ne week after Hurricane Milton, more than 400,000 Americans are out of power in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and some other areas, already affected by Hurricane Helene. The two back-to-back hurricanes have resulted in the death of more than 200 people and have caused severe economic disruptions resulting in staggering financial losses of more than $400 billion in total damage, making them the most destructive storms in US history.

The losses are not limited to infrastructure but include businesses and agriculture where cotton and tobacco crops have been severely hit. The impact on industries like tourism and technology has further exacerbated the long-term economic fallout, with recovery expected to stretch over several years. In Florida, where Hurricane Milton hit the state’s west coast, storm surges, flooding and wind damage ranged from Sarasota to Fort Myers, destroying vast residential areas and commercial complexes.

The two hurricanes together have overwhelmed insurers. Early reports have suggested that the cumulative economic blow may approach historical levels, reminiscent of major storms like Hurricane Ian in 2022 and Hurricane Harvey in 2017. These back-to-back hurricanes have triggered delays in insurance claims and raised concerns about reinsurance premiums, potentially impacting future economic stability in the region. The storms have also disrupted employment, with economists projecting a drop in job numbers and regional GDP due to halted business operations and damaged infrastructure. Given the scale of destruction, both federal and local governments are bracing for long-term recovery challenges that could reshape the economic landscape in affected states for years to come.

On the other hand, some people in Georgia are already voting for the presidential election. At least 252,000 voters had cast ballots at early-voting sites by October 17, nearly double the 136,000 who participated in the first day of early voting in the 2020 election.

This brings us to the immediate impact of these storms on the nature of ongoing and extremely close-margin presidential election campaign where both parties are desperate to win over voters. The unprecedented back-to-back hurricanes have created new challenges for candidates, voters and election administrators. These natural disasters have not only disrupted communities but also injected uncertainty into an already contentious electoral process.

The overlapping crises have highlighted concerns about voter access, the potential for suppressed turnout, and the politicisation of disaster management, all of which could shape the outcome of the election. One of the primary consequences of these hurricanes is the disruption of voting infrastructure in key battleground states. Hurricanes Helene and Milton struck Florida, Georgia and North Carolina – states with significant electoral weight and severe competition – causing widespread damage to polling stations and displacing thousands of residents. Election officials are now racing against time to repair damaged voting infrastructure and establish contingency plans, such as temporary polling locations and mail-in ballot extensions.

However, these emergency measures may not be enough to fully restore voter confidence, especially among displaced populations. Historically, lower voter turnout has disadvantaged Democratic candidates, raising concerns that the storms could tilt the electoral scales in favor of Republicans. On the other hand, Republican strategists are weighing the option to raise questions about voter verifications and election credibility.

The immediate impact of the storms has been on the nature of ongoing and extremely close-margin presidential election campaign where both parties are desperate to win over voters. The unprecedented back-to-back hurricanes have created new challenges for candidates, voters and election administrators.

Both parties are trying to politicise natural disasters. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, visited the affected areas. Former President Trump, the Republican candidate, also went into areas in Florida and North Carolina, meeting with local officials and deracinated people. The state governments are trying to rush aid and help to win over the hearts and minds of people to lure them to their political benefit. In several areas, ultra-conservative organisations, also known as white supremacists, have arrived at the doorsteps offering assistance as well as lamenting the absence of governmental organisations on the ground. This has raised several questions about the renewed efforts of political extremists to win over people. The Federal Emergency Management Authority officials are also surveying from door to door, assessing the magnitude of impact of these hurricanes on residential, business and other infrastructure to let the aid come in quickly.

In the 25 counties in North Carolina hit the worst by the storms, Trump had won 68 percent of the votes in 2020 elections. However, these counties represent about 17 percent of the votes in the state. The impact of natural disasters can be significant for electoral outcomes only if we assume that a little more than one percent of the voters in North Carolina are unable to vote. In Florida, Trump had won the state by 3.4 percent in 2020. Out of 13 most-hit counties in the state, the affected areas represent a sizeable population in the state, thus forcing the state government to allow greater flexibility on voting schedules such as mail-in-ballot voting timings, change in the location of polling places and accommodations for the poll workers. In Georgia, the impact of Hurricane Helene on election process seems little; an unprecedented 300,000 Georgians came out to vote on the very first day of early voting in the state, indicating huge support for Kamala Harris’s campaign.

The hurricane season and presidential election intersect the debate about global warming as well. Scientists believe that the rapid intensification of these storms was driven by abnormally warm ocean temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, a direct consequence of global warming. Hurricanes Helene and Milton demonstrate how warmer seas not only increase the speed and intensity of hurricanes but also result in greater rainfall. For example, Milton’s rainfall was 20-30 percent higher than it would have been without climate change, with wind speeds also increasing by around 10 percent due to warmer conditions. The compounding effects of these hurricanes, occurring just two weeks apart, underscore how climate change is escalating the frequency and severity of natural disasters.

The Kamala Harris campaign has highlighted these developments as a repercussion of the inability of the developed world in general and the United States in particular to lead the world towards a renewable energy revolution. The Republican leadership, especially former President Trump, tend to dismiss climate change as a hoax and have promised to allow fracking and drilling on public lands for oil exploration purposes. Environmental scientists believe that global warming in reaching unprecedented levels and could cause huge disruptions in world in the form of huge human population displacement from Global South to North. Most young voters believe in global warming and seem to be supporting Democratic Party for its environmental reform agenda. The response to these disasters could significantly sway voter sentiment, with Democrats emphasising the need for stronger climate action while Republicans, including key state leaders, remain sceptical about the role of climate change.

Whereas the Biden administration’s handling of federal disaster relief has become a focal point for political criticism, Republican challengers are questioning the effectiveness and speed of the federal response. In contrast, Democratic leaders are leveraging the crises to argue for the need for stronger climate policies and increased investment in resilient infrastructure. This dynamic could influence voter sentiment, particularly in swing states where climate-related issues have gained political salience. In this high-stakes election, the storms have underscored the intersection of governance, environmental policy and electoral strategy, making their impact a critical factor in the final stretch of the campaign.

The writer is a professor of government at Houston Community College, USA.He recently published his book The Rise of the Semi-Core: China, India, and Pakistan in the World-System. He can be approached at suklashari@gmail.com