Floods, Fires and Rising Thermometers: Climate Change Slams the U.S. and Sets Global Heat Records

The United States has already endured a record-shattering year of billion-dollar weather and climate disasters in 2023. With 25 separate events causing at least a billion in damages each so far, communities across the country have suffered through extreme storms, floods, droughts, wildfires, and other calamities. The economic and human toll has been immense.

Unfortunately, things may get even worse before the year is over. According to a new analysis by NASA, parts of the U.S. could see heightened flood risks in the coming months if a strong El Niño climate pattern develops. El Niño often increases precipitation and storms along the country's southern tier.

After a year of historic flooding in places like Missouri, Kentucky, and Mississippi, more communities being inundated would only add insult to injury.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for yearly tallying the nation's billion-dollar disasters. Their monthly climate report for October summarized the unprecedented nature of 2023's extreme weather so far. With December still to come, this year has already broken the previous record of 22 separate billion-dollar events, set in 2020.

Scientists widely agree that climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of many types of extreme weather across the globe. For the U.S. in 2023, that reality has led to a steady procession of loss, damage, and heartache for millions of citizens. The potential for more flooding in the year's final weeks constitutes yet another climate-charged obstacle to overcome.