Background Information: Flooding

As the effects of climate change intensify, our region is predicted to experience increasingly intense precipitation (rain or snow) events. As the Earth warms, water evaporates more quickly from soils, oceans, and other water bodies. Additionally, warmer air holds more moisture. When moisture-laden air forms a storm, heavier, more intense precipitation is likely. When heavy storms release a lot of water quickly, the likelihood of flooding increases. If the ground is either very dry from periods of drought or very wet from periods of oversaturation, the risk of flooding also increases.