Heavy rain in Texas floods intensified by human-driven climate change: study

ClimaMeter found that similar meteorological conditions in Texas, specifically in the Hill Country between San Antonio and Austin, are now up to 2 mm/day wetter and 1.5C warmer than they were in the past.

Torrential rains associated with a deadly flood that claimed over 100 lives across six counties in central Texas on Independence Day were intensified by human-made climate change, a new study has concluded.

The disaster unfolded rapidly on Friday, as exceptional downpours in Texas Hill Country increased the water level of the Guadalupe River by 26 feet (8 meters) within 45 minutes, bursting its banks and destroying everything in its path. Over 10 inches (254 mm) of rain fell across the region in just a few hours.

The study was conducted by ClimaMeter, a rapid framework for understanding extreme weather events in a changing climate funded by the European Union and the French National Centre for Scientific Research. By comparing past (1950-1986) and present (1987-2023) weather patterns in the region, researchers concluded that natural variability alone cannot explain the catastrophic floods and pointed at climate change as one of the main drivers of the event.

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