Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota Flood July 2016
A powerful storm system with "tornadic-strength winds" brought as much as 10 inches of rain to Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota on July 11 and 12, causing record river crests, infrastructural damage estimated in the millions and two reported fatalities. Climate change increases the risk of flooding by increasing the frequency of extreme precipitation. Warmer air holds more water, leading to stronger and more frequent heavy precipitation events, a global trend that has been firmly attributed to climate change. In the upper Midwest region of the US that includes Wisconsin and Minnesota, extreme precipitation has increased 37 percent from 1958 to 2012.