Hurricane Matthew, which was caused by a tropical wave that pushed off the Coast of Africa, has been causing devastation throughout its path. The moment Matthew reached the Caribbean, it intensified into a full-fledged hurricane. It reached its peak from September 30th into the beginning of October 1st; the hurricane reached a category five level, with wind speeds up to 160 miles per hour. From here, Hurricane Matthew swept through Haiti, as a category four hurricane. It continued to cause destruction through eastern Cuba, the Bahamas, and the southeastern portion of the United States.

Hurricane Matthew has caused devastation, damage, and death, especially in the Caribbean. Along with this damage, this hurricane shines a light on what Earth’s future could look like with continued climate change. Many more high-intensity events like Hurricane Matthew is expected in our near future. Michael Mann, a professor at Penn State stated that “It's that warmth that provides the energy that intensifies these storms. And it isn't a coincidence that we've seen the strongest hurricane in both hemispheres within the last year. The increase in water temperature is what’s mainly causing the higher intensity tropical storms. Climate change doesn’t only cause the melting of ice caps and destruction of habitats but also creates natural disasters that can be absolutely devastating. Additionally, there are claims that global warming will make the amount of rain in the eye of the storm 20% more intense.

The past concerns of climate change have become our reality today. Unless all countries, especially the United States and China, take energy usage and global warming seriously, our planet will face serious repercussions.