Last week, Tropical Storm Chantal caused record flooding along the Haw River, with over 7 inches of rainfall in less than a day, according to the North Carolina State Climate Office.
According to Lee Ringer, meteorologist with Spectrum News 1, North Carolina is no stranger to heavy rainfall, especially when it comes to tropical systems.
“Since we’ve had weather records, we’ve seen tropical systems striking North Carolina,” Ringer told Enlace Latino NC. “However, we’ve seen a growing trend in heavy rainfall across the country and here in the state.”
Why Are We Seeing More Heavy Rainfall?
According to the North Carolina State Climate Office, the increase in rainfall intensity is mainly due to higher levels of atmospheric water vapor as the climate warms.
Over the past 120 years, North Carolina has warmed by about one degree Fahrenheit. And according to the North Carolina Climate Report, the state’s temperatures are expected to rise at least another 2 to 4 degrees by mid-century.
Antonia Sebastian, an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Enlace Latino NC that for every degree of warming, the atmosphere can hold significantly more moisture.
As a result, when it rains, it rains harder. Sebastian noted that while there is clear evidence that climate change is linked to extreme rainfall and coastal hurricanes, the impact is more evident in the intensity than the frequency of storms.
“There is limited evidence on how the number of hurricanes is changing—it’s more that the storms we’re seeing are more intense than they used to be,” she explained.
Ringer also noted that North Carolina has always been vulnerable to tropical systems. What has changed is how much rain those storms are producing.
“We’ve always had tropical systems hitting North Carolina—we’re just seeing a trend of them producing heavier rainfall. And because of that, flooding is becoming more frequent,” Ringer said.
>>> With Latino Support, a Swannanoa Family Rebuilds Their Home
>>> ICE Accesses Medicaid to Locate Undocumented Immigrants: What It Means for North Carolina
Heavy Rain Means More Flooding in North Carolina
In 2020, the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies released a report predicting that sea level rise and stronger coastal storms, especially hurricanes, could increase storm surge flooding along North Carolina’s coast.
When it comes to inland flooding, the report predicted increases due to the rise in extreme rainfall.
“There are different factors that cause flooding,” said Sebastian. “A hurricane can generate storm surge or a large amount of rain. These hurricanes are becoming stronger and moving farther inland than before, so they’re now dumping more rain on interior areas than in the past.”
This can lead to river flooding, when rivers overflow due to excessive water. But it can also result in pluvial flooding, commonly referred to as urban flooding.
“That’s flooding that occurs when you have really intense rainfall in such a short period of time that the water can’t drain before things start to back up and flood,” Sebastian explained.
This type of flooding can happen not only during hurricanes but also during other types of intense storms
“It’s probably one of the main drivers of a lot of the inland flooding we’re seeing in North Carolina—those intense storm events,” she said.
Between 1996 and 2020, 78 flooding events were recorded in Eastern North Carolina, according to a recent study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The research mapped those events across roughly three-quarters of the state, revealing that many were caused by smaller, localized storms.
“We’re all very aware of major events like Florence and Matthew. They’re intense, impact many people, and have widespread effects,” said Antonia Sebastian, lead advisor for the study. “But there are many smaller events in between that have very local impacts.”
Sebastian said the number of documented events was surprising. “We found 78, right? I think that averages out to about three events per year, which is a lot for just the eastern part of the state.”
The study also identified areas with repeated flooding—critical information for local governments and communities looking to plan for the future, especially in light of continued extreme rainfall.
“All the science points to this: we’ll continue to see this trend,” said Ringer. “The planet is still warming, and as that happens, we expect the trend of these more intense rainfall events to continue.”
PODCAST
Después de la tormenta
Hace un año, el huracán Helene golpeó al oeste de Carolina del Norte. La comunidad latina respondió con algo más fuerte que la tormenta: solidaridad.
🎧 En este episodio, conoce cómo las organizaciones latinas transformaron la crisis en resiliencia.
▶️ ¡Dale play para escuchar!
Republique gratuitamente nuestras historias en su website o periódico. Seguimos la licencia de Creative Commons. Dele clic al recuadro, y siga las instrucciones.
