Intensifying Storms and Floods: Scientists Warn of Rising Death Toll

Scientists say that a hotter planet is driving more intense storms, including the devastating floods that ravaged Texas last week, leaving over 105 people dead. The storms developed quickly in a region known as Flash Flood Alley, where the National Weather Service provided a relatively good forecast, but the area's thin topsoil, impermeable limestone bed, steep canyons, and narrow valleys made the flooding much more severe. The research shows that as the planet warms, sudden outbursts of extreme precipitation are becoming more powerful, and scientists warn that vulnerable communities need to prepare for the perils of a hotter planet.

Key Takeaways:

• The Texas floods were the deadliest weather event in recent American history, with over 105 people dead, and scientists warn that this is just the beginning of more intense storms and floods.
• The National Weather Service delivered a relatively good forecast, but many people in harm's way did not receive any warnings, partly due to staffing shortages at weather offices in Texas.
• The floods highlighted the need for more forward-looking investments to prevent harm, rather than the current "flood, rebuild, repeat" cycle.
• The Energy Department has hired at least three scientists who doubt the overwhelming scientific consensus on climate change, including Steven E. Koonin, John Christy, and Roy Spencer.
• The Trump administration has dismissed hundreds of scientists and experts who had been compiling the federal government's flagship report on how climate change is affecting the country.
• The administration has also systematically removed mentions of climate change from government websites and slashed federal funding for research on global warming.
• The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, which investigated a nitrogen leak at a poultry plant in Georgia that killed six workers, is facing a plan to eliminate it from the White House's budget starting in 2026.

Statistics:

• Hurricane Harvey, which devastated Texas in 2017, was one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history, with damages estimated at over $125 billion (Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
• The number of flood-related deaths in the United States has risen in recent years, with an analysis by The Washington Post showing a significant increase in the past decade (Source: The Washington Post)
• The Energy Department's internal email system lists at least three scientists who are well-known for their rejection of the scientific consensus on climate change, including Steven E. Koonin, John Christy, and Roy Spencer (Source: The New York Times)
• The Trump administration has removed mentions of climate change from government websites, a trend reported by The New York Times (Source: The New York Times)

Sources:

• The New York Times: "Scientists Say a Hotter Planet Is Driving More Intense Storms"
• The Washington Post: "Flood deaths have risen in the United States in recent years"
• The New York Times: "Trump Wants to Kill a Chemical Safety Board. Chemical Makers Object"
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration: "Hurricane Harvey"