Produced by: Mohsin Shaikh
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Nor’easters are mutating—not in number, but in might. A 6% uptick in windspeed may sound tame, until you realize it equates to a 20% surge in destructive force.
Warmer air and oceans are turning nor’easters into moisture-loaded monsters. Rain and snow totals are up 10%, and with that comes flooded basements, buried roads, and billion-dollar losses.
While hurricanes hog headlines, nor’easters quietly devastate. Experts warn we’ve underestimated them for decades—and now they're coming back louder, wetter, and meaner.
Don’t let warming fool you. Yes, winters are shorter—but the snow that does fall hits harder. Expect fewer storms, but each one could deliver a paralyzing, deadly blow.
The recipe is simple but deadly: cold Arctic air meets Atlantic warmth. Climate change is turbocharging this cocktail, turning coastal storms into continental catastrophes.
The “Storm of the Century” and “Snowmageddon” are no longer outliers—they’re blueprints. New models say more storms will reach their ferocity as the East Coast heats up.
One violent nor’easter can do hurricane-level damage. The Ash Wednesday storm’s inflation-adjusted toll? Tens of billions. And that was before the storms got stronger.
They don’t roar like hurricanes—but nor’easters creep in, shut down cities, and drown coastlines. Their stealth and seasonal timing make them doubly dangerous for the unprepared.
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Scientists aren’t mincing words: the East Coast must wake up. “Proactive preparation,” warns Jennifer Francis, “is less costly than post-storm recovery.” The time bomb is ticking.
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