North Carolina flooding proves we need a new way of rating hurricanes

With North Carolina reeling from more than 17 inches of rain from Hurricane Matthew, it's time to face the fact that the way we measure hurricanes and communicate their likely impacts is seriously flawed. 

We need a new hurricane intensity metric that more accurately reflects a storm's potential to cause death and destruction well inland, rather than the Saffir-Simpson Wind Intensity Scale, which focuses on the potential for coastal damage from high winds and storm surge flooding. 

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Matthew could cause billions of dollars in U.S. economic damage

So far, Hurricane Matthew has killed 22 people in the U.S., nearly half of which occurred in North Carolina. As of midday Monday, an entire town — Lumberton — was being evacuated via helicopters and boats, as a river surged through the entire area. A levee break may have accelerated the flooding there.  Read more...

More about Climate Change, Global Warming, Hurricane Floyd, North Carolina, and Flood

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