Hurricane Milton: make Big Oil pay for storm damage, says Greenpeace

Washington DC, October 9, 2024 – Reacting to the news that Hurricane Milton has struck Florida,

John Noël, Greenpeace USA Senior Climate Campaigner said:

“For the second time in as many weeks, lives have been upended by yet another hurricane supercharged by fossil fuel-driven climate change. But while millions of people pick through the wreckage of their communities, the oil and gas companies responsible are banking billions while scrambling to dig up ever more climate-wrecking fossil fuels.

With damage from Hurricane Helene already estimated at a quarter of a trillion dollars ($250bn) and Hurricane Milton bearing down on Florida, this could be the costliest hurricane season in history. Ordinary people cannot be left to pick up the tab: with US elections just weeks away, presidential candidates should stop asking Big Oil for campaign donations and instead force them to pay for the climate damages devastating our communities.”

The total economic loss from the humanitarian crisis created by the previous Hurricane Helene, including damages to infrastructure, healthcare costs, blackouts, and business disruptions, was estimated by AccuWeather to be as high as $250 billion.

Rapid analysis by a team of leading scientists at World Weather Attribution found that climate change worsened the heavy rainfall and winds generated by Hurricane Helene, leaving at least 227 people dead across six states.

Every year the U.S provides at least $20 billion in direct subsidies to the fossil fuel industry. Greenpeace is calling on governments to end these handouts and make big oil and gas polluters stop drilling and start paying for the climate damages people face around the world.

Rather than taking responsibility for their leading role in climate change, oil and gas majors such as Shell, Energy Transfer, ENI and TotalEnergies have resorted to intimidation lawsuits against member organisations in the Greenpeace network and other organisations who warn against the continued expansion of fossil fuels.