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The fast winds, rapid rainfall, and huge storm surges of hurricanes make this natural disaster responsible for many deaths and millions of dollars worth of damage each year. Capable of triggering flash floods, mudslides, and tornadoes, even weak hurricanes can cause extensive destruction to property, infrastructure, and crops. Other hurricanes remain at sea and never make landfall, limiting the destruction they cause. Advancements in technology, particularly satellite imaging, have greatly improved warnings and advisories that prompted live-saving evacuations. But not all lives can be spared.

Also known as tropical cyclones, hurricanes are large, wet storms with high winds that form over warm water. Hurricane season in the Atlantic Basin—the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea—runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 each year, though some hurricanes do form outside of this season. Many tropical storms are produced on an average year, though not all reach the strength of hurricanes.

Hurricanes are rated using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Category 1 hurricanes have the lowest wind speeds at 74-95 miles per hour, and Category 5 hurricanes have the strongest winds at 157 miles per hour or higher. Storms that are Category 3 and above are considered major hurricanes.

Hurricanes and other weather disasters have become more reliably destructive in recent years. There were 21 named storms and seven hurricanes during the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, with four of those seven hurricanes considered major. 2021 marked "the sixth consecutive above-normal Atlantic hurricane season," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA predicted another above-average season for 2022, a forecast already coming true.

Some hurricane seasons are worse than others. In 1920, the strongest hurricane was a Category 2 storm that killed one person in Louisiana. Others are devastating and destroy entire cities. Hurricane Katrina, an infamous storm that struck the U.S. in 2005, delivered lasting damage to New Orleans and cost the country over $100 billion.

Stacker obtained hurricane data, updated in 2021, from the NOAA's Atlantic Oceanic and Meteorological Laboratory. A list of notable events or facts from each year was compiled from news, scientific, and government reports. Read on to learn about the noteworthy tropical storms and hurricanes from the year you were born.

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- Named storms: 5 (6.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 2 (3.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Because there was no satellite imagery in 1919, meteorologists temporarily lost track of a Category 4 Atlantic Gulf hurricane when ships stopped transmitting information about it. This storm was the deadliest hurricane ever to hit the Texas Coastal Bend, and it caused more than 500 people to die or be lost due to sinking or missing ships.

[Pictured: Map plotting the track and the intensity of the 1919 hurricane, according to the Saffir–Simpson scale.]

- Named storms: 5 (6.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

The 1920 hurricane season was less active than usual. One of the year's most notable storms was a Category 2 hurricane that hit Louisiana, killing one person. The storm ruined the sugar crop and caused $1.45 million in total damages.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

On Oct. 28, 1921, Tampa Bay, Florida, experienced its most damaging hurricane since 1848. The unnamed hurricane killed eight people and cost over $5 million, not adjusted for inflation. It smashed boats against docks and destroyed parts of the local sea wall.

[Pictured: Wreckage of Safety Harbor Springs Pavillion after the 1921 hurricane.]

- Named storms: 5 (6.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

No hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. during the 1922 hurricane season. However, a hurricane that downgraded to a tropical storm did strike El Salvador, overflowing the Rio Grande and causing more than $5 million of damage.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The 1923 hurricane season featured the most tropical storms since 1916. This count includes four hurricanes that touched down in the U.S., three of which made landfall along the Gulf Coast and one that hit Massachusetts.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

A Category 5 hurricane struck Cuba in 1925. This unnamed storm was the first Category 5 hurricane recorded in the database managed by the National Hurricane Center.

- Named storms: 4 (7.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 1 (4.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

The 1925 season started late, with the first hurricane beginning on Aug. 18. That season also included a hurricane that made landfall in Florida on Nov. 30, the latest hurricane to hit the U.S.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

Of the eight hurricanes in the 1926 season, four proved particularly deadly. A storm in July killed 247 people, an August storm killed 25, a September storm killed 372, and a hurricane in October 1926 killed 709.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

No hurricanes struck the U.S. in 1927. The most significant hurricane of the season was nicknamed The Great August Gales, and it was the deadliest tropical storm to hit Canada in the 1920s.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The Okeechobee Hurricane of 1928 was one of the deadliest storms ever to hit the U.S., killing between 2,500 and 3,000 people. The hurricane also hit Puerto Rico, landing on Sept. 13, the feast day of Saint Philip. It is the second hurricane to hit Puerto Rico on this day of celebration.

- Named storms: 5 (6.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The Great Bahamas Hurricane, also known as the Great Andros Island hurricane, barely moved over the course of three days, hovering above Nassau and Andros in the Bahamas. It was also the first hurricane to approach the Bahamas from a northeast direction.

- Named storms: 3 (8.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 2 (3.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Though 1930 had a quiet hurricane season overall, it also had one of the Atlantic Ocean's deadliest hurricanes. The Dominican Republic Hurricane is the fifth deadliest storm in the region's history. It created a path of destruction up to 20 miles wide and killed between 2,000 and 8,000 people in the Dominican Republic, though it also brought much-needed rain to Puerto Rico.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

In 1931, a Category 4 hurricane hit Belize, also known as British Honduras, and killed about 2,500 people. It is the deadliest hurricane to hit Belize in recorded history.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

The Huracán de Santa Cruz del Sur, a Category 4 storm, hit Cuba in 1932 and caused 3,500 fatalities. Most of the deaths were due to a storm surge, a flash flood that rose to over 20 feet.

- Named storms: 20 (9.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 11 (5.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

The 1933 season is the Atlantic Basin's third most active hurricane season in recorded history. It also held the record for the highest amount of wind energy created during the Atlantic hurricane season until 2011.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

A tropical storm that later became a hurricane killed 3,000 people in Honduras and El Salvador in June 1934. Many of the deaths were due to flash floods and mudslides triggered by heavy rainfall.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

At the time of its landfall, the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane was one of the strongest storms to touch down on the U.S. It was also the first Category 5 hurricane to hit the U.S. in the 1900s. Although not nearly as strong as the Labor Day Hurricane, a Category 1 hurricane also killed 2,150 people in Haiti and Honduras in October of that year.

- Named storms: 17 (6.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The 1936 hurricane season was the Atlantic Ocean's sixth most active season in modern history, according to records beginning in 1851. Interestingly, there were fewer tropical storms than usual in the Caribbean Sea that year.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The first tropical disturbance of the 1937 hurricane season was on July 29, and the last ended on Oct. 4. This comparatively short season also saw less activity than expected in the Caribbean Sea.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

The Great New England Hurricane of 1938 recorded the fastest movement speed of an eye of a hurricane. The storm traversed 600 miles in 12 hours, moving more than 60 miles per hour. It earned the nickname The Long Island Express due to its train-like high speeds.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

In 1939, for the first time in recorded history, four hurricanes hit Southern California in a single September. A tropical storm in the area, referred to as the Lash of St. Francis, led to the greatest amount of rainfall recorded locally at the time.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

An unnamed hurricane during 1940 is the wettest ever recorded in Louisiana's history. Rainfall peaked in the city of Crowley with 33.71 inches of rain.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

A September 1941 hurricane breached the seawall in Texas near East Matagorda Bay. Water from the rising tide flooded residential and business areas, covering a local airport in up to 3 feet of water. The hurricane cost $7 million in all, with $5 million attributed to crop damage.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The 1942 season is only one of seven in which multiple hurricanes made landfall in Texas. One of these hurricanes hit Matagorda Bay, causing eight fatalities, $11.5 million in property damage, and $15 million in crop damage.

- Named storms: 10 (1.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

During World War II, ship broadcasts in the Gulf of Mexico went silent so the military could keep a lookout for German U-boats. This radio silence meant no transmissions on weather conditions, so the hurricane that hit the Houston-Galveston area of Texas came without warning, earning its nickname as the Surprise Hurricane.

- Named storms: 14 (3.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

The Great Atlantic Hurricane made landfall on Long Island and Rhode Island, causing 46 direct fatalities and $100 million in damage. The storm also sank five World War II vessels, killing 334 additional people.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

The Homestead Hurricane's winds started a fire that burnt down wooden hangars used during World War II to house blimps. The storm and its resulting fire also destroyed 25 blimps and 150 automobiles and injured 200 people.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

No lives were lost to tropical storms in the U.S. in 1946, and property damage stayed under $10 million. Any storms that reached the U.S. coast that season were too mild to cause much damage.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

For the first time in 1947, the government and private groups tried to weaken a hurricane, using methods such as spreading dry ice throughout the storm. The Air Force led a flight into a hurricane that same year, marking the first time experts could obtain a detailed examination of circulation within the upper level of a hurricane's core.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

Two hurricanes hit South Florida two weeks apart, causing extensive flood damage. The first hurricane of the 1948 season reportedly featured gusts reaching 160 miles per hour and produced 6 feet of storm surge, a rise in seawater levels due to a storm.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

An August 1949 hurricane caused severe damage to citrus crops. The storm cost Florida $20 million in agricultural damage, including the loss of an estimated 14 million boxes of fruit.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 11 (5.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 8 (5.48 more than average)

1950 was the first year that hurricanes in the Atlantic were given names. The new convention was to use names from the British–U.S. World War II spelling alphabet, starting with Hurricane Able. The fifth storm of the season, Hurricane Easy, devastated the town of Cedar Key in Florida.

- Named storms: 10 (1.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

No hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. in 1951. However, the third hurricane of the season, Hurricane Charlie, was one of the most destructive storms in recorded history, killing more than 100 people in Jamaica and causing up to $50 million in damage.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

An unnamed winter tropical storm hit Florida on Feb. 2, Groundhog Day—well before the June start of the 1952 hurricane season. The storm struck as a tropical depression and damaged crops across the state.

- Named storms: 14 (3.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

In 1953, the U.S. scrapped the military naming system of 1950 and opted for an all-female list of names. That year's strongest hurricane was Hurricane Carol, which caused $1 million in damage to fishing craft along the New England coast alone.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Until 1954, most people believed that hurricanes spared New England, but their minds changed when tropical cyclones hit the region twice that year. The storms came close to destroying a few towns in Rhode Island, and Hurricane Carol caused more property damage than any other hurricane by that point in recorded history, a record the storm would only hold for one year.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 9 (3.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

Hurricane Diane followed so soon after Hurricane Connie that their floods caused more property damage than any hurricane in history up until that point. The two storms hit the coast of North Carolina just five days apart. Just like the previous year, the damage was concentrated in the Northeast.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

The 1956 season featured only a few hurricanes, and those storms were of low intensity, especially compared to the years prior. Hurricane Flossy was the only storm to touch down on the contiguous U.S., causing heavy rainfall in Alabama and Florida.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Audrey was one of the most destructive hurricanes to happen during June, leading to 390 deaths. Audrey was also the likely cause of several tornadoes reported around its strike zone. The storm made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane around the Louisiana-Texas border.

- Named storms: 10 (1.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

The 1958 season didn't have significant storm activity over the Atlantic until mid-August. Hurricane Helene was one of the most intense and destructive of the season, causing $11 million in damage in North Carolina, though it led to no fatalities.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Several of 1959's hurricanes were weak, just barely achieving hurricane status. Hurricane Gracie, which occurred late in the season, was one of the most intense, causing 22 out of the 24 fatalities that year. It was the only major hurricane to reach the U.S. mainland, and accurate warnings enabled many people to evacuate, resulting in a low number of deaths.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Donna hit in September 196 and is the only hurricane to have caused hurricane-scale winds across Florida, the Mid-Atlantic region, and New England. It is the ninth strongest hurricane to hit the U.S., killing 50 people in the states. There were more fatalities elsewhere, including 107 in Puerto Rico.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 7 (4.48 more than average)

Hurricane Carla was Category 5 until just before it touched down in Texas as a Category 4 storm. Still, Carla was one of the largest and most intense hurricanes ever to strike the Gulf Coast. Fortunately, only 46 people died because early warning allowed about half a million people to evacuate.

- Named storms: 5 (6.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

With significantly fewer storms than usual, 1962 was the quietest hurricane season since 1939. Even the storms that occurred were less intense than expected. The first hurricane of the season, dubbed Alma, barely reached hurricane status and only stayed a hurricane for a few hours.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

The 1963 hurricane season started slow, but only two days without tropical cyclones appeared on weather charts from Sept. 10 to the end of October. Hurricane Flora was the deadliest storm the Atlantic had ever experienced, killing an estimated 6,892 people. It hit Haiti the hardest, taking the lives of over 5,000 people in the country.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

Four hurricanes hit the U.S. mainland in 1964, an occurrence that had only happened four other times since 1900. Hurricane Cleo killed 214 people, and Dora, a Category 4 hurricane, cost $240 million in damages—$2.1 billion when adjusted for inflation.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

1965 marked the establishment of official hurricane season in the Atlantic, running from June 1 to Nov. 30. Hurricane season accounts for 97% of all tropical cyclone activity in that area. Also in 1965, Hurricane Betsy caused major damage as one of the costliest storms ever, knocking out 90% of power in New Orleans.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

The first storm of the 1966 season, Hurricane Alma, arrived earlier than any other hurricane since 1825. Hurricane Inez, another 1966 storm, had the most advisories posted than any hurricane before, with a total of 65. Inez was also the first hurricane to hit all the West Indies, the Bahamas, Florida, and Mexico.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

The 1967 season started late but contained a record number of hurricanes. That was also the first year that satellite images could track hurricanes and provide daily views of storms stretching across the entire Atlantic. This season also saw three hurricanes existing at the same time, a rare phenomenon.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

With no significant storms, 1968 had an unusually calm hurricane season. Gladys, the only hurricane to hit the U.S., brought rainfall that broke a drought in North Carolina that was the worst since 1932. Unfortunately, Gladys also killed five people and caused $6.7 million in damage.

- Named storms: 18 (7.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 12 (6.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

Hurricane Camille was a Category 5 storm with winds reaching an estimated 200 miles per hour. It is one of the most expensive hurricanes in U.S. history. Camille caused intense damage, even splitting an island off the coast of Mississippi in half with its heavy rain and winds.

- Named storms: 10 (1.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

The only hurricane that significantly impacted the U.S. during the 1970 season was Hurricane Celia. The storm caused $454 million in property damage, although almost all the damage was due to wind, not water.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Ginger broke records in 1971, becoming the second-longest-running hurricane in the Atlantic basin at 27 days. In contrast, 1971's Hurricane Kirsty only lasted one day.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

There were fewer tropical storms and hurricanes in 1972 than any year since 1930, and most of the storms formed in temperate waters instead of tropical waters. The only storm that originated in the tropics was Hurricane Agnes, which killed 130 people and caused $2 billion in damage in Pennsylvania alone, making it the first Category 1 storm in the Atlantic to have its name retired.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

1973 was one of the least damaging hurricane seasons, with only 16 fatalities throughout the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico and less than $20 million in damage. No hurricanes crossed the U.S. coastline.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Fifi brushed the coast of Honduras and made landfall in Belize, though it caused much more damage to the former country. In some regions, Fifi caused 24 inches of rain in 36 hours, triggering mudslides and flash floods that destroyed 182 towns and killed 8,000 people.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

After five years of low hurricane activity in the Atlantic, 1975 marked a return to normalcy. Hurricane Eloise was the only storm to make landfall in the U.S. and the most destructive storm that season, causing more than $100 million in agricultural losses in Alabama.

- Named storms: 10 (1.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Belle was one of two named storms to hit the U.S. in 1976, though the other was barely classified as a tropical storm. Belle significantly weakened the day before it hit Long Island, yet it still caused $100 million in damage in the U.S., primarily due to crop damage in the Northeast.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Anita, the first hurricane of 1977, didn't land until Aug. 29 and was one of the most intense storms ever in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Anita primarily hit Mexico, where 35,000 people had evacuated, with another 65,000 evacuating from Texas and Louisiana.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

1978 was the last year that Atlantic tropical storms were solely given female names, and the following year included both male and female names. Hurricane Greta hit Central America in 1978, killing four people in Belize and one in Honduras.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane David hit in 1979, leaving 60,000 people homeless in Dominica as well as killing 2,000 people and leaving 200,000 homeless in the Dominican Republic. Hurricane Frederic was the costliest storm in U.S. history at the time, causing $2.3 billion in damage.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 9 (3.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Allen was the most noteworthy storm of the 1980 season, a Category 5 hurricane that affected Haiti, Texas, and several Caribbean countries. Allen destroyed two offshore oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico, and 13 people died in a helicopter crash in a rig evacuation. Half a million people living along the Gulf of Mexico were evacuated.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

There were no named storms in the Gulf of Mexico in 1981, an occurrence that had only happened twice before in the 20th century. The season also included five hurricanes in one month, September, which has also only been recorded twice before.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 2 (3.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

1982 was the least active hurricane season in 50 years based on both the total number of hurricanes and the number of days of hurricanes, which was only six. Like the previous year, no hurricanes struck the contiguous U.S. in 1982—only the second time that century that the U.S. was spared for two years in a row.

- Named storms: 4 (7.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

On Aug. 18, 1983, Hurricane Alicia brought an end to the longest period in the 20th century without a hurricane hitting the contiguous U.S. Though Alicia was a minor Category 3 storm, it spawned 23 tornadoes, killed 21 people, and caused over $2 billion in damages.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Diana was the first and strongest hurricane of the 1984 season and the most intense storm to hit the Eastern U.S. seaboard since Hurricane Hazel in 1954. Diana caused $65 million in damages, of which $26 million can be attributed to agricultural damage.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

The 1985 hurricane season was the worst in 69 years, causing $4.45 billion in damages and prompting a million people to evacuate. Six hurricanes and one tropical storm hit the contiguous U.S. that year, the most since 1916. The storms killed 100 people in Puerto Rico, 36 in the U.S., and 10 in Cuba.

- Named storms: 6 (5.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

The strongest hurricane of the 1986 season was Earl, which was also the season's longest-lived, with seven days of hurricane-force winds. However, Earl never made landfall. Two hurricanes, Bonnie and Charley, did hit the U.S., causing $2 million and $15 million in damages, respectively.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Emily was the first major hurricane to hit the Caribbean Islands since 1980, an unusually long stretch without hurricanes in the region. Emily killed three people in the Dominican Republic, though experts suspect the death toll would have been greater if the storm had hit 20 or 30 miles to the east.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

Hurricane Gilbert hit Jamaica as a Category 3 storm, the country's first direct hit in 37 years. The hurricane damaged 95% of Jamaica's hospitals and destroyed half of the country's domestic water supply. Gilbert cost $4 million in damages in Jamaica alone and is the most destructive hurricane in the nation's history. The storm moved on to strike Mexico first as a Category 5 storm and again as a Category 2 storm. 

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Hugo, a Category 5 storm that downgraded to Category 4 right before landfall, touched down in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and South and North Carolina. Hugo destroyed all of Guadeloupe's banana crops and left 35,000 people on the island homeless.

- Named storms: 14 (3.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Gustav was the only Category 3 storm of the 1990 season, but it never made landfall. Hurricane Diana, however, touched down in Mexico and caused 95 deaths.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

All the major tropical storms of the 1991 season originated in a hot spot near Bermuda. Hurricane Bob, which hit New England, caused $1.5 billion in damages in the region, primarily affecting homes, boats, and beaches.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that hit southern Florida in 1992, is one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes on record. Andrew's high winds flattened neighborhoods with speeds so high that they destroyed weather station instruments designed to track high wind speeds, though a privately owned instrument clocked the speed at 177 mph.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Emily was the only major hurricane of the 1993 season. Because Emily landed during Labor Day weekend, it cost the tourism industry about $10 million. Over 160,000 people were evacuated from North Carolina, and there were two casualties: a pair of swimmers that drowned in the town of Nags Head.

- Named storms: 7 (4.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

Although September and October are usually active months for hurricanes, there were no storms during these months in 1994. Conversely, two hurricanes developed in November for the first time since the 1940s. Tropical storm Alberto produced record-breaking rainfall and floods in eastern Alabama and western Georgia, killing 30 people.

- Named storms: 19 (8.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 11 (5.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

An unusually active year, 1995 saw several hurricanes that caused significant damage. Hurricane Opal generated $3 billion in damages in the southeastern U.S. and Florida Panhandle. Hurricane Luis cost the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean $2.5 billion, and Hurricane Marilyn did $1.5 billion worth of damage, mainly to the U.S. Virgin Islands.

- Named storms: 13 (2.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 9 (3.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

1995 and 1996 were both active seasons with a combined total of 20 hurricanes, the most for consecutive seasons since accurate reporting began in the 1940s. That year six hurricanes passed over the Caribbean—the most since 1916, though they were all short-lived.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 1 (1.52 less than average)

Hurricane Danny was the only hurricane to make landfall in 1997, killing five people. There were fewer hurricanes than average due to El Nino, which warmed ocean temperatures across the east-central and central Equatorial Pacific.

- Named storms: 14 (3.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 10 (4.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

Tropical storms caused over 9,000 deaths during the 1998 hurricane season, primarily because of Hurricane Mitch, which caused massive flooding in Honduras and Nicaragua. Another 9,000 people went missing because of Hurricane Mitch.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

The 1999 season saw four Category 4 hurricanes, the most in one season since 1886. However, the deadliest storm that year was not a hurricane but a tropical depression with heavy rains and flooding that caused 400 fatalities in Mexico.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

Hurricane Alberto was the longest-lived hurricane on record to form in August 2000 in the Atlantic basin. It remained at sea for most of its existence.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 9 (3.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

Tropical Storm Allison is the costliest tropical storm in U.S. recorded history. It killed 41 people and caused $5 billion in damages. Allison is only one of two tropical storms that have had their names retired.

- Named storms: 12 (1.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Because of El Nino, there were fewer hurricanes than average during the 2002 season. Hurricane Lili was the only hurricane to hit the U.S. between 1999 and 2002, and it was 2002's only storm to make landfall while still classified as a hurricane.

- Named storms: 16 (5.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

Hurricane Isabel was the worst storm to hit the Chesapeake Bay in 10 years. Isabel was also the costliest and deadliest hurricane of the season, leading to 17 deaths and $3 billion in damages, primarily due to flooding.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 9 (3.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

Four hurricanes affected Florida within six weeks during the 2004 season. The last of these, Hurricane Jeanne, is the 12th deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record. Intense rainfalls caused mudslides in the mountains of Haiti, killing more than 3,000 people.

- Named storms: 28 (17.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 15 (9.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 7 (4.48 more than average)

Hurricane Katrina, one of the most infamous hurricanes, displaced more than a million people around the Gulf of Mexico. Katrina has the highest cost of any hurricane to hit the U.S., causing $178 billion (in adjusted 2021 dollars) in damage and killing 1,833 people.

- Named storms: 10 (1.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 5 (0.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

After two years of frequent tropical storms, 2006 was comparatively calm, with only three tropical storms landing in the U.S. The year's strongest hurricane was Helene, a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 125 miles per hour.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

2007 was the first hurricane season in which two Category 5 storms made landfall. Hurricane Dean was the first hurricane of the season, reaching Category 5 status over the Caribbean and making landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.

- Named storms: 16 (5.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

Hurricane Ike, the strongest storm of 2008, mainly impacted Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas, though its effects reached as far as Canada. Humidity caused by the storm sparked an electrical malfunction that required the temporary closure of part of Montreal's subway system.

- Named storms: 9 (2.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 3 (2.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

The 2009 season had the lowest number of hurricanes in the Atlantic since 1997. That year marked the thirteenth time that no hurricanes have made landfall in the U.S. during hurricane season.

- Named storms: 19 (8.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 12 (6.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 5 (2.48 more than average)

The 2010 hurricane season is the third most active in recorded history. It's also the only season to have over nine hurricanes without a single one making landfall in the U.S.

- Named storms: 19 (8.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

No major hurricanes hit the U.S. in 2011, reaching a historic length of time without one. Nonetheless, total damage for the season was $11 billion, and there were 120 fatalities.

- Named storms: 19 (8.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 10 (4.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Hurricane Sandy impacted a total of 24 states, including all the states on the eastern seaboard. It is the fourth costliest storm in U.S. history. Sandy also led to three feet of snowfall in West Virginia and North Carolina.

- Named storms: 14 (3.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 2 (3.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 0 (2.52 less than average)

2013 had the quietest hurricane season of the previous 20 years. Hurricane Andrea was the only storm to make landfall in the U.S., touching down in Florida. Andrea caused 11 tornadoes, including in Florida and North Carolina.

- Named storms: 8 (3.00 less than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Since the start of accurate record-keeping in 1851, Hurricane Arthur is the earliest hurricane in the season to touch down in North Carolina. Arthur caused no fatalities and less than $25 million in damages.

- Named storms: 11 (0.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 4 (1.91 less than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Touching down in South Carolina on May 10, Tropical Storm Ana is the earliest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall. Along the beach, Ana's winds revealed parts of a sunken schooner that was wrecked nearly 100 years earlier.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

The hurricane season started early in 2016, with January's Hurricane Alex. Alex was the first hurricane to form in January since 1938. The storm hit the Azores, nine islands that are a part of Portugal, as a tropical storm.

- Named storms: 17 (6.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 10 (4.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 6 (3.48 more than average)

Within a single month, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria hit the U.S. All three storms joined the list of the five costliest hurricanes in the U.S. Besides Katrina, Harvey is the only other hurricane to cause more than $100 billion in damages.

- Named storms: 15 (4.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 8 (2.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 2 (0.52 less than average)

Featuring sustained winds reaching 155 miles per hour, Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida on Oct. 10 and caused at least 45 fatalities. Michael is the most intense hurricane to touch down along the Florida Panhandle.

- Named storms: 18 (7.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 6 (0.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 3 (0.48 more than average)

There were more hurricanes than average in the Atlantic during the 2019 season, the fourth year in a row with this trend. Only one other four-year period can claim this record.

- Named storms: 30 (19.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 14 (8.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 7 (4.48 more than average)

2020 featured a record-breaking 30 named storms, marking the fifth consecutive year with more hurricanes than average in the Atlantic. It was also the second time in recorded history that the Greek alphabet was used to name storms after the initial list of 21 names was exhausted. 

- Named storms: 21 (10.00 more than average)

- Hurricanes: 7 (1.09 more than average)

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: 4 (1.48 more than average)

The 2021 season started early and was the seventh year in a row that a named storm formed before hurricane season officially began on June 1, according to the NOAA. The worst storm of all though, Hurricane Ida, hit southeastern Louisiana at Category 4 strength in August, almost 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina slammed the same part of the state. Ida then moved inland, causing disastrous flooding and destructive tornadoes in the northeastern part of the U.S. as well. With 107 deaths tied to the hurricane and $75 billion in damage, Ida was named the deadliest and most destructive tropical cyclone of the 2021 season.

- Named storms: TBD

- Hurricanes: TBD

- Category 3 or higher hurricanes: TBD

The 2022 hurricane season is still ongoing, but Hurricane Fiona is the current frontrunner for the worst storm of the season. The Category 4 hurricane wreaked havoc on Puerto Rico in mid-September, leaving much of the island without power and running water for days in its wake. The damage came only five years after Hurricane Maria caused destruction throughout the U.S. territory. Fiona then hit the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, and as of Sept. 21, 2022, was expected to hit Bermuda and Canada next.

Climate anxiety and climate-related trauma are mental health concerns rooted in real experiences, such as natural disasters, and existential worry for the future.

Roughly half of young people—those who will inherit the consequences of climate change complacency and live through the most severe effects of extreme weather—report that climate change negatively affects their daily lives, according to a global survey of 10,000 people between the ages of 16 and 25. The majority of respondents said that in the context of climate change, they are frightened of the years ahead.

This concern is prevalent in the United States as well, with more than half of Americans stating climate change is the single most important issue facing society today. Large swaths of the U.S. are facing climate-related flood risks due to rising sea and freshwater levels and increased rainfall. Roughly 80% of the country is experiencing unusually dry conditions, most notably the Western U.S., which has been gripped by a megadrought. Cities are getting hotter, while wildfires are growing in frequency and intensity. At present, virtually every bit of the U.S. is impacted by climate change.

And yet, most people have done little, or nothing at all, to change their behavior to mitigate their own impact on the environment. When facing a problem so extensive, it can be overwhelming even to attempt to find a manageable solution. But starting small—and starting at all, really—is one of the most important things you can do.

Westfield compiled a list of eight ways people can prepare their communities for the impacts of climate change. Building climate resilience, or the ability to prepare for and respond to climate-related events, may also help ease climate anxiety, improving both the environment and one's quality of life.

Rain gardens can help prevent erosion, absorb standing water, redirect and filter polluted runoff, and recharge groundwater supplies. A single rain garden can treat 25,000 gallons of water each year. In regions of the county like the Northeast, where climate change is predicted to lead to more heavy downpours and flooding, rain gardens can mitigate those issues. In severely drought-prone areas, a rain garden won't be effective, but a rain barrel can help collect water.

Invasive species often thrive under the extreme conditions of climate change. Plants grow larger and faster when higher carbon dioxide levels—a key consequence of climate change—are present. Research suggests invasive species are more effective at utilizing higher CO2 concentrations. As they grow larger and more prolific, they outcompete native species for space, water, light, and nutrient resources. Removing invasive species cancels this competition and allows native species to thrive.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans use a combined 8 billion gallons of water every day for lawn and garden irrigation, some of which is lost to evaporation and runoff. The majority of household water usage is diverted to outdoor purposes. This is a hugely wasteful use of scarce water resources in severely drought-ridden areas like the American West, and as a result, nonfunctional turf grass is banned in many places. Climate-friendly alternatives include no-mow lawns, turf lawns allowed to grow wild, lawns comprised of drought-tolerant native plants that thrive under local conditions, usually requiring less water, or xeriscaping.

Some households have the option to choose the source and supplier of their electricity. Where wind or solar is available and compatible, customers may opt for these cleaner sources compared to fossil-fuel-generated electricity. Alternatively, getting set up with solar panels and other renewable energy sources will provide greater energy independence in the face of power outages from natural disasters.

Climate change has already prolonged mosquito season by more than a month, with more mosquito days expected in the future. Mosquitoes thrive in temperatures between 50-95 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity of 42% or higher. An analysis of 239 sites across the U.S. revealed these conditions are becoming more common due to climate change. These changes bring an increased risk for the spread of mosquito-borne illnesses like West Nile virus. Some natural ways to repel mosquitoes as mosquito days increase include essential oils, witch hazel, and citronella.

Trees are stalwart defenders against climate change, particularly in urban heat islands, which often lose trees to housing and infrastructure development. Trees can mitigate the impacts of extreme heat by releasing water vapor and cooling the air around them, as well as shading the ground beneath them. Their absorbent roots reduce flooding and prevent soil erosion. Residents can seek out community planting or beautification organizations that plant and maintain trees in public spaces.

Farmers are facing less reliable growing seasons due to climate change. Some have been forced to fallow fields because there isn't enough water to sustain their crops. In other parts of the country, too much rain is drowning young plants. Invasive species which thrive under extreme conditions are decimating the crops that do succeed. Supporting local farmers contending with these variables will not only keep the cost to consumers down but will also ensure growers stay in business. Community-supported agriculture groups exist across the country, and many communities and local co-ops sponsor regular farmers markets, where local farmers have direct access to the buying public.

Getting involved at a hyper-local level through a homeowner or neighborhood association can position you to effect small but impactful immediate changes, initiate climate-centric conversations, and find a group of people working towards the same goal. HOAs often provide access to volunteering opportunities, as well as standardized maintenance protocols, which can mitigate the overuse of water and other resources.

This story originally appeared on Westfield and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

Almost daily, more headlines about climate change—how it exacerbates natural disasters, impacts tourism, threatens species with extinction, or creates cultural shifts due to sea level rise or drought impacts on local economies—hit the news media. 

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's latest report, released on March 20, 2023, both summarizes the previous five years' findings and offers a renewed warning on the degree to which greenhouse gas emissions must be curbed if there is any hope of meeting the Paris Agreement's goal of capping global warming close to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). According to the report, "emissions need to be reduced by at least 43% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels, and at least 60% by 2035" to meet that target. And right now, that's looking like a lofty goal: There is a more than 50% chance that the 1.5-degree threshold will be reached, if not exceeded, by 2040.

As more of a spotlight is shone on these pressing issues, so, too, appear myriad associated buzzwords—from fossil fuels and carbon to biofuels and ozone. And as the climate change conversation becomes increasingly ubiquitous and complicated, it's helpful to grasp some of its most significant terms, starting with the definition of "climate change" itself.

Stacker compiled 25 terms related to climate change, their meanings, and their significance in the context of today's warming climate. This gallery is not inclusive (thousands of terms relate to the climate change discussion) but is meant as a starting point to better understand what is arguably shaping up to be the most pressing issue of the near—and distant—future.

At its most fundamental, climate change refers to new weather patterns sustained over time—decades to thousands or even millions of years—because of fluctuations in Earth's climate system which includes its atmosphere, biosphere, cryosphere, hydrosphere, and lithosphere. The planet has undergone many significant (and natural) climate changes over the past 4.5 billion years, including ice ages and global melts.

About 12,000 years ago, the climate reached stable temperatures hospitable to humans. The resulting farming and settling that occurred led to a need for fuel to power newly invented machines; people found it in coal. But as the coal burned, it released the carbon it held. Then came the oil industry in 1859, when Edwin L. Drake drilled the first oil well. All that burning of fossil fuels for industry and transportation—and methane from livestock and the burning of natural gas—has sent much higher levels of emissions into the atmosphere than ever before, fueling a period of global warming that is happening faster than at any time in the past 2,000 years.

After thousands of years with average temperatures barely fluctuating by more than a degree Celsius, many experts agree that the world will likely experience three degrees of warming by the end of this century. That's because, for the first time, we're seeing what civilization's effect on Earth's climate system is and how it affects all of us.

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Weather is the state of the atmosphere at any given time and place over a limited period—minute to minute, day to day, or week to week, for example. Weather can fluctuate wildly over the course of a month or year, and such fluctuations are becoming more frequent and more intense as global temperatures rise. 

Climate refers to average weather patterns over long periods of time. Weather trends are indicative of larger climate patterns when the trends can be charted over at least a 30-year span.

Ice sheets are continental glaciers exceeding 50,000 square kilometers (about 20,000 square miles). In one 24-hour period in August 2019, Greenland's ice sheet lost 11 billion tons of ice. While it's normal for the ice sheet to lose some ice every summer (and regain some in the winter), 2019's melt season came almost a full month early and was exacerbated by record-high temperatures.

Global warming, an increase in average global surface temperature over an extended period, is one aspect of climate change (the two terms should not be used interchangeably). Today's global warming is attributed to high emissions, including CO2, methane, and chlorofluorocarbons.

The chemical compound carbon dioxide (one part carbon and two parts oxygen) is a gas produced by respiration and the burning of carbon and other organic compounds. Plants absorb CO2 during photosynthesis, making the gas a fundamental component of all life on Earth. CO2 traps heat radiating off Earth's surface in the atmosphere, making the planet habitable for plant and animal life to thrive.

Excessive CO2 in the atmosphere creates a "greenhouse effect" attributed to today's warming climate. By studying air bubbles trapped in ice, NASA scientists have confirmed that today's CO2 levels exceed CO2 levels of the past 400,000 years.

Parts per million, or ppm, is the mass ratio between a pollutant and the air, soil, water, bodily fluid, or other solution. The latest CO2 measurement by NASA in February 2023, for example, showed levels at 419 ppm. For reference, CO2 levels in various ice ages were roughly 200 ppm and 280 ppm during periods of a milder climate. CO2 levels in 2013 exceeded 400 ppm for the first time ever recorded; left unchecked, that ratio is expected to exceed 1,500 ppm and signal an uncharted climate never before inhabited by human life.

Methane is a natural gas comprising one carbon and four hydrogen atoms. It releases less CO2 than other fossil fuels when burned but is roughly 30 times as powerful as CO2 in trapping heat in the atmosphere, making it an even greater climate change threat.

The amount of methane released into the atmosphere has more than doubled in the past 250 years because of forest fires, natural gas fracking, and mass-produced cattle for meat, which accounts for 20% of global warming, according to Yale Environment 360.

Emissions refer to the expulsion of something—most commonly gases or radiation. When it comes to climate change, emissions might refer to smog over high-density cities like Los Angeles or greenhouse gases released by vehicles. President Joe Biden is seeking to switch American drivers from gas guzzlers to cars that run on electricity, combating climate change through the creation of cheaper electric vehicles, in addition to tax credits and rebates to incentivize the transition.

Conference of the Parties is the decision-making entity of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, an environmental treaty that took effect in May 1992. Annual meetings of the COP (begun in March 1995) negotiate the Kyoto Protocol, review the state of climate change and how countries are dealing with it, and decide to implement aspects of the convention. Today, every country in the world is part of the UNFCCC with the goal of drafting and meeting climate goals. A UNFCCC report in August 2019 outlined how various countries are reacting to its mandates and looked at the status of support for countries in achieving different climate goals, while a 2021 virtual meeting emphasized the need for swift action on the part of the world's governments.

Tillage refers to a variety of methods for preparing to plant crops, whether by turning over soil, raking it, or digging into topsoil. Because tillage disturbs the top layers of soil, tilling large swaths of land can decrease water absorption, subject topsoil to being blown or washed away by wind and rain, and disrupt a soil's ability to hold nutrients and microbes. Tillage and the use of fertilizers have been blamed for the loss of as much as a third of all arable land in the past 40 years, making past calamities like the Dust Bowl more likely in the future.

Fossil fuels are any natural fuels, such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas, made up of fossilized remnants of organisms that lived millions of years ago. Humans grew dependent on fossil fuels during the Industrial Revolution; fossil fuels today are found in 96% of everyday items, from plastics to heating fuel. Mining and drilling for fossil fuels—not to mention the act of burning them for fuel—send high levels of CO2 into the atmosphere, exacerbating global warming. Meanwhile, coal-fired power plants are responsible for up to 35% of mercury and two-thirds of sulfur dioxide emissions in the United States.

The ocean absorbs some 30% of the CO2 from the atmosphere; so increases in atmospheric CO2 lead to increases of CO2 in the ocean water. An excess of CO2 in the ocean leads to the lowering of pH in the water—meaning the water becomes more acidic. This is ocean acidification. This change in acidity can dissolve the shells or skeletons of marine life and make fish less capable of spotting predators. Scientists also believe ocean acidification will negatively affect popular seafood supplies, hurting ecosystems and economies around the world.

Particulate matter refers to airborne pollutants that can be inhaled and negatively impact health. Think dust, smoke, soot, and microscopic drops of liquid. The two types that are typically monitored are PM-10 and PM 2.5. PM-10 includes aerosols that are 10 micrometers or less in diameter and PM-2.5 refers to finer particles no larger than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. PM-2.5 causes the biggest risk to humans as it can be inhaled deep into human lungs and even enter the bloodstream. 

Intended nationally determined contributions, or INDCs, are an agreed-to lessening of greenhouse gas emissions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Countries worldwide adopted such agreements at the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in December 2015 in Paris, specifically looking at actionable climate goals under the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions. These goals dovetail with already-arrived-at goals of the Paris Agreement, including reaching net-zero emissions before 2100 and keeping the global average temperature from rising 2 degrees Celsius.

Sea ice is frozen ocean water that floats on the ocean's surface. How much area it covers fluctuates throughout the year. In Antarctica, it has the greatest extent in September and the smallest in February. The start of 2023 represented the lowest levels of sea ice on record for that time of year.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations, dedicated to providing the world with an objective, scientific view of climate change; its natural, political, and economic impacts and risks; and possible response options.

Greenhouse gases are gases that trap heat in Earth's atmosphere creating a "greenhouse" warming effect. The primary greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are water vapor, CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone.

NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies data show that the Earth's global temperature has increased since 1880 by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit, or a little more than 1 degree Celsius. Global average temperatures in 2017 rose 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit (0.9 degrees Celsius) above the 1951 to 1980 mean. The global mean surface air temperature for that period was estimated at 57 F (14 C), according to GISS. That means the planet's average temperature has increased by about 0.8° Celsius (1.4° Fahrenheit) since 1880, according to the surface temperature in 2017 at 58.62 F (14.9 C) and according to GISS's ongoing temperature analysis.

Biofuels are produced from biomass—plant matter, algae, and animal waste, for example—rather than by the slow geological processes involved in the formation of fossil fuels, such as oil. Liquid biofuels can help meet transportation fuel needs. In April 2021, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a $61.4 million initiative for technologies producing low-cost and low-carbon biofuels, which will help get America to a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

Pre-industrial levels of CO2 refer to the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution. Scientists estimate these pre-industrial levels were about 280 PPM, well below where we are today. Today, atmospheric CO2 levels are at their highest point in more than 800,000 years.

Ozone in the Earth's stratosphere keeps living things on the planet safe from radiation associated with health problems like skin cancer. The use of products like aerosols has been shown to deplete this gaseous layer, which inspired the signing of the Montreal Protocol, a global agreement to gradually stop the use of products that negatively affect the ozone layer.

As global temperatures rise, so too does sea level—glacial ice melts adding more volume to the ocean and the ocean water expands as it warms. Global sea levels are rising by about 3.3 millimeters per year—30% more per year than in the early 1990s. Close to 40% of the U.S. population lives in highly populated coastal areas, putting almost half of Americans and their homes at risk from erosion, flooding, and storms—all exacerbated by global warming. Cities like Miami already are bracing for an anticipated sea-level rise of more than 6 feet by 2100, which would put the south Florida counties of Monroe, Miami-Dade, and most of Broward underwater.

Harmful algal blooms are spikes in algae in waterways that can be spotted by the discoloration of the water it inhabits and its prevalence along shorelines. They can be toxic to animals and suck the oxygen out of the water, killing fish and other marine life. 

Just like it sounds like, renewable energy is energy generated from renewable resources, such as the sun, geothermal heat, rain, tides, or wind. Renewables are the fastest-growing source of energy in the U.S., increasing 90% from 2000 to 2020, and accounted for more than 20% of the net U.S. electricity generation in 2018. President Biden's infrastructure plan makes renewables a key component of America's energy economy.

Mitigation is done to reduce the intensity of something; in the case of climate change, this could be anything from planting trees to decrease levels of CO2 in the atmosphere to harnessing renewable energies to decrease humans' reliance on fossil fuels. In August 2019, the cities of Austin, Texas, and Seattle, Washington, passed ordinances designed to mitigate climate change. Seattle established its own iteration of the Green New Deal and Austin declared a climate change emergency.