Less than two weeks ago, Catholic Climate Covenant published a statement about the severity of Hurricane Helene, worsened by climate change.
“For years, scientists have been saying that climate change makes hurricanes more dangerous due to warmer oceans,” the Covenant wrote in our Sept. 30 statement. “A hotter ocean allows hurricanes to grow more powerful and amplifies their effects: increased rainfall totals, storm surge damage due to higher sea levels (sea levels around Florida are as much as 8 inches higher than they were 50 years ago), and the probability of rapid intensification fueled by warmer waters. As Helene approached landfall, it gathered strength from Gulf waters that were abnormally warm and sucked up moisture to fuel the storm’s rage.”
In that statement, Catholic Climate Covenant urgently called “on Catholics and all people of goodwill to take action on climate change and to better care for God’s creation” to prevent further worsened hurricanes and weather phenomena like this.
Less than two weeks later, Hurricane Milton, once again amplified by the effects of climate change, strengthened to a Category 5 hurricane multiple times, led to multiple tornado watches, and has “the potential to be one of the most destructive hurricanes on record for west-central Florida,” according to the National Hurricane Center in an Oct. 9 statement, a statement which President Biden also reiterated. The situation is so dire that Florida officials have warned residents that they “are going to die” if they do not take evacuation orders seriously.
But we know that not everyone has the means to evacuate or the resources to start over elsewhere. These most vulnerable populations are the ones most severely affected by climate change-amplified weather — and extreme weather and events like this will continue if we do not act on climate change.
The Covenant reaffirms our call for Catholics and Good Samaritans everywhere to take action on climate change and to be a good steward of the earth. Generous donations to Catholic Charities USA are one of the many ways you can help individuals who have lost everything and still stand to be impacted by more severe weather.
With its Catholic Energies, Creation Care Teams, Youth and Young Adult Mobilization, and Encounter programs, Catholic Climate Covenant stands ready to assist the U.S. Catholic Church in taking action on climate change and caring for God’s creation. As the Vatican stated, we urgently need “to bend the warming curve by phasing out fossil fuels and rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions to enable sustainable living.” At the same time, we must focus our efforts on strengthening the resilience of people and ecosystems.
“He hushed the storm to silence, the waves of the sea were stilled. They rejoiced that the sea grew calm, that God brought them to the harbor they longed for.” (Psalms 107:29-31)
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About Catholic Climate Covenant
Catholic Climate Covenant is a national U.S. nonprofit founded with the support of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2006 that inspires and equips U.S. Catholics and institutions to care for creation together. Through 20 national partners, we guide the U.S. Church’s response to climate change and integral ecology through faith-driven education, advocacy, and resources.
www.catholicclimatecovenant.org
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