Scientists Warn of Imminent ‘Ultra-Intense Category 6’ Storm Hitting US
A team of over 60 international experts has issued a dire warning about an impending storm that could be the most powerful ever seen on Earth. Dubbed “Hurricane Danielle,” this “Ultra-Intense Category 6” storm could unleash winds of 192 miles per hour or higher and a rise in sea water exceeding 25 feet. According to author Porter Fox’s new book “Category Five: Superstorms and the Warming Oceans That Feed Them,” the storm could hit New York City around 2100 and cause catastrophic destruction.
The book features scientific calculations and testimonies from sailors who have dealt with extreme weather. Fox spoke to oceanographers, meteorologists, and hurricane salvage ship crew members to gain insights into the intensifying storms and their impact on coastal cities.
The experts predicted that Hurricane Danielle would move through the slim channel between Staten Island and Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights, which was last taken by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. The storm would unleash massive winds, submerging the entire island and causing widespread flooding.
Fox notes that the “compounding forces of climate change” will make New York City especially vulnerable to such a storm, with rising sea levels threatening the city’s very existence. Sea levels have risen about 12 inches over the past 100 years, which would have kept Lower Manhattan out of floodwaters in 1912.
As the storm passes through the city, it could unleash a “48-hour siege” of tornadoes, downed power lines, and broken bridges. According to Fox’s estimates, the death toll of an “Ultra-Intense Category 6” storm in New York City could approach 42,000 human lives. The widespread destruction would leave “thousands of families torn apart,” “hundreds of neighborhoods erased,” and “industries gone.”
The experts attribute the incredible intensity of these storms to the heat energy packed into Earth’s oceans and skies by the greenhouse gas effect. They warn that America’s coastal metropolises are at risk of similar or worse fates in the future.
The silver lining, Fox notes, is that Miami residents might no longer have to worry about superstorms in 2100, as the city would likely cease to exist due to climate change. However, the potential devastation of a Category 6 storm is a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate adaptation and resilience in the face of rising sea levels and intensifying weather events.
