Climate Change Intensifies April Flooding Across Southern, Midwest US

A series of record-breaking storms and floods across the Midwest and South in early April were made significantly worse and more likely by human-caused climate change, according to multiple scientific studies. The storms, which killed at least 24 people and led to states of emergency in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas, resulted in some areas receiving over 16 inches of rain—the heaviest ever recorded for the region. Analyses found that climate change made the rainfall about 9% more intense and up to 14 times more likely, primarily due to a warmer atmosphere and unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico that fueled the storms. The floods caused extensive damage to homes, infrastructure, and farmland, with economic losses estimated between $80 and $90 billion. While effective emergency management and strong forecasts helped prevent greater losses, experts warn that ongoing staff shortages at the National Weather Service could undermine future responses. Rising insurance costs are also becoming an issue as the frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events increase.