Increased Hurricane Losses Due to More People, Wealth Along Coastlines, Not Stronger Storms

Just found this article over at Anthony Watts blog. Go Check it out!

—– Original Message —–

From: “NOAA News Releases” <Press.Releases@noaa.gov>

Sent: Thursday, February 21, 2008 12:27 PM

Subject: NOAA: Increased Hurricane Losses Due to More People, Wealth Along Coastlines, Not Stronger Storms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - February 21, 2008

*** NEWS FROM NOAA ***
NATIONAL OCEANIC & ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON, DC
Contact: Dennis Feltgen, NOAA 305-229-4404

Increased Hurricane Losses Due to More People,
Wealth Along Coastlines, Not Stronger Storms, New Study Says

A team of scientists have found that the economic damages from hurricanes have increased in the U.S. over time due to greater population, infrastructure, and wealth on the U.S. coastlines, and not to any spike in the number or intensity of hurricanes.

“We found that although some decades were quieter and less damaging in the U.S. and others had more land-falling hurricanes and more damage, the economic costs of land-falling hurricanes have steadily increased over time,” said Chris Landsea, one of the researchers as well as the science and operations officer at NOAA’s National Hurricane Center in Miami. “There is nothing in the U.S. hurricane damage record that indicates global warming has caused a significant increase in destruction along our coasts.”

On the Web:
NOAA National Hurricane Center: http://www.hurricanes.gov
Link to paper:
http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/admin/publication_files/resource-2476-200802.pdf

What is interesting is at the time of this posting, the above mentioned PDF is not accessible

Correction: new URL for he research publication should be http://sciencepolicy.colorado.edu/admin/publication_files/resource-2476-2008.02.pdfThanks Anthony!

Written by Doug Jaworski