Europe’s Once-in-a-Century Flood
In a year of major floods around the world, Europe’s stood out for the intensity and wide breadth of areas that found themselves underwater. Hundreds of people died, some of whom were swept away in their sleep as heavy rainfall turned normally tame rivers into raging torrents. The damage itself was stunning, with entire buildings torn to shreds and areas of the surface scoured dozens of feet deep. Climate change has made heavy downpours more likely because a hotter atmosphere can hold water. What goes up must eventually come down, and that played out in Europe as well as China, India, the U.S.-Mexico border, Tennessee, and across other parts of the world this year.
