Is Climate Change Supercharging Hurricanes?

Videos

Grades6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12Physics, Earth and Space Sciences

Scientist Reviewed

Provided by Hot Mess

Open Resource

What it is

This engaging video from Hot Mess discusses how climate change is supercharging hurricanes by examining Hurricane Harvey.
The video clearly explains the relationship between rising temperatures and the increase in the severity of hurricanes.

Teaching tips

Positives

The video uses engaging graphics and imagery to ensure students understand the content.
The video is brief and can easily be fit into short class periods.

Prerequisites

Students will need to have a basic understanding of climate change.
There is an advertisement at the end of the video. The video content ends at 2 minutes and 43 seconds.

Differentiation & Implementation

Civics classes can use this video to discuss how communities can prepare themselves for climate change. The videos How to Survive a Climate Disaster and Climate Change: Preparing for Power Loss can be used for students to explore these ideas further.
Civics classes can use this video as a hook before exploring youth action taken after hurricanes. The videos Youth Climate Story: Hurricane Damage and Climate Strikes in Florida, Youth Climate Story: Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico (Keishla), and Youth Climate Story: Hurricane Sandy in Far Rockaway are helpful to further explore these ideas.
Science teachers can use this resource before the lessons Extreme Weather 101 or Mapping Air Pressure - Visualizing Hurricane Irma to explore extreme weather exacerbated by climate change.

From the scientist review

Attribution studies are a branch of climate science that look at individual weather events and attribute their strength to climate change. This PBS video explains how climate change made Hurricane Harvey worse. This resource is recommended for teaching.

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At a glance

Grades: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Subjects: Physics, Earth and Space Sciences
Format: YouTube Video
Language: English
Location: North America, North America > United States
Provider: Hot Mess
Authors: Hot Mess
Published: April 27, 2021
Last updated: July 16, 2026
: Reviewed by our climate scientists How we review

Standards alignment · MS-ESS3-2. + 9 more

Core

Core Standards legacy

MS-ESS3-2.MS-ESS3-2. Analyze and interpret data on natural hazards to forecast future catastrophic events and inform the development of technologies to mitigate their effects.
D2.Geo.2.6-8D2.Geo.2.6-8 Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.
D4.6.6-8D4.6.6-8 Draw on multiple disciplinary lenses to analyze how a specific problem can manifest itself at local, regional, and global levels over time, identifying its characteristics and causes, and the challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address the problem.
3-ESS3-1.3-ESS3-1. Make a claim about the merit of a design solution that reduces the impacts of a weather-related hazard.
3-ESS2-1.3-ESS2-1. Represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season.
HS-ESS2-5.HS-ESS2-5. Plan and conduct an investigation of the properties of water and its effects on Earth materials and surface processes.
HS-ESS3-5.HS-ESS3-5. Analyze geoscience data and the results from global climate models to make an evidence-based forecast of the current rate of global or regional climate change and associated future impacts to Earth systems.
HS-ESS3-6.HS-ESS3-6. Use a computational representation to illustrate the relationships among Earth systems and how those relationships are being modified due to human activity.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.9-10.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.3 Evaluate a speaker's point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used.

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