The hidden toll taken by tropical storms

Workers, community members, and business owners clean up debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Marshall, North Carolina, on September 30th, 2024. | Photo: Getty Images

Tropical storms take many more lives than officially recorded, according to a sobering study published today in the journal Nature. It comes as people across the Southeastern US scramble to find loved ones in the wreckage of Hurricane Helene.

The average tropical storm or hurricane leads to the early deaths of between 7,170 and 11,430 people...