(MCT) — WASHINGTON — There’s no clear answer to the raging scientific debate over whether climate change, including record low levels of sea ice in the Arctic this summer, influenced Hurricane Sandy’s path and intensity.

But scientists agree on one point: Rising sea levels caused primarily by global warming could worsen the effects of storms such as Sandy, particularly when it comes to storm surge. And that means coastal communities throughout the United States must think about what they will need for protection from such storms.