Natural Disasters on a Warming Planet
- Kanani Sanders
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
The severe flash flooding throughout the hill country and various cities along the Guadalupe River in Texas has been one of the deadliest flood events in modern American history Yale Climate Connections article reports. Deadly enough that Daniel Swain, a climate scientist from the University of California, remarked it was “the worst-case scenario for a very extreme, very sudden, literal wall of water.” The storm in particular dumped two to four inches of rain an hour: essentially creating a gigantic atmospheric fire hose soaking Central Texas. Rainwater rapidly flowed down hills and valleys and gathered in rivers. Due to the significant presence of limestone — a material which does not absorb rainwater compared to places with thick layers of soil at the surface — Guadalupe's shores rose quickly. Local and federal resources that could have mitigated and prevented loss of life failed at every turn as a result of significant staffing cuts to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and inadequate warning systems. In a media release by MunichRe, a global insurance company, since July of this year losses from natural catastrophes in the United Sated dominated those suffered globally in the first half of 2025.
The floods in Texas this past summer have been estimated to cost $18 billion to $22 billion in total damage and economic losses according to a report by AccuWeather. During the first half of 2025, the United States suffered a loss of $15 billion in weather disasters according to a report issued by Gallagher Re. This report comes after the elimination of the NOAA’s program to track billion-dollar weather disasters, which was terminated this past year. The floods in Texas weren’t the only major natural disaster to devastate the United States. The most expensive wildfire in world history, the Palisade fires, occurred in Los Angeles. Tracy Wholf with CBS news reported the L.A. wildfires caused $53 billion in overall losses. Climate change played a critical role in the wildfires — increasing the fire weather index conditions, making them more intense and destructive according to scientists. Similarly, the Los Angeles Times stated the Texas flood was marked by the type of extremely intense highly localized downpour that is becoming much more common due to global warming.
Moving forward it is critical that in response to the flooding of the Guadalupe River and devastating natural disasters like it, that those in power make appropriate decisions to ensure future catastrophes like this can be mitigated and properly prepared for. It seems clear that the kind of precipitation event which caused the flooding in Texas increases fastest in a warming climate. To back this up, basic physics tells us the warmer it gets the more moisture the atmosphere can hold— adding greater potential for heavier rainfall. With that knowledge state and local officials should ensure that resources are provided to respond appropriately to anticipated risks that come with such an environment. For example, the Environment Texas Research and Policy Center recommend implementing strategies which move water away and reduce the volume of stormwater through nature-based solutions.
Natural disasters cost lives, including the lives of those who are lost because of the tragedy and the lives of those who continue to live with the repercussions. As climate change continues to worsen, so will the negative consequences of natural weather events. Response from officials should focus on resilience to ensure that our communities can better withstand the changing climate. Without proper action by officials, we expose innocent lives to the heightened negative consequences resulting from a warming climate steeped in natural disasters.
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