Graphic: Western Antarctic Ice Cap Passes Irreversible Tipping Point

Graphics - East Coast Flooding: Miami and New York City

Video - Aeriel View of Balken Flooding

The Costs of Climate Change Induced Flooding

A growing number of climate change related events are coalescing to contribute to very costly flooding.
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The combination of thermal expansion, melting ice, and extreme precipitation are contributing to flooding which significantly increases the costs of climate change. Recent flooding in Central Europe accrued unprecedented costs and the UK in particular experienced some of the worst flooding in the Island nation's history. We have seen record setting downpours in Japan and recurrent widespread flooding in Australia. Last summer, we saw "Biblical flooding" in Colorado and most recently, the Balkans are suffering under a massive deluge. Even countries in the Middle East have been inundated by anomalous heavy precipitation in recent times.

Graphs - Global Cost of Flooding

Source:PNAS

Infographic - Sea Level Rise

Visualizing Sea Level Rises from Climate Change

New websites are helping people to visualize sea level rises which is one of the most prominent features of global warming.

This issue is highlighted by recent research indicating that the melting glaciers in Antarctica have hit an irreversible tipping point.

Sea level rises have also been predicted by scientists all around the world including the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report, most comprehensive scientific summary of climate change to date.

Video - Aftermath of the Gas Explosion at the Pensacola Jail in Florida

On April 30th, after days of torrential rain a gas explosion ripped through the Escambia County Central Booking Facility in Pensacola, Florida killing 2 people and injuring 183 others.

Related Article
Climate Change Induced Flooding may have Caused the Gas Explosion at the Pensacola Jail

Climate Change Induced Flooding may have Caused the Gas Explosion at the Pensacola Jail

Flooding may have caused the deadly natural gas explosion at the Escambia County Central Booking Facility in Pensacola, Florida. At this point 2 people are known to have been killed, 3 are missing and at least 180 others have been injured. The powerful blast which caused the building to partially collapse occurred just before midnight on April 30th.

Heavy Rains Link Climate Change and Landslides

The recent deadly landslide in Washington state has led a number of publications to explore the possible influence of climate change. A landslide, defined as the downward movement of slope under the influence of gravity, can be triggered by a number of changes including weaknesses in composition or structure of the rock or soil and high precipitation. Rainfall, particularly heavy rainfall is the causal element that connects climate change to landslides and it is the focus of this article.

Heavy Rains in Egypt Followed by Sandstorms

Heavy rains that started on the weekend of March 7 and 8 caused deadly traffic accidents, flooding, school and road closures as well as other disruptions in many parts of Egypt. Some of the worst hit areas include the Sinai, the adjacent Gulf of Suez, and Upper Egypt. In remote areas the weekend storms damaged mud-brick homes in oasis towns in Egypt’s desert Wadi Al-Gedid governorate, bad weather also descended on the Nile Delta area.

Egyptian authorities declared an emergency alert on Sunday in the town St. Catherine in St Sinai. Residents panicked as the area was hit by a flood after heavy rain. It is too early to know the full extent of the extent of the damage.

A total of 16 people are known to have been killed so far in weather-related accidents and heavy rains. This is not the first time that extreme weather has caused deaths in Egypt this year. Four hikers died while climbing mountains close to St. Catherine when they were stranded by a freak snowstorm in February.

Attribution Science and UK Storms and Flooding

While it is widely known that it is hard to assign individual extreme weather events to climate change, advances in attribution science including a new project will help us to zero in on the causes of specific storms. Improved attribution science including spatial resolution climate models will enable us to get a better grasp of how individual extreme weather events are linked to global warming.

UK Flooding and the Science of Climate Change

While it is widely understood that it is hard to ascribe individual weather events to climate change, there is strong evidence to suggest that the floods experienced in the UK at the end of 2013 and the beginning of 2014 are a taste of what weather will be like as the world warms.

A top Welsh climate scientist has warned that recent storms and floods in the UK offer a foretaste of global warming. Professor Neil Glasser, one of the founders of the Climate Change Consortium of Wales, has said that computer models indicate that extreme weather such as that experienced by the UK of late will happen more often.

Massive Flooding in the UK is Driving People to Accept the Veracity of Climate Change

Although weather related calamity has proven devastating to the UK, there may be an upside to the unprecedented flooding. Politicians and people who were previously disinterested in climate change in the UK are increasingly being forced to reckon with reality.

As explained in an Independent article by Yasmin Alibhai Brown, a Ugandan-born British journalist and author:

Petition in Support of UK Flood Victims & Against Fossil Fuel Subsidies

The ongoing flooding crisis has gone on for a couple of months now in the UK. This is a disaster that has already cost lives and incurred massive financial costs. Once the floods subside, it will take many months to cleanup. British citizens are coming together to demand that their government do a better job of preempting (mitigating) climate change so that the storms and floods do not get worse in the future. Here is a petition that seeks an end of fossil fuels and aid for flood victims. 

Devastating UK Flooding Continues

For almost two months now the UK has been inundated with heavy rains and storm surges that have caused widespread flooding. Up to 20mm (0.8in) of rain is forecast in south-west England on Monday February 17th and this will exacerbate flooding as the ground is already saturated. More wet weather and heavy winds are expected at the end of the week.

A total of 16 severe flood warnings have been issued for southern England and more than 300 less serious flood warnings and flood alerts in England and Wales. A severe weather warning for ice has also been issued for northern Scotland. On the upside, the worst-hit areas of the Thames are expected to see some improvement this week.

Video - UK Storms and Flooding in February 2014

The seemingly endless series of storms that have inundated the UK continues into the second week of February. More rain and more flooding is reportedly widespread for a country still trying to recover from weeks of storms and flooding.

Video - UK Storms and Flooding in January 2014

Due to some of the wettest and stormiest weather ever to hit the United Kingdom much of England, Scotland & Wales have been inundated by flooding early in 2014. River banks burst and flooded lakes. The worst flooding includes Somerset, Aberystwyth, Christchurch, Dorset, Oxfordshire, South Wiltshire, Hampshire, Wiltshire, Isle of Wight. Storm surges driven by high tides and powerful winds slammed the coasts all across UK on the weekend leaving thousands of homes under water.

Unprecedented UK Flooding and Climate Change

The UK is suffering from 'unprecedented' flooding and the weather forecasts indicate that the situation will worsen. The combination of rain, snow and high winds are battering the island nation. One commentator described the landscape across southern England and the South West as an "inland sea". The situation has forced the evacuation of thousands of homes and the closure of a number of schools. In addition to precipitation, many areas including Lundy, Fastnet and Irish Sea are experiencing hurricane force winds of up to 107 mph.

Event - Surface Water Flood Forum

The Forum will take place on February, 11, 2014 in Birmingham, UK. This event is for water companies, local authorities, internal drainage boards, contractors, big land owners and regulatory bodies to address the technical, financial, and operational challenges that surface water flooding presents.