A partially submerged car can be seen in floodwaters in Zonguldak, Turkey on July 10, 2023. Climate scientists warn that as the earth’s atmosphere warms and becomes more moist, the frequency and intensity of storms will increase, leading to greater rainfall. This prediction was further confirmed as several countries, including the United States, experienced extreme rainfall and deadly flooding over the weekend and last week.
South Korea suffered several dozen fatalities, particularly in the Chongju region where a flooded underpass trapped and drowned motorists. In the U.S., five lives were lost in Upper Makefield Township, Pennsylvania, with two children still missing. Multiple states, including New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, were also affected by flooding, prompting a state of emergency in New Jersey.
Last week, flooding wreaked havoc in India, Japan, China, Turkey, and the U.S. Although these devastating floods occurred in different parts of the world, they share a common origin: the warming of the atmosphere due to climate change. With increased global temperatures, the atmosphere can hold more moisture, resulting in more intense rainfall during storms. The situation is exacerbated by pollutants like carbon dioxide and methane, which trap heat and prevent it from escaping into space.
Meteorologist Rodney Wynn explains that warm air expands, allowing it to hold more water. For every 1 degree Celsius increase in temperature, the atmosphere can hold approximately 7% more moisture. Since 1880, the average global temperature has risen by at least 1.1 degrees Celsius. Consequently, as storms form in these warmer and more moist environments, the amount of rainfall they produce increases.
In addition to flooding in Turkey and China, regions like South Korea and Japan also faced the devastating impact of heavy rains. Experts like Brian Soden, professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Miami, emphasize that the increase in intense rainfall events is a well-documented consequence of climate models. Gavin Schmidt, climatologist and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, further highlights the disparity between the countries most responsible for greenhouse gas emissions and those suffering the most from the impacts of climate change.
Recent flooding events in India, Japan, and the U.S. have further underscored the destructive power of these storms. In New Delhi, schools had to close due to the heavy monsoon rains, which resulted in landslides and flash floods causing loss of life. Similarly, in Japan, torrential rain led to floods and mudslides, claiming the lives of two people and leaving several others missing.
The severity of the flooding in New York’s Hudson Valley and Vermont has prompted comparisons to the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011. These events serve as a stark reminder that deadly flooding is becoming more common as a result of climate change.
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