In over just two days in September, the Sahara Desert flooded. Images and NASA Satellite data showed over 8 inches of rain in some parts of the desert. This has been the first time in decades that it has flooded. Although the Sahara Desert experiences rain, it is usually very little. However, in these two days, it experienced unusually intense rain and it caused dramatic changes in the landscape, like lakes in the dunes. Not only was this the only phenomenon, but other parts of the world also experienced disasters, like the U.S.
On September 24, 2024, Hurricane Helene hit Florida’s Big Bend area. This hurricane also affected other states such as Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee, and finally dissipated on Sunday, September 29, 2024. Hurricane Helene’s 500-mile path of destruction was the second deadliest storm to hit the U.S., after Hurricane Katrina, killing more than 220 people, as well as many others who are currently missing. This fatal hurricane affected many Floridians and other residents who were part of the 6 states that got hit. A week after this catastrophe, many remained without power, isolated, experiencing damage to their homes, or experiencing devastating losses. Not long after, another hurricane, Hurricane Milton, hit Florida’s Tampa Bay area on October 9, 2024, and dissipated on October 12, 2024, while Floridians still hadn’t fully recovered from the last hurricane. This storm flooded streets and homes, caused power outages, and damaged roads, and Florida residents had to clean up debris on Friday after the storm. An estimated 24 people died, and the estimated damage total cost was over $30 billion. But what could have caused these irregularities that this planet is encountering?
Looking at the causes, global warming plays a huge part in this. According to Julia Jaobo from ABC News, “Higher than normal sea surface temperatures in these regions were made at least 200-500 times more likely due to human-caused climate change, according to Climate Central’s Climate Shift index.” If the pollution continues to heat the planet, it will disrupt the water cycle and cause these irregular events. These changes and issues affect the world and the living things in it and disrupt the balance of the world. If things continue as they are and humans don’t do anything to control global warming, the condition of the earth will deteriorate and there may not even be a world for humans to live in.
