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“The deadly storms that tore through eight U.S. states in early April, killing at least 24 people, were made significantly worse by climate change, according to a study released this week.
Analysis from World Weather Attribution, a climate science group, found that human-caused global warming made the record-breaking downpours about 9% heavier. The powerful storms destroyed homes, roads and farmland.
From April 3 to April 6, the storms swept across the Midwest and South, dumping record amounts of rain across Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and other states. The study found the four days of rainfall was the heaviest ever recorded for the region. The storm's intensity was fueled in part by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, which were about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than normal due to climate change, the study determined.
According to the WWA analysis, this made the storms 14 times more likely.
The researchers said that while strong forecasts and early warnings likely reduced the scope of the damage, they worry about the impact of ongoing staff shortages at the National Weather Service.
Many of its field offices are strained, with nearly half of those offices now facing vacancy rates over 20%, and 30 offices operating without a senior meteorologist, according to one of the report's authors, Bernadette Woods-Placky, chief meteorologist of nonprofit news group Climate Central.
Those offices are responsible for issuing real-time warnings and coordinating with emergency management to keep communities safe.
The strain on insurance markets is also becoming clear as climate change drives more frequent and severe weather. Homeowners in high-risk areas are already seeing their insurance costs rise sharply as companies adjust to the growing risk.
"We estimate that the top 20% of riskiest zip codes have seen insurance premiums go up by $1,100 on average from 2020 to 2024," said Ben Keys, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, on a call with reporters.
www.cbsnews.com
More frequent and more intense flooding. Higher insurance rates in flood prone areas. Welcome to global warming. Get used to it. Brought to you by the Trump regime.
Analysis from World Weather Attribution, a climate science group, found that human-caused global warming made the record-breaking downpours about 9% heavier. The powerful storms destroyed homes, roads and farmland.
From April 3 to April 6, the storms swept across the Midwest and South, dumping record amounts of rain across Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and other states. The study found the four days of rainfall was the heaviest ever recorded for the region. The storm's intensity was fueled in part by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, which were about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than normal due to climate change, the study determined.
According to the WWA analysis, this made the storms 14 times more likely.
The researchers said that while strong forecasts and early warnings likely reduced the scope of the damage, they worry about the impact of ongoing staff shortages at the National Weather Service.
Many of its field offices are strained, with nearly half of those offices now facing vacancy rates over 20%, and 30 offices operating without a senior meteorologist, according to one of the report's authors, Bernadette Woods-Placky, chief meteorologist of nonprofit news group Climate Central.
Those offices are responsible for issuing real-time warnings and coordinating with emergency management to keep communities safe.
The strain on insurance markets is also becoming clear as climate change drives more frequent and severe weather. Homeowners in high-risk areas are already seeing their insurance costs rise sharply as companies adjust to the growing risk.
"We estimate that the top 20% of riskiest zip codes have seen insurance premiums go up by $1,100 on average from 2020 to 2024," said Ben Keys, a professor of real estate and finance at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, on a call with reporters.
Climate change made recent flooding in Midwest, South more intense, report finds
Analysis from World Weather Attribution, a climate science group, found that human-caused global warming made the record-breaking downpours in early April about 9% heavier.
www.cbsnews.com
More frequent and more intense flooding. Higher insurance rates in flood prone areas. Welcome to global warming. Get used to it. Brought to you by the Trump regime.
