Louisiana Downpours August 2016

The analysis concludes that human-caused climate change increased the frequency of extreme three-day precipitation events like the August 2016 Louisiana downpours by at least 40% and increased their intensity by approximately 10%. Using observational data and high-resolution climate models (FLOR-FA and HiFLOR), the study found that such events are now more likely and intense than they were in 1900. While the specific local event was characterized as a 1-in-550 year occurrence, similar events now occur somewhere along the Central U.S. Gulf Coast region approximately once every 30 years.

• Human-caused climate change has increased both the frequency and intensity of extreme three-day precipitation events in the Central U.S. Gulf Coast region. Specifically, an event like the August 12–14, 2016, downpour is now expected to occur at least 40 percent more often than in the pre-industrial past, with precipitation intensity increasing by roughly 10 percent.
• The August 2016 event was characterized by extreme rainfall totals, with Baton Rouge receiving 11.24 inches on August 12 alone. The total rainfall for the state was estimated at 7.1 trillion gallons, which exceeded the rainfall from Hurricane Isaac in 2012 and was three times the amount seen during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
• There is a significant difference between the return time of such an event at a single location versus the regional scale. Locally, the event is estimated as a 1-in-550 year event, whereas a comparable event now occurs somewhere within the Central U.S. Gulf Coast region approximately once every 30 years.
• The study utilized a combination of observational data from 324 GHCN-D stations and NOAA gridded analysis, alongside two high-resolution climate models: FLOR-FA (50km resolution) and HiFLOR (25km resolution). The HiFLOR model showed a greater magnitude of shift in probabilities than the FLOR-FA model.
• Projections indicate that if greenhouse gas concentrations continue to increase as expected, the probability of extreme precipitation events like the one observed in August 2016 will further increase by the end of the current century.

APA

World Weather Attribution (2016). Louisiana Downpours August 2016. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/louisiana-downpours-august-2016/

Chicago

World Weather Attribution. Louisiana Downpours August 2016. 2016. https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/louisiana-downpours-august-2016/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Weather Attribution |title=Louisiana Downpours August 2016 |date=14 August 2016 |url=https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/louisiana-downpours-august-2016/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldweatherattribution2016louisiana, author = {{World Weather Attribution}}, title = {{Louisiana Downpours August 2016}}, institution = {World Weather Attribution}, year = {2016}, month = aug, url = {https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/louisiana-downpours-august-2016/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }