Louisiana's Extreme Rainfall Isn't So Rare Anymore

As Louisiana struggles to recover from last month’s historic flooding—which displaced thousands and is expected to total at least $15 billion in damages—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued grim predictions for the future. Due to climate change, the odds have doubled that the region will experience another extreme downpour like the type that caused the flooding.

Such heavy rainfall—Louisiana received more than 2 feet of rain during the flood—has typically been considered rare. Historically, that kind of rain at any given location is classified as a once-every-500-years event. The historical frequency of an event of this level happening somewhere along the Central Gulf Coast, according to a NOAA, is usually around once every 50 years.