Climate change is causing more extreme weather around the globe and in Missouri, where rising temperatures increase humidity. This can cause heavier rainstorms to happen more often. The floods in July were an example of how heavier rainstorms happening more often can negatively affect St. Louisans. During this summer’s flash flooding, parts of St. Louis received more rain in 24 hours than any other period on record in St. Louis. People who live in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, or St. Charles County who had property damaged or lost due to the July 2022 floods can apply for relief funds until November 7.

Within a couple of hours on July 26, the St. Louis area received over 9 inches of rain, which is almost a quarter of the annual average (St. Louis Public Radio).

Most of the Midwest has experienced a 5% to 10% increase in annual precipitation (rain, snow, etc.) over the last 100 years on record. The amount of rain that falls on the four wettest days per year has increased about 35% in the last 100 years. This means that we are experiencing more instances of rain and heavier rainfall in shorter amounts of time.

The temperature in most of Missouri has increased between 0.5- and 1-degree Fahrenheit in the last 100 years. Missouri is now the hottest it has been since the Dust Bowl, and it is expected to get hotter. Across the globe, temperatures have risen by 1 degree F on average in the last 50 years. Even a 0.5-degree change in temperature can disrupt many climate patterns and natural processes.

Hotter temperatures cause floods more often in areas like Missouri. Hotter temperatures in Missouri cause evaporation to increase. This causes more humidity and heavier rainstorms (Climate Signals).

There are many causes to rising temperatures, and humans have played a role in many of these causes. For instance, human activity has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, a molecule that traps heat in the air.

We can prepare for natural disasters like flooding by making disaster response services available, building channels for water runoff, collecting information to help us predict the weather, and by taking steps to reduce activities that change our climate.

It is difficult to predict when a natural disaster will happen and how much climate change contributes to these events. Weather forecasters work with weather information that we have and they create models to come up with best estimates. Since there are so many factors that all interact to produce the weather that we experience, these predictions can change.