At the beginning of the 2021 school year, the local Philadelphia metropolitan area was slammed by Hurricane Ida. Moving northwards after hitting Louisiana as a category 4 hurricane, Ida wreaked havoc with heavy winds and torrential rain. While this was not the first time the area has been affected by climate change, the increasing severity and intensity of these events have alarmed many.

Members of the Archmere community living in New Jersey and Pennsylvania experienced the side effects of Hurricane Ida. Floodwaters rose to historic heights and some neighborhoods were even hit by tornadoes. For example, Mr. Quinn, an English teacher here at Archmere, experienced severe flooding during the hurricane. The Brandywine River, which he lives close by, rose to historic heights amid the storm and flooded his home. He observes that while he has been affected by climate change before, the damage caused has gotten worse. Mr. Quinn believes that “…there is an impact of climate change, and we’re living through it”.

However, this storm was not simply a singular extremity. It is a nod to the worsening effects of climate change in our area and around the world. Katie Anthony, a student leader in the Auks for Earth club, describes how global warming can negatively affect our planet as demonstrated by Hurricane Ida. She speaks to the severity of this crisis. In her words, without significant change “…we will continue to lead species to extinction and destroy our planet”.