We keep being told by climate [alarmists] that global warming is responsible for more intensive rainfall, the theory that a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. Funny then that when we look at rainfall records across the US for all sorts of different timescales, we find none at all since 1981. –Paul Homewood, Not A Lot Of People Know That, 30 August 2017
In the current study, trends in major-flood occurrence from 1961 to 2010 and from 1931 to 2010 were assessed using a very large dataset (>1200 gauges) of diverse catchments from North America and Europe. Overall, the number of significant trends in major-flood occurrence across North America and Europe was approximately the number expected due to chance alone. The results of this study, for North America and Europe, provide a firmer foundation and support the conclusion of the IPCC that compelling evidence for increased flooding on a global scale is lacking. —G.A. Hodgkins et al., Journal of Hydrology, September 2017
That great changes have taken place in the climate of Australia all testimonies satisfactorily prove. It is evident to any observer, at some period, the country has been subjected to the mighty action of heavy rains, and of sweeping, deluging floods… The aborigines say that the climate has undergone this change since white-man came in the country. —The Maitland Mercury, 11 March 1846
Don’t mess with Twitter. A University of Tampa assistant sociology professor was fired after he suggested Hurricane Harvey is retribution for Texans who voted for the GOP in a tweet Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Ironically, Harris County, which includes the devastated city of Houston, went for Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election. —New York Daily News, 29 August 2017
The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday rejected a contention by scientists that the historic rainfall from Tropical Storm Harvey was linked to climate change, calling it “an attempt to politicize an ongoing tragedy.” —Reuters, 29 August 2017
The widespread devastation Hurricane Harvey has unleashed on Houston and across Texas won’t include historic power failures. While the storm’s damages are still mounting, Texas utility regulators have estimated power losses at about 345,000 customers, well below blackouts from previous major storms including Ike, which hit Houston and Galveston in 2008. —Bloomberg, 29 August 2017
I farm on sandy soil and regular rainfall is a necessity here. I speculated that warmer temperatures would hold more moisture and I would benefit. I eventually realized that, yes, the atmosphere would HOLD ON TO more moisture. Sigh.