Flooding Rains Continue In The Southern United States – National Weather Outlook For August 25, 2022

National Weather Forecast

A system in the southern United States will produce more shower and storm activity (potentially leading to flooding) from the Southern Plains to the Southeast on Thursday. Another system in the Great Lakes will produce storms, and another on on the heels of that will produce storms in the Northern Plains. Monsoonal storms will continue to be possible in the Southwest.

Some of the heaviest rain through the end of the week will be in the Deep South and lower Mississippi Valley, where an additional 3-5”+ of rain could fall. The heaviest will be through Thursday and could lead to flash flooding.

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White House: Climate law could slash related damages by up to $1.9 trillion

More from Axios: “The Democrats’ new climate law could cut related damages by as much as $1.9 trillion through 2050 by reducing impacts from extreme weather events, sea level rise and more, according to a new White House analysis shared first with Axios. Why it matters: The economic ramifications of climate change are potentially staggering, eating into U.S. GDP by the end of the century, reports have warned. The report states it is OMB’s first-ever published estimate of avoided climate-related costs due to the effects of particular legislation.”

Europe is experiencing its worst drought in at least 500 years

More from CNBC: “Europe is experiencing its worst drought in at least 500 years, with hot and dry conditions fueling wildfires, reducing crop yields and reducing electricity generation, according to a preliminary analysis from the European Union’s Joint Research Center. The report from the European Drought Observatory said that 47% of Europe is under warning conditions, with a clear deficit of soil moisture, and 17% of the continent is under a state of alert, in which vegetation is impacted. Record-breaking temperatures in Europe this summer have disrupted transportation, displaced thousands of people, and resulted in hundreds of heat-related deaths. The heat has also exacerbated wildfires, which have grown more destructive in recent years.”

As drought dries up the Yangtze river, China loses hydropower

More from Grist: “A historic drought in the southwest of China is drying up rivers, intensifying forest fires, damaging crops, and severely curtailing electricity in a region highly dependent on hydropower. The Yangtze River, the third largest in the world, has dropped to half its average water levels, affecting shipping routes, limiting drinking water supplies, causing rolling blackouts, and even exposing long-submerged Buddhist statues. Some 66 rivers across 34 counties in Chongqing were dried up as of last week, Reuters reported. Also last week, the province of Sichuan, which gets more than 80 percent of its energy from hydropower, cut or limited electricity to thousands of factories in an effort to “leave power for the people.” Poyang Lake, the largest freshwater lake in China, is just a quarter of its normal size for this time of year. On Friday, China issued its first national drought alert in nine years.”

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– D.J. Kayser