<p>This is a special Hurricane Helene edition of Shift Key. Our regular programming will resume next week.</p><br><p>Nearly a week after Hurricane Helene made landfall, we are still coming to terms with the scale of its destruction. The storm killed at least 182 people, making it the deadliest cyclone to make landfall in the continental United States since Katrina. From Tampa Bay to Asheville, North Carolina, it caused the worst hurricane-related damage in a century.</p><br><p>Why was Hurricane Helene so bad? Why did it cause such horrible flooding in western North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia? And did climate change have anything to do with its destruction? To answer these questions, Rob and Jesse speak with <a href="https://vecchi.princeton.edu/people/gabriel-vecchi" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Gabriel Vecchi</a>, a Princeton geoscientist and one of the world’s top experts on hurricanes and climate change. Shift Key is hosted by Robinson Meyer is the founding executive editor of Heatmap, and Jesse Jenkins is a professor of energy systems engineering at Princeton University.</p><br><p>Mentioned: </p><br><p>Vecchi’s study on <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41612-019-0095-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">how hurricanes will get wetter</a> as the climate warms </p><br><p><a href="https://x.com/MichaelFWehner/status/1840894606503821713" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">An early attribution study</a> on Hurricane Helene and climate change</p><br><p>The Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/us-news/climate-environment/helene-hurricane-western-north-carolina-eastern-tennessee-inland-why-7b00acc4?st=4MHafY" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Why Helene Devastated an Area So Far Inland</a></p><br><p><a href="https://heatmap.news/climate/hurricane-death-study" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Average U.S. Hurricane Kills 7,000 to 11,000 People</a></p><br><p>In terms of organizations on the ground, we like <a href="http://wck.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">World Central Kitchen</a> and the <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/news/press-releases/2024/09/29/donate-nc-disaster-relief-fund-help-helene-recovery-governor-cooper-urges" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund</a>.</p><br><p>--</p><p>This episode of Shift Key is sponsored by …</p><br><p><strong>Watershed</strong>’s climate data engine helps companies measure and reduce their emissions, turning the data they already have into an audit-ready carbon footprint backed by the latest climate science. Get the sustainability data you need in weeks, not months. Learn more at <a href="https://watershed.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">watershed.com</a>.</p><br><p>As a global leader in PV and ESS solutions, <strong>Sungrow</strong> invests heavily in research and development, constantly pushing the boundaries of solar and battery inverter technology. Discover why Sungrow is the essential component of the clean energy transition by visiting <a href="https://en.sungrowpower.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sungrowpower.com</a>.</p><br><p><strong>Intersolar & Energy Storage North America</strong> is the premier U.S.-based conference and trade show focused on solar, energy storage, and EV charging infrastructure. To learn more, visit <a href="https://www.intersolar.us/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">intersolar.us</a>.</p><br><p>Music for Shift Key is by Adam Kromelow.</p><br /><hr><p style='color:grey; font-size:0.75em;'> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.</p>
