A chilling new study warns that the dangerous combination of hurricanes and heatwaves once a rare occurrence is becoming more common due to climate change, and could threaten millions in the coming decades.
The research, published May 15 in Nature Communications, focuses on Hurricane Ida, which devastated Louisiana in 2021. The storm knocked out power to 35 million customers, and the heatwave that followed claimed 11 lives. Scientists now say this type of compound disaster could shift from a once-in-a-lifetime event to a regular occurrence.
Led by Professor Ning Lin of Princeton University, the study reveals how warming temperatures are pushing heatwaves later into the year when hurricane season is still active. This increases the odds that people will face both disasters back-to-back, with deadly consequences.
“The risk is no longer theoretical,” said Lin. “As the climate warms, the overlap between hurricanes and heatwaves is growing.”
A New Era of Overlapping Disasters
The researchers calculated that Hurricane Ida’s kind of heatwave-blackout combo had a return period of 278 years under past climate conditions (1980–2005). But under a high-emissions scenario, that could fall to just 16.2 years after 2070 a staggering 94% drop. Even under low-emissions scenarios, the risk rises sharply to once every 23.1 years.
Driving this risk are two factors: increasing heatwaves and stronger hurricanes. While scientists still debate whether hurricanes will become more frequent, nearly all models agree they are getting more intense. Rising sea levels and urban population growth are further compounding the risks.
Power Failures Can Turn Deadly Fast
The researchers used sophisticated climate simulations, feeding 30,000 virtual storms through models of wind, rainfall, storm surge, and heat stress. They then assessed how power grids would hold up and how long recovery would take. For Hurricane Ida, 47% of customers lost power, and it took 10 days to restore electricity to 90% of them. Nearly half the population experienced both a blackout and dangerous heat for at least a full day.
This kind of “one-two punch,” the scientists argue, causes compounding damage: blocked roads prevent utility repairs, failed air-conditioning increases heat risk, and overwhelmed infrastructure collapses under dual stress.
Wake-Up Call for Urban Planning and Climate Policy
Michael Oppenheimer, co-lead author and senior climate expert at Princeton, says local and federal authorities must treat this rising threat with urgency. While towns can build seawalls and improve drainage, electrical grid resilience demands coordinated, long-term investment including from the federal government.
The findings come as coastal cities like Houston and New Orleans already affected by similar disasters grapple with outdated infrastructure and increasing climate pressures. The researchers hope their study serves as a stark reminder that climate adaptation must evolve faster than the threats themselves.
The study was conducted by an international team from Princeton, Tongji University, Rice University, the University of Hong Kong, and Huazhong University, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.