Hurricane Helene has destroyed large portions of Asheville, North Carolina, once considered a climate refuge, as unprecedented floods from the storm caused widespread damage and left the city cut off.
Oliver Milman reports for The Guardian.
In short:
- Asheville, promoted as a safe climate haven, was heavily damaged by catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Helene.
- The storm, fueled by record heat, has killed more than 100 people across five states, with nearly a third of deaths in the Asheville area.
- Recovery in Asheville and surrounding regions may take years, raising questions about how to rebuild amid worsening climate threats.
Key quote:
“This storm has the fingerprints of climate change all over it.”
— Kathie Dello, North Carolina state climatologist
Why this matters:
Hurricane Helene shows how climate change can push extreme weather into unexpected regions, challenging the safety of once-protected areas. The disaster in Asheville raises difficult questions about the notion of so-called climate refuge cities, and how and where to rebuild in an increasingly unstable climate.
Read more: Some US cities are promoting themselves as climate refuges despite concerns
