Heightened Rainfall in New York Evinces Climate Change
Heavy rain has hit much of New York State. Credit: Ray Palmer
Rainfall isn’t new to the Hudson Valley, yet the abnormal rate of recent rainfall has sparked concerns on climate change’s widespread local effects.
This past July, 43 year-old Pamela Nugent was killed by rapid floodwaters when trying to escape her Orange County home. These floods were caused by rampant rainfall damaging many parts of the Hudson Valley, with a State of Emergency then issued for many New York regions.
Widely used highways like parts of the Taconic State Parkway and Route 9 in Dutchess County were closed down due to flooding. The Metro-North Railroad and Amtrak suspended service due to damages to its tracks.
At the end of September, Governor Kathy Hochul again declared a State of Emergency due to dangerous amounts of rainfall affecting NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley. There was almost 20 inches of rain, which flooded streets, subway stations and caused many commuter train lines to shut down. One terminal at LaGuardia airport was even evacuated.
Hochul described this as unfortunately “the new normal.”
What sparked this extreme weather event? Research points to climate change, specifically global rises in temperature due to the burning of fossil fuels.
Researchers point to the rise in temperature of large bodies of water, such as the Great Lakes, Hudson River and Atlantic Ocean, as causes of this heightened rainfal. The increased heating of these bodies of water increases the moisture content of the air; the hot atmosphere makes it easier to trap emissions, making it warmer. This cycle has made the Hudson Valley region itself more susceptible to sudden rainfall, which has caused such flooding and damages.
Data from the USW Albany AP weather station recorded that the amount of heavy weather precipitation events in the region have increased by 47.6% in the past 30 years.
Noticeable changes in rainfall and weather patterns have been seen from out of state Marist students as well. Bella Grasso, a freshman from Massachusetts, said weather patterns in her area were “abnormal this past summer” as well. Her normal summer activities, like frequent beach trips, were interrupted from the rampant rain over the summer, and oddly low temperatures for that time of year.
She added that she expected for there to be lots of rain in the Hudson Valley, but not to this extent. High levels of rainfall have not just been affecting the state, but many other areas who are seeing similar patterns.
As for the future of the state, Hochul is taking action. At the end of September, she signed legislation to protect citizens from increasing levels of flooding because of frequent rainfall. This legislation requires that the Department of Environmental Conservation implements regulations and guidance for shoreline management, as well as homeowners to inform buyers if their house is in a flood-risk area.
Hochul says that this is a “monumental step forward in our mission to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events.”