Last updated October 15, 2021
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West Virginia and Virginia Flood June 2016

Greenbrier, WV, USA

Once-in-a-thousand year rainfall in West Virginia drove record-breaking flooding in which at least 23 lives were lost. 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 northeastern region of the US that includes West Virginia extreme precipitation has increased 71 percent from 1958 to 2012.

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Flooded neighborhood in West Virginia.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Global Warming
Air Mass Temperature Increase
Atmospheric Moisture Increase
Large Scale Global Circulation Change
Extreme Precipitation Increase
Atmospheric Blocking Increase
Extreme El Niño Frequency Increase
Total Precipitation Increase
Runoff and Flood Risk Increase
West Virginia and Virginia Flood June 2016