Hurricane Sandy (IMAGE) Rutgers University Caption Climate researchers compared sea-level rise rates and storm surge heights in prehistoric and modern eras and found that the combined increases of each have dramatically increased the likelihood of major storms that cause excessive flooding. Above, Hurricane Sandy damage in Lavallette, N.J. Credit Glynis Jones/Shutterstock Usage Restrictions Purchased from Shutterstock License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.