Abstract
Hurricane Katrina which plowed through New Orleans in August 2005 comprised the most costly natural disaster in U.S. history. Not too many years earlier in 1992 Hurricane Andrew crossed through Miami and had claimed that distinction. But Katrina was quickly followed by Hurricane Rita, making 2005 the first time in history two category 5 hurricanes with sustained winds exceeding 155 miles per hour occurred in the Atlantic Ocean. Why have there been so many powerful hurricanes in the past few years? Is this a new trend or have we just entered a temporary new cycle of intense hurricane occurrence? Is recent concern over global warming legitimate and the recent number of hurricanes with such high winds a result of warmer temperatures?