Los Angeles Times

Catastrophic storms, once rare, are almost routine; Is climate change to blame?

While climate change did not cause Hurricane Harvey, it could explain the intensity of this cyclone as well as other catastrophic storms that have hit the United States in recent years, experts say.

Harvey is the latest in little more than a decade of "500-year" and "100-year" floods that once were considered rare. The storm, a Category 4 hurricane when it initially made landfall last week, has dumped trillions of gallons of water onto southeastern Texas, submerged houses and freeways, driven Houston-area residents from their

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Times6 min read
Their Daughter Killed Herself With A Deputy's Gun. They're Still Looking For Answers
LOS ANGELES -- When he got home from work early on a Sunday afternoon in March, Alex Gutierrez called for his youngest daughter and smiled as she popped out of her room to greet him. She was usually buoyant and effusive, but this time she really hamm
Los Angeles Times5 min readPopular Culture & Media Studies
LA Influencers, Businesses Live Or Die On TikTok's Algorithm. Now They Fear For The Future
Brandon Hurst has built a loyal social media following and a growing business selling plants on TikTok, where a mysterious algorithm combined with the right content can let users amass thousands of followers. Hurst sold 20,000 plants in three years w
Los Angeles Times4 min read
Editorial: To Reach Climate Goals, LA Needs Action On Its Green New Deal — Not Excuses
Los Angeles adopted an array of ambitious climate and transportation goals years ago under former Mayor Eric Garcetti, who had the relatively easy job of setting long-range targets knowing he would be out of office when they came due. But now that so

Related Books & Audiobooks