Texas Can Expect More Catastrophic Hurricanes In The Future, Study Says

A new study found the frequency of destructive and catastrophic hurricanes is likely in coastal areas from Texas to New England. These regions will see a "drastic increase" in "hurricane-driven flood risk as the Earth heats up," according to NPR.

The study, published by scientists at Princeton University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on February 3, found the frequency of these catastrophic storms that cause high tides and heavy rain will increase by the end of the century. In the past, it was unlikely for people who live on the Gulf Coast and East Coast to experience a catastrophic storm in their lifetime. In the future, taking climate change into consideration, the study found experiencing a destructive hurricane is more likely.

While the study takes into account all coastal areas between Texas and New England, the largest increase in risk was in the Northeast United States. NPR reported a storm that had less of a 0.1% chance of happening in a given year will have a 10% chance of happening.

Flooding and storm surge with the combination of heavy rainfall leads to the destruction of a larger area — which will become a more frequent event in the future, Ning Lin, an environmental engineer at Princeton, told NPR.

One of the main ways to prepare for these catastrophic events is to upgrade infrastructure, Chad Berginnis, executive director of the Association of State Floodplain Managers, told NPR. "A study like this is a reminder that we can't do things the same old way. For instance, we can't replace infrastructure in-kind. The same size, the same location, the same way. We need to be intentional in building resilience into those decisions. ... When you're talking about flood resiliency in a coastal zone, you probably need to be looking on the order of 50 to 100 years out," he said.