Engineering and Technology

Tropical cyclone-blackout-heatwave compound hazard resilience in a changing climate

K. Feng, M. Ouyang, et al.

This groundbreaking research by Kairui Feng, Min Ouyang, and Ning Lin reveals alarming projections about tropical cyclone-blackout-heatwave hazards in Harris County, Texas. Under a high-emissions scenario, the risk of prolonged compound hazards could skyrocket by a factor of 23, threatening the well-being of residents. The study emphasizes the critical need for climate adaptation strategies to bolster resilience against these future challenges.

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Abstract

This paper investigates how the risk of tropical cyclone (TC)-blackout-heatwave compound hazards may change in a changing climate, using Harris County, Texas as a case study. Under a high-emissions scenario (RCP8.5), long-duration heatwaves following strong TCs are projected to increase sharply. The expected percentage of Harris County residents experiencing a longer-than-5-day compound hazard in a 20-year period could increase dramatically by a factor of 23 (from 0.8% to 18.2%) over the 21st century. Moderate enhancements to the power distribution network can significantly mitigate this risk, highlighting the urgent need for climate adaptation strategies like undergrounding distribution networks and developing distributed energy sources.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Jul 30, 2022

Authors

Kairui Feng, Min Ouyang, Ning Lin