As first responders continue to search for survivors of Friday night's tornado outbreak in the midwest , newscasters are pointedly not referring to climate change as the proximate cause of the disaster. Part of their reticence can be attributed to them not letting the threat of global warming overwhelm the human interest story the many survivors present. The fact is it is unheard of for a massive outbreak of such powerful storms to occur so late in the season.
Meanwhile, the state of Vermont issued a warning there will be increasing numbers of massive precipitation events going forward. Rainfall totals of 3-5 inches, especially when occurring on already saturated soils lead to massive flooding in river valleys where most of the population of the state is concentrated. Most of the northern part of Eastern New York is also included in that warning, so my extended family is also at risk during these events. Agriculture in particular will be affected. The heavy rocky soils prevalent in the area are not good at absorbing water quickly and tend to be excessively soggy for weeks after such an event. Combined with a short growing season, there will be little or no time to recover. Farming and gardening will be more challenging than ever.
Optimists think there is still something to be done to avert catastrophic climate change. I have my doubts.
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