Description:
This paper constructs an integrated
assessment model of tropical cyclones in order to quantify
the impact that climate change may have on tropical cyclone
damages in countries around the world. The paper relies on a
tropical cyclone generator in each ocean and several climate
models to predict tropical cyclones with and without climate
change. A damage model is constructed to compute the
resulting damage when a cyclone strikes each country.
Economic development is expected to double global tropical
cyclone damages because more will be in harm's way.
Climate change is expected to double global damage again,
causing an additional $54 billion of damage per year. The
damage is projected to be concentrated in North America and
eastern Asia but many Caribbean islands will suffer the
highest damages per unit of GDP. Most of the increased
damage will be caused by rare but very powerful storms.