Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate

An analysis of 150 U.S. weather stations shows that 90% experienced an increase in hourly rainfall intensity between 1970 and 2021, with an average increase of 13%. These intensifying rainfall extremes, which contribute to flash flooding and landslides, affect both wet and dry regions, with the most significant increases observed in locations such as Fairbanks, Alaska, and El Paso, Texas.

• Between 1970 and 2021, 90% of the 150 analyzed U.S. weather stations saw an increase in hourly rainfall intensity, with an average increase of 13% across all stations.
• The increase in hourly rainfall intensity is widespread across the contiguous U.S., particularly in the Southwest, Plains, Northern Rockies, Upper Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast. 63% of the stations experienced an increase of 10% or more.
• The highest increases in hourly rainfall intensity occurred in locations with varying precipitation levels, including Fairbanks, Alaska (49%), El Paso, Texas (40%), and Wichita Area, Kansas (38%). Most of the top 10 locations for intensity increase are below the national average for mean annual precipitation of 31.3 inches.
• Intensifying rainfall has significant economic and safety impacts; changes in rainfall from 1988 to 2017 were responsible for approximately $73 billion, or one-third, of U.S. flood damages during that period.
• Vulnerability to heavy rain-related hazards is disproportionately high for mobile homes and racial minorities, particularly in the southern U.S. and rural areas.

APA

Prein, A., & Reed, K. (2022). Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate. Climate Central. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/wetter-rainfall-hours-in-a-warming-climate

Chicago

Prein, Andreas, and Kevin Reed. Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate. Climate Central, 2022. https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/wetter-rainfall-hours-in-a-warming-climate.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Prein |first1=Andreas |last2=Reed |first2=Kevin |title=Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate |publisher=Climate Central |date=27 April 2022 |url=https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/wetter-rainfall-hours-in-a-warming-climate |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{prein2022wetter, author = {Prein, Andreas and Reed, Kevin}, title = {{Wetter Rainfall Hours in a Warming Climate}}, institution = {Climate Central}, year = {2022}, month = apr, url = {https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/wetter-rainfall-hours-in-a-warming-climate}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }