Over 40 trillion gallons of rain fell in the Southeast United States due to Hurricane Helene and another rainstorm within a week, leading to catastrophic floods and over 100 fatalities. Experts attribute this unprecedented amount of rainfall to a combination of storm systems and worsening climate change, which has intensified weather events in recent years.
In the Southeast United States, Hurricane Helene, alongside an additional rainstorm, inundated the region with an astonishing total of over 40 trillion gallons of rain in just one week. This unprecedented deluge, described by experts as astronomical, could fill the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium approximately 51,000 times or submerge the entirety of North Carolina by more than 3.5 feet. Such a volume is equivalent to filling over 60 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Ed Clark, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Water Center, remarked, “That’s an astronomical amount of precipitation. I have not seen something in my 25 years of working at the weather service that is this geographically large of an extent and the sheer volume of water that fell from the sky.” The catastrophic flooding resulting from this deluge has left more than 100 individuals deceased, according to official reports. Meteorologist Ryan Maue utilized satellite and ground measurements to arrive at the staggering figure, revealing that approximately 20 trillion gallons fell on states such as Georgia, Tennessee, the Carolinas, and Florida due to Hurricane Helene alone. Clark corroborated this number, characterizing it as conservative, with Maue suggesting that 1 to 2 trillion additional gallons may have accumulated, particularly in Virginia. In comparison, the rainfall surpassed the combined storage capacity of significant reservoirs in the Colorado River basin, namely Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Meteorologists attribute this extreme precipitation to a convergence of several storm systems. Prior to Helene’s landfall, the region experienced heavy rainfall from a stalled low-pressure system, drawing in warm moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, compounded by another un-named storm that released up to 20 inches of rain along North Carolina’s coast. Helene’s rapid movement and significant moisture content, particularly as it approached the Appalachian mountains, intensified the situation. According to Kristen Corbosiero, a hurricane specialist at the University of Albany, “It was not just a perfect storm, but it was a combination of multiple storms that led to the enormous amount of rain.” The interaction of these storms with mountainous terrains exacerbated the rainfall because of the increased moisture extraction from the air. Record-breaking rain was reported, with North Carolina’s Busick receiving an astonishing 31.33 inches in total. The frequency of extreme rainfall events has escalated, and experts have noted that climate change is linked to these wetter storms, which are predicted to become more severe over time. Kelly Dello, North Carolina’s state climatologist, emphasized, “We have seen tropical storm impacts in western North Carolina, but these storms are wetter and these storms are warmer. There would have been a time when a tropical storm would have been heading toward North Carolina and caused some rain and some damage, but not apocalyptic destruction.” In a preliminary study by scientists at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, it was determined that climate change contributed to a 50% increase in rainfall during Helene in specific areas of Georgia and the Carolinas. This worrying trend raises crucial questions about the impacts of climate change and how it influences the dynamics of storm systems in the region, reflecting a growing need for understanding as such events become increasingly common.
The Southeast United States experienced a historic deluge resulting from Hurricane Helene and a precursor rainstorm, totaling over 40 trillion gallons of rain within one week. Such unprecedented precipitation has caused devastating flooding and significant loss of life, prompting experts to analyze the events and underlying causes, including the influence of climate change. The region has seen increasing storm intensity and rainfall measurement trends that indicate alarming changes in weather patterns, necessitating a comprehensive understanding of these evolving dynamics.
In summary, the extraordinary rainfall caused by Hurricane Helene and associated storm systems has resulted in severe flooding and loss of life in the Southeast United States. With more than 40 trillion gallons of rain falling in a week, experts are increasingly linking these extreme weather patterns to climate change. The incident not only highlights the severity and frequency of such storms but also underscores the need for renewed attention to environmental factors influencing weather systems.
Original Source: www.pbs.org
