CNN

Hurricanes aren’t what they used to be. As the planet warms, they are morphing into something more dangerous — intensifying faster, producing more rainfall and generating bigger storm surge.

To protect ourselves from these increasing threats, researchers say hurricane preparedness and the way people perceive storms need to proactively change, as well.

“We want to make sure that people are not being complacent, (know) that these storms are intensifying more because of climate change, and that they are taking that seriously,” Jaclyn Rothenberg, director of public affairs for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, told CNN.