Extreme hurricanes hitting U.S. more frequently, study says

The question of whether or not global warming influences the strength or frequency of hurricanes is a matter of heated scientific debate. Though some climate scientists argue that increased sea surface temperature and cyclone activity are linked, others say the evidence is ambiguous at best. Some contend that news media distortions and a lack of historical, standardized hurricane data only make it seem like the storms are worse. Now, a new study is likely to stoke the debate even further. On Monday, a paper published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of the Sciences, or PNAS, concluded that large Katrina-sized hurricanes were twice as likely to form off the United States’ southeast coast in hotter years than they were in colder years.