In North Carolina, It Never Rains but It Pours

It hadn't rained since Aug. 26, when the remnants of Hurricane Humberto dropped a record-setting amount of rain on parts of North Carolina, spawning tornadoes and swamping a parched region. With 1.83 inches of rain at Raleigh-Durham Airport, the storm set a new record for the day, according to the The News & Observer.

No one weather event can be tied to climate change, but this type of scenario is expected to become more familiar across the country — and, indeed, the world — as the climate changes. Rainfall is expected to come more frequently in short, intense — and often violent — bursts, as opposed to long, slow soaks.

Besides having the potential to cause damage and spawn tornadoes, this flashy rain is more apt to cause flooding and less likely to do agricultural crops any good because so much of the water runs off before soaking in.

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