I’m not a native of Maine and my connection with Maine was my favorite Montana State University professor, Charles M. Milne, who taught me about snow and wind loads in structural design as well as other subjects.

I suspect loading calculations indicate increases from 1979. I have an interest in Maine and read on Oct. 17 that there is to be a nor’easter soon. I keep abreast of climate science and understand that it is predicted that the Northeast US is to be besieged by weather extremes from man-made climate change. I looked at notable nor’easters in Wikipedia. It is apparent the frequency is rapidly increasing.

The first 20th-century storm is listed in 1950. The frequency after 1950 was a nor’easter about every three to four years, changing in the 1990’s to every two years, then in the early 2000’s to every year, then two a year, finally seven listed for 2018 including four in the month of March. The ‘normal’ months listed for the storms is from November to March. The first October nor’easter listed was the famous ‘Perfect Storm’ in 1991. Since 2011, there have been five, if this coming nor’easter is counted.

In my state of Montana, peaches can be grown and the ‘fire season’ is several weeks longer now. I hope that all state and the federal governments begin taking the threat of climate change seriously, and that people everywhere vote with this crisis in mind. Dr. Milne would have taken a stand on climate change.

Erwin Curry
Missoula, Mont.

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