It never rains...it pours!

Climatologist: Flooding the Result of Climate Change

NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Connecticut rivers have been high this spring, but nothing like the record-breaking, devastating flooding of the Mississippi River. Some climatologists point to climate change as a direct cause of these extreme weather events.

Kevin Trenberth, senior scientist with the National Center for Atmospheric Research, says the environment in which all these storms are occurring is different than it was, for instance, 30 years ago.

"When we look at the statistics, we find that the very heavy rains are increasing at a substantial rate. In general, it has become wetter in the U.S., especially east of the Rockies."

The increase in the earth's temperature has led to an even bigger increase in the amount of water vapor over the oceans, he explains, contributing to massive storms.

The time is past when all these storms could be attributed just to natural cycles, Trenberth says.

"You can't simply blame this all on natural variability. Natural variability is certainly playing a role, but equally, climate change that we humans have something to do with is also playing a role."