Columbus, Ohio-Scientists have said for years that global
warming was "loading the dice" when it comes to increasing the
frequency of severe storms, and a new Environment Ohio report makes it
clear that Ohio is already experiencing extreme downpours much more
frequently. Specifically, the new report found that storms with heavy
rainfall are now 43 percent more frequent in Ohio than they were 60
years ago.
"At the rate we're going, what was once the storm of the decade
will soon seem like just another downpour," said David Lands of the
Progressive Voter Network and Environment Ohio.
Lands pointed to the rainstorm that hit Findley in August of
this year as an illustration of what more extreme rainstorms could mean
for the region.
"More frequent downpours, fueled by global warming, will leave
Ohio even more vulnerable to dangerous flooding in years to come," said
David Lands.
The new Environment Ohio report, When it Rains, It Pours:
Global Warming and the Rising Frequency of Extreme Precipitation in the
United States, examines trends in the frequency of large rain and snow
events across the continental United States from 1948 to 2006. Using
data from 3,000 weather stations and a methodology originally developed
by scientists at the National Climatic Data Center and the Illinois
State Water Survey, the report identifies storms with the greatest
24-hour precipitation totals at each weather station, and analyzes when
those storms occurred.
Nationally, the report shows that storms with extreme
precipitation have increased in frequency by 24 percent across the
continental United States since 1948. At the state level, 40 states
show a significant trend toward more frequent storms with extreme
precipitation, while only one state (Oregon) shows a significant
decline.
Key findings for the East North Central Region and Ohio include:
- Storms with extreme precipitation increased in frequency by 22% percent in the East North Central Region from 1948 to 2006.
- Ohio experienced a 43% percent increase in extreme rainstorms during the period studied.
- Shows a significant increase in the frequency of large storms with heavy
precipitation, roughly estimated to be a 71% percent increase over the nearly
60-year period.
These
findings are consistent with the predicted impacts of global warming.
Scientists expect some parts of the United States to receive more
precipitation as a result of global warming, while other parts receive
less. But regardless of the trend in total precipitation, scientists
predict that the rain and snow that does fall will be more likely to
come in big downpours and heavy snowstorms.
Environment Ohio was joined by the Progressive Voter Network at
a press event to release today's report and representatives from
Interfaith Power and Ligh are available for comment.
Lands was careful to note that an increase in the frequency of
extreme rainstorms does not mean more water will be available.
Scientists expect that, as global warming intensifies, longer periods
of relative dryness will mark the periods between extreme rainstorms,
increasing the risk of drought. For example, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that, under a scenario of
intense warming, the percent of land enduring severe drought globally
could be 30 times greater by the end of the century than it is today.
"How serious this problem gets is largely within our control -
but only if our country acts boldly to reduce the pollution that fuels
global warming," said David Lands.
According to the most recent science, the United States must
reduce its total global warming emissions by at least 15 percent by
2020 and by at least 80 percent by 2050 in order to prevent the worst
effects of global warming.
"Steep reductions in global warming pollution are challenging
but achievable," noted David Lands, "and we already have the energy
efficiency and renewable energy technologies we need to get started."
Tomorrow, the U.S. Senate Environment & Public Works (EPW)
Committee is expected to vote on amendments to the "Lieberman-Warner
Climate Security Act of 2007" (S. 2191), a global warming bill
introduced by Senators Lieberman (I-CT) and Warner (R-VA). While
recognizing the important efforts of the bill's supporters on this
critical issue, [Environment State] said that the legislation must be
significantly strengthened to address the challenge of global warming.
Specifically, the bill's current pollution reduction targets fall short
of what the science says is necessary to avoid the worst effects of
global warming, and the bill gives away far too many subsidies to dirty
and dangerous energy sources.
"In addition to calling for a strengthening of the
"Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007", Senators Brown and
Voinovich and Representative Pryce should cosponsor the Global Warming
Pollution Reduction Act/Safe Climate Act - the only legislation in
Congress that would reduce pollution fast enough to protect future
generations from the worst effects of global warming," concluded Lands.
Environment Ohio is a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization.
