Exactly 16 years after Hurricane Katrina—the costliest hurricane in history—made landfall in New Orleans, Hurricane Ida has ravaged the region once more. Emerging from the Gulf of Mexico on August 23rd, 2021, Ida ravaged parts of Cuba before making landfall in Louisiana, causing extensive flooding and damage in New Orleans, before its remnants moved along the East Coast to as north as the Atlantic provinces of Canada.

The Caribbean nations of Jamaica and Cuba were hit first. Cuba’s capital, Havana, saw empty streets as parts of the country flooded. Landslides were also seen in Jamaica, where entire roads became blocked. On August 28th, President Biden issued a dire statement, warning that it was clear Ida was heading towards Louisiana and Mississippi. The following day, entire cities had their power grid shut down, hundreds of thousands evacuated their destroyed homes, and several dozen direct fatalities were reported. Moreover, the Mississippi River, the longest in North America, saw its flow reversed by the strong winds. Finishing its ravages in the South, Hurricane Ida began travelling north along the coastal interiors of the Southern states, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, and struck the Northeast US on September 1st.

Philadelphia’s main river, the Schuylkill, saw water levels rise to the highest in over 150 years as eastern Pennsylvania faces flash flood threats. Further north, New Jersey and New York saw record-breaking rainfall, as subway lines were shut down and roadways were flooded. As the ravages continue, Environment Canada issued a weather statement forecasting the final remnants of Hurricane Ida to slam into the Maritime provinces on September 2nd and 3rd.

Despite the unprecedented nature of Hurricane Ida, it is only the fourth Hurricane to emerge from the Gulf and the third to hit Louisiana since August 2020. The increasing commonality and power of hurricanes are associated with climate change, which has nurtured the growth of stronger and longer-lasting hurricanes than ever before. The rainfall from recent hurricanes is also unparalleled in history, wrecking great amounts of damage to infrastructure and the livelihoods of citizens. Overall, Hurricane Ida is a glimpse of what a more unpredictable and ruinous future could look like, a world where intense flooding, power outages, and severe damages to our cities are the norm.