The New York Times - Torrential rains and widespread flooding in Texas have brought relief from a yearslong drought to many parts of the state. Such unpredictable and heavy rains are a big part of what climate scientists say that many Texans can expect in years to come.
Texans are no strangers to extreme weather, said Katharine Hayhoe, a climate change researcher at Texas Tech University and an author of the 2014 United States National Climate Assessment. "It's famous for floods and drought, hurricanes and tornadoes, dust storms and ice storms," she said. "Climate change is not causing these events — they've always happened naturally. But climate change is exacerbating these events."
She noted that the enormous building boom that Texas has enjoyed in recent decades has led to greater problems with water runoff and higher costs of storm damage. "The choices we're making today are actually increasing our risk," she added.