A Long Island scientist says storms like Hurricane Ida are the direct result of climate change.

The remnants of Hurricane Ida caused record-setting rainfall, flooding roadways and damaging homes across Long Island and the tri-state area.

Scientist Alison Branco, of the Nature Conservancy, says climate change makes these storms even more dangerous and gives people less time to prepare. Branco says the hotter the water and air, the more water vapor gets sucked up - resulting in record-setting rainfall, rising sea levels and powerful storms.

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Branco says Long Island is certainly on the front lines of climate emergency.

"We're a long, skinny and very flat island sticking out into the ocean, essentially, and so we're getting hit with all of the different impacts, our heat waves are getting worse and things like that but it's really this world with a lot more water that we need to worry about here on Long Island," says Branco. "Our rainstorms are getting stronger so they're not coming in slow gentle rains but big heavy downpours now and our infrastructure is just not ready to handle all that water."

President Joe Biden approved expedited Major Disaster Declaration to help with funding for New Yorkers impacted by flood damage.