The short answer is no. Our planet's changing climate did not cause Florence to form, but it's definitely not making things any easier. Because of increased air and water temperatures, hurricanes can carry more rain onto land than they used to. That makes flooding an even more pressing threat. In addition to being wetter, hurricanes are also larger: a brand-new (not yet peer-reviewed) analysis released yesterday showed that the diameter of Florence is 50 miles (80 km) larger because of the influence of climate change. Analyses completed after landfall will have more information about how warming temperatures are influencing big storms, but for now, scientists will continue to watch and wait.