Climate Crisis Made Rare East Coast Nor’easter Up to 50 Times More Likely

Por Truthout — Truthout

Massive rainfall, heavy flooding, high wind speeds, and tall ocean waves were all reported due to the storm.

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A rare nor’easter storm system that ripped through the East Coast of the United States this weekend was made many times more likely to happen by the effects of the climate crisis.

As of Monday morning, the nor’easter was slowing down, with forecasters stating that the worst of the storm had passed. But reports of the storm’s impact on Sunday demonstrated its severity, with coastal flooding in some areas reaching the worst levels seen since Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Heavy floods were reported on much of the East Coast, ranging from Delaware to New York. Several parts of New York City and Long Island were also reportedly hit hard by floods. In Surf City, New Jersey, wind speeds reached as high as 74 miles per hour. Waves in some parts of the coast reached as high as 20 feet.

At least one death has been counted as a result of the storm as of Sunday night: a 56-year-old New York City employee who was killed by a tree that fell during the storm. More than 130,000 people were also without power at some point.

According to an analysis from the nonprofit Climate Central, warming water temperatures and rising ocean levels contributed to the strength of the storm. Per the group’s examinations, warming waters, around 2-4°F higher than usual, made the nor’easter 10-50 times more likely.

“Climate change is raising sea levels along the East Coast, so coastal communities are starting every storm from a higher water level,” said Zachary Labe, a climate scientist at Climate Central. “That makes flooding and erosion from nor’easters like this one more likely and more severe.”

Nor’easters are cyclonic storm systems that travel near the East Coast of the United States. Although they can occur at any point during the year, their seasons generally run from September through April, with most storms peaking around December through February, when they can form into massive snow systems. The nor’easter that hit this weekend is considered a rare one — only about 1 percent of nor’easters hit during the month of September. Indeed, this particular storm has already dropped around two months’ worth of rain over a four-day period.

Climate Central’s conclusion that the storm was made more likely due to the effects of the climate crisis is consistent with past studies warning about nor’easters. A scientific paper published in 2025, for example, found that nor’easters in general are intensifying due to human-made climate change, with rates of rain and snow in the storms increasing by about 10 percent compared to what figures showed in the 1940s.

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Chris Walker is a news writer at Truthout, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Focusing on both national and local topics since the early 2000s, he has produced thousands of articles analyzing the issues of the day and their impact on people. He can be found on most social media platforms under the handle @thatchriswalker.

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Fonte: Truthout