesses, allergies, and asthma
- Infections from contaminated food and water
- Heat stroke and heat-related illnesses
- Trauma and death as people try to evacuate and then rebuild their homes
“When a hurricane hits,” she said, “the health system faces major challenges just when it’s needed most. Exposure to toxins increases, and not everyone faces the same risk—people with fewer resources are often the ones who suffer the most.” This can include young children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with chronic illnesses or limited social support networks.
Communication is essential to achieve justice
Marvell highlighted that communication is an essential tool for justice. Understanding the science isn’t enough—we must translate it into messages that connect with people’s daily lives. “The most important thing is to recognize the communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis,” she said. “As communicators, we have a responsibility to inform and to use every platform available to reach those who need this information most.”
Her key principles for effective communication about climate-driven extreme weather include telling stories that connect science with lived experience, recognizing language barriers, and adapting to the diverse ways Spanish is spoken.
Preparing for disaster and building resilience
All three experts agreed that solutions require community action, energy justice, and equal access to information. These are the most important actions we can take to build resilience:
- We must demand policies that prioritize the health and safety of families over corporate interests.
- We cannot rely solely on government response. The experience of Puerto Rico after Hurricane María showed that we need support networks, household and workplace emergency plans, ready-to-go kits, and up-to-date vaccinations to weather any storm.
- We must seek out credible sources, share verified information, and help others identify misinformation.
Hurricanes will continue to grow stronger—but so can our response. Every conversation, every cafecito (coffee chat), and every local action adds up to a larger movement: informed, healthy, and resilient communities standing together to demand justice in every breath.
Learn more about preparing for the next hurricane with our fact sheet.
Tell Congress: Support Families Displaced by Climate Disaster