A new model developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) can help scientists better predict how intense storms will become as the Earth's climate continues to change.

The model, called the "Storm Surge-Atmosphere Model" (SSAM), simulates the interactions between the atmosphere and the ocean during storms. It takes into account factors such as wind speed, sea level rise, and storm track.

SSAM is the first model of its kind to be able to simulate the entire life cycle of a storm, from its formation to its dissipation. This allows scientists to study how storms develop and change over time, and how they might be affected by climate change.

The model's simulations found that sea level rise could cause storm surges to increase by as much as 50% in some areas by the end of the century.

In 2017's hurricane season, researchers pointed to climate changes causing more powerful Category 4 and 5 hurricanes. That prediction holds as Hurricane Ida makes landfall near Grand Isle, LA, as only Louisiana's fifth Category 4 hurricane — and fourth on record, tied with 1856, 1915, and 2005 .