Tropical storms are likely to become more deadly under climate change, leaving people in developing countries, where there may be a lack of resources or poor infrastructure, at increased risk, new research from Oregon State University shows.
Under most climate models, tropical storm-related deaths would increase up to 52 percent as the climate changes, said Todd Pugatch, an associate professor of economics in the College of Liberal Arts at OSU and the study’s author.
“Tropical storms can strike quickly, leaving little opportunity to escape their path, and the impact on developing countries is significant,” Pugatch said. “Understanding the effects of these storms, and how those effects may change as the climate changes, can help governments and people better prepare in the future, and hopefully save lives.”
The findings were published recently in the journal World Development.
Read more at Oregon State University