Hurricanes are intensifying more rapidly – and the most vulnerable communities are hit hardest

Cars and debris from washed away homes line a canal in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, on 5 October 2022 – a week after the passage of Hurricane Ian. Photograph: Rebecca Blackwell/AP

Chelle Walton remembers how the water rushed into her home, the night Hurricane Ian made landfall. The 68-year-old found herself chin-deep in water, scrambling to grab essentials like her husband’s medication. “Strangely enough, things float in saltwater,” Walton said.

Walton and her husband Rob had decided to shelter in place, despite repeated evacuation notices.