Some of the adjectives used to describe Hurricane Harvey: unprecedented disaster, catastrophic losses, all-time record breaking rainfall, economic calamity, biblical flooding, unparalleled devastation. When rainfall totals reach 50 inches and meteorologists talk about 500 and 1,000 year floods, it’s clear this isn’t what most of us think of as normal weather conditions.
This storm isn’t normal. It’s growing proof that the climate warning alarm is ringing loudly, and we can’t allow ignorant and foolish Republican politicians to deny reality any longer.
Hurricanes and rain events aren’t new weather conditions, but the increasing frequency and destructive power of storms is a screaming climate alarm we can’t afford to ignore. NASA describes the difference between weather and climate as a measure of time. Weather is the changing conditions in the atmosphere over a short period of time. Climate is how the atmosphere “behaves” over relatively long periods of time. It’s all the daily, weekly and yearly weather that makes up the overall climate. Combining and measuring all the weather events determines the climate.
Scientist are quick to point out that no particular weather event such as Harvey can be attributed solely to climate change. However, what they do measure are the changing weather trends that make up the overall climate. According to the Harris County (Houston) Flood Control District, this is the third consecutive year that the greater Houston area has experienced a 500-year flood. Keep in mind, the chances of a 500-year flood should only come once every 500 years. Harvey is larger than the 500 year floods Houston suffered in both 2015 and 2016. This giant historic storm must be evaluated in light of the two years of 500 year floods.
Houston isn’t alone in experiencing these more frequent record breaking weather events. Increasing worldwide temperatures caused by greenhouse gases have risen steadily since 2001. 2016 was the warmest year on record. That overall global heating isn’t just limited to increased land based temperatures.
Increased ocean warming is a part of overall global warming and is directly responsible for storms like Harvey. The warming ocean is the fuel that feeds the water content of storms such as Harvey. The warming of the Gulf of Mexico was confirmed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The Gulf was about 4 degrees above normal at the time Harvey was building into a category 4 hurricane. For the first time in recorded history the temperature of the Gulf of Mexico never fell below 73 degrees over last winter.
“The water in the Gulf of Mexico is the heat reservoir to support these hurricanes,” says Ben Kirman, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Miami. “The warm water and air above the Gulf means there’s more energy to drive a storm such as Harvey … The air was filled with humidity. And then came Harvey. It swept up the humid air and then wrung it out over Texas like a sponge.”
Worldwide warming is creating increased humidity in Iowa as well. The Iowa Climate Statement of 2017 stated that, “It’s not just the heat, it’s the humidity!” The statement was endorsed by 190 science faculty, researchers and educators from 39 Iowa colleges and universities. The 7th annual 2017 Iowa Climate Statement warned of the specific dangers of increased humidity in Iowa.
“Discussions about climate change in Iowa usually focus on changes in temperature and rainfall. However, the rise in ‘absolute humidity’ (moisture in the air) is likely to become the most pervasive factor in climate change across the state. Absolute humidity, which is typically measured by dew point temperature, increased in Dubuque during springtime by 23% from 1970 to 2017.”
Today, America’s fourth largest city Houston, Texas is at the center of an epic storm disaster. Tomorrow or next week it could be Des Moines, Cedar Rapids or Waterloo.
Yesterday’s article by Caleb Gates pointed to Iowa Representative Blum’s climate denial. However, all the Iowa GOP members either deny the climate is changing or claim we can’t do anything to prevent more warming. We must demand that Harvey be a wake-up call to our Iowa GOP congressional members. We can’t allow Senator Joni Ernst to continually avoid answering the climate test question. “The climate has been changing for centuries,” said Ernst again in June 2017. She went on to defend Trump’s abandoning our Paris climate commitments.
Her denial of science and defense of Trump’s Paris climate retreat is an incredible failure of leadership. The Iowa GOP puts Iowa and the nation in last place in the world with their climate denial.
by Rick Smith
Photo via DOD
Posted 8/30/17
