Hurricanes are a force of nature. Yet these destructive storms from the Atlantic and Caribbean aren’t natural. Evidence shows that they’re not only striking America in general, and Florida in particular frequency, but they’re also getting more destructive. This will hurt in terms of casualties, billions in damages, and insurance rates that could affect all home and car owners, not just those along the coast.

As I write this, Hurricane Helene is passing over where I live in Georgia, canceling college classes and events, and leading to catastrophic flooding in Atlanta, a city not used to hurricanes, after pummeling the Florida Panhandle. The Carolinas are getting flooded.

John A. Tures is a professor of political science at LaGrange College in Georgia. He can be reached at jtures@lagrange.edu. His Twitter account is @JohnTures2.