First the river rose in Texas. Then, the rains fell hard over North Carolina, New Mexico and Illinois.
In less than a week, there were at least four 1-in-1,000-year rainfall events across the United States — intense deluges that are thought to have roughly a 0.1% chance of happening in any given year.
“Any one of these intense rainfall events has a low chance of occurring in a given year,” said Kristina Dahl, vice president for science at the nonprofit organization Climate Central, “so to see events that are historic and record-breaking in multiple parts of the country over the course of one week is even more alarming.”
It’s the kind of statistic, several experts said, that is both eye-opening and likely to become more common because of climate change.
At least 120 people were killed across six counties in central Texas’ Hill Country region last week, after heavy rain caused catastrophic flash flooding. The Guadalupe River, near Kerrville, surged more than 20 feet in 90 minutes during the storm, washing away roads and causing widespread devastation.
Days later, on Sunday, Tropical Storm Chantal drenched parts of North Carolina. Extensive flooding was reported across the central portion of the state, with some areas receiving nearly 12 inches of rain in only 24 hours. Local officials are still confirming the total number of deaths from the flooding, all while the region is under another flood watch Thursday.