Summary
wA study done by scientists from the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, CO suggests that if pollution continues at the rate that it is currently going, storms across the U.S will soon become much more frequent, and deadly. The biggest increase in frequency of storms would be in the Northeaster region of the contry, as well as in the Gulf Coast. The storms will not only be more frequent, but climate change will make these storms much more catastrophic, leading to immense flooding and high speed winds. The climate change that comes from greenhouse gas emission will also increase the risk of flash floods and drought. In the Pacific Northwest, it is more likely that there will be intense winter storms, but summer storms will remain the same, intensity-wise. This increase in intensity of storms will call for a restoration or complete recreation of infrastructure to handle intense rainfall. Although it may seem like intense rainfall will fix drought in the Midwest, these storms could actually do the opposite. Heavy rainstorm during a drought can wash away plants that let the soil absorb the water, further ruining the soil.
Analysis
This article is significant because the concern for storms and flooding is a real problem. It is highly unlikely that we will change our ways enough and in a short enough amount of time that we will be able to prevent the increase in intensity of storms. This article is very relevant to my life as well, because it stresses the northeast as a target for these intense rainstorms. The article also states that this increase in intensity has already begun, so this problem is very imminent.
My Takeaway
I did not know that climate change affects the intensity of storms, and I found that interesting as well as worrying. I also found it very interesting that the article says that intense rain can make a drought even worse. I always thought that any rain would be helpful in a drought, but actually, too much rain has the opposite effect.
“Droughts and extreme rainstorms? This could be a very harmful combination.” - Dr. Andreas Prein, lead author of the study