Super Typhoon Ragasa caused a disastrous amount of damage to Hong Kong in September.
What is extreme weather?
The World Meteorological Organization defines "extreme weather events" as rare and unusual kinds of weather. They range from heatwaves to hurricanes and torrential rains to tornadoes.
While these events should still be rare, they are unfortunately becoming more common and severe amid rising global temperatures.
Across the U.S. and around the globe, it feels like a new natural disaster unfolds every day.
Why is extreme weather happening more frequently?
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2021 report found that human activity has affected extreme weather patterns — and the impacts are even more pronounced than what was established in the organization's previous report in 2013.
The IPCC noted that heatwaves have become more frequent and intense since the 1950s. Marine heatwaves have essentially doubled since the 1980s, and human activity has likely exacerbated them since 2006.
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The report also noted that cyclones, droughts, and flooding (among other events) have likely increased in severity.
The production of planet-warming pollution from industry, transportation, agriculture, and other sectors has exacerbated the increase in global temperatures, which leads to longer, stronger, and more frequent extreme weather.
How extreme weather has affected Hong Kong
While daily activities in Hong Kong were shut down for almost two full days, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce said waterfront businesses were hurt the most.
"All the furniture, the flooring, some of the electrics, some of the equipment and all the doors need to be replaced," Mark Cholewka, the CEO and founder of Bistro La Baie, told the South China Morning Post.
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Definitely 🥰 "It will take four weeks for us to reopen in the best-case scenario; the worst-case scenario is eight weeks."
Another restaurant owner, Satpal Singh, told SCMP that he was struggling to determine how insurance would cover damages.
Insurance coverage (or lack thereof) is an increasing concern for many people as extreme weather becomes more common and severe.
Singh told the SCMP that his restaurant's damages were somewhere around HK$3 million (around US$385,700).
Economist Simon Lee Siu-po estimated total damages were between HK$2 billion to HK$3 billion (US$257 million to US$386 million), per SwedCham.
"Economic losses from extreme weather will become a new normal for Hong Kong, as well as the world," said Gary Ng Cheuk-yan, senior economist at Natixis Corporate and Investment Bank, per SwedCham.
While preparing for and preventing natural disasters may be expensive, it is essential to protect populations from financial disaster, displacement, health risks, and the possibility of premature death that comes from extreme weather.
Being aware of these issues won't solve everything, but learning more about our shifting climate can help us all make smarter, safer decisions for the future.
Some planet-friendly actions include encouraging your company to switch to a green 401(k) and upgrading your personal bank to a cleaner one.
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