Earth Sciences

Economic damages from Hurricane Sandy attributable to sea level rise caused by anthropogenic climate change

B. H. Strauss, P. M. Orton, et al.

Hurricane Sandy, which inflicted over $60 billion in damages, also highlighted the role of anthropogenic climate change in coastal disasters. Researchers, including Benjamin H. Strauss and Philip M. Orton, reveal that approximately $8.18 billion of Sandy's economic impact can be traced back to rising sea levels due to human activity, affecting an estimated 71,000 individuals. This study opens new avenues for understanding damages from future coastal storms.

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Abstract

Hurricane Sandy caused over $60 billion in economic damage in 2012. This study quantifies the contribution of anthropogenic climate change-induced sea level rise to these damages. Using simulations of water levels and damage under various sea level scenarios, the researchers found that approximately $8.18 billion (5th–95th percentiles: $4.7B–$14.0B) of Sandy's damages are attributable to anthropogenic sea level rise, affecting an additional 71,000 people. The methodology is applicable to other coastal storms.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Mar 17, 2021

Authors

Benjamin H. Strauss, Philip M. Orton, Klaus Bittermann, Maya K. Buchanan, Daniel M. Gilford, Robert E. Kopp, Scott Kulp, Chris Massey, Hans de Moel, Sergey Vinogradov