Climate Changed
Why Rains and Flooding Are Plaguing America
- Weather pattern pumped moisture across U.S. throughout season
- Warmer Gulf of Mexico waters allowed storms to recharge
The Coming Storm of Climate Change
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To understand why heavy rains and widespread flooding have plagued the U.S. this spring, go to the Pacific Ocean.
Last winter, a pool of cool water set up next to a warm patch across the northern Pacific, said Paul Pastelok, lead long range forecaster at AccuWeather Inc. in State College, Pennsylvania. “This led to an avenue for storms that came off the East Asian coast. Instead of dying out, they traveled along that avenue and maintained their strength.” It’s the same phenomenon that delivered a warm winter and ended California’s unprecedented drought.