Heavy Precipitation in the U.S. and the Climate Change Connection

Since the late 1950s, the United States has experienced an increase in heavy precipitation driven by human-caused climate change, which allows the atmosphere to hold more moisture. These events, exacerbated by aging infrastructure and non-permeable land surfaces, increase the risk of urban and flash floods, damage agriculture through soil erosion and crop loss, and disrupt transportation systems.

• The United States has seen a rise in heavy precipitation since the late 1950s, primarily because human-induced climate change has increased the atmosphere's capacity to hold moisture.
• Heavy precipitation events are amplified by aging drainage infrastructure and land-use changes, such as the increase in non-permeable surfaces like asphalt, leading to higher risks of flash floods and urban flooding.
• Heavy downpours cause negative impacts on transportation systems at the city and state levels, as well as on agriculture via soil erosion and crop damage.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Heavy Precipitation in the U.S. and the Climate Change Connection. https://www.wri.org/research/heavy-precipitation-us-and-climate-change-connection

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Heavy Precipitation in the U.S. and the Climate Change Connection. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/heavy-precipitation-us-and-climate-change-connection.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Heavy Precipitation in the U.S. and the Climate Change Connection |url=https://www.wri.org/research/heavy-precipitation-us-and-climate-change-connection |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendheavy, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Heavy Precipitation in the U.S. and the Climate Change Connection}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/heavy-precipitation-us-and-climate-change-connection}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }