What Would Happen if We Didn’t Have Hurricanes?

As we currently sit at the peak of Hurricane Season, all eyes are on the Gulf of Mexico. Growing up in Louisiana, you've certainly had the thought "Why can't we just find a way to get rid of hurricanes?"

Every action has an equal and opposite reaction, so what would happen if suddenly we didn't have hurricanes anymore?

Let's find out...

What Would Happen If We Didn't Have Hurricanes

There's nothing to like when it comes to hurricanes.

They're deadly, destructive, costly, and disruptive to put it very mildly.

We all have had conversations about how to stop hurricanes. From finding ways to cool the Gulf to dropping a nuclear bomb in the eye of the storm, there are quite a few theories on ways to stop hurricanes.

But, just because we could doesn't mean we should.

Believe it or not, hurricanes actually serve several important purposes for planet Earth.

As The National Hurricane Center puts it, hurricanes "are an atmospheric phenomenon that is necessary to the earth’s bigger, broader health. If we didn’t have regular hurricanes occurring, the world would in fact end."

If hurricanes didn’t exist, several environmental, ecological, and even societal factors would be impacted.

Heat Redistribution

Hurricanes play a huge role in regulating global temperatures by transferring heat from the warm tropical oceans to the atmosphere.

Without hurricanes, there could be more extreme heat in tropical regions like Louisiana and less mixing of oceanic layers according to national-hurricane-center.org.

Rainfall Distribution

Hurricanes provide large amounts of rainfall to regions like the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and parts of Southeast Asia.

Without these storms, some areas might experience droughts, and over time some areas could turn into deserts.

Hurricanes Bring Ecological Life

From national-hurricane-center.org -

"Despite being deadly to human beings in its path, hurricanes have been a boom to the animal world. Recent evidence has pointed to hurricanes being responsible for creating new sand bars, which aid in bird migration.

1992’s Hurricane Andrew, which hit southern Florida, created a new coral reef out from a piece of reef that it had previously broken off."

Regeneration of Ecosystems

Hurricanes also play an important role in resetting ecological balances, such as clearing out old vegetation which allows for new growth.

Without hurricanes coming through and clearing out the old vegetation, tropical regions, including Louisiana, would grow denser without as much regeneration.

Oceanic Food Sources And Pollutants

Without hurricanes, food sources for oceanic ecosystems would be negatively affected.

Hurricanes stir up nutrients in the water that stay dormant on seabeds, providing great food sources for oceanic ecosystems.

The swirling nature of hurricanes is also great for cleaning pollutants in the air. Without hurricanes, the Earth would see a build-up of air pollutants, especially in the Gulf Coast and Atlantic areas.

Impact On Ocean Currents

Hurricanes drive warm water from the tropics toward the poles. Without hurricanes, there would most likely be changes in how the ocean waters circulate, potentially affecting climates worldwide.

Wetland Decline

While we may think that hurricanes are super destructive for Louisiana's coastline, not having hurricanes would actually be worse.

From reasons.org -

"Wetlands, mangroves, and coastal ecosystems rely on the sediment deposited by hurricanes to maintain their structure. Without these natural disturbances, these areas could degrade, leading to erosion and loss of vital coastal habitats that protect shorelines and support biodiversity."

So, it seems that as much we dislike hurricanes, they serve numerous important purposes for the Planet.

There's more to learn about what would happen if we didn't have hurricanes, and you can read more at national-hurricane-center.org and reasons.org.