Why flash floods are getting fiercer

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Jul 27, 2022 View in browser   By Arianna Skibell Presented by ExxonMobil St. Louis firefighters rescue people from their flooded homes on Tuesday. | David Carson/St. Louis Post-Dispatch via AP One minute St. Louis was bone dry, on the verge of a serious drought. The next, a foot of rainfall inundated neighborhoods and roads, leaving at least one person dead and forcing hundreds to flee their homes, many in inflatable rafts. Tuesday's flash flood shattered the city's daily rainfall record, adding yet another historic extreme weather disaster to this summer's global roster of heat waves, wildfires, droughts and floods. Meteorologists are now warning that this weekend could bring excessive rainfall and flash floods to other regions throughout the country, from Colorado to North Carolina. Such events are linked to a warming planet, but the relationship is complex. A variety of factors contribute to flooding, from the soil moisture to the topography of the region. But scientists say a few things are certain. As sea levels rise, coastal flooding will continue. Already-warming ocean waters will grow in volume as glaciers and ice sheets melt, meaning increasingly frequent tropical storms and hurricanes could propel more water inland. And as warmer temperatures cause evaporation that increases moisture in the atmosphere, flash floods will get shorter but bigger . That spells trouble because massive, unexpected floods can be more dangerous and destructive. They are fast, capable of traveling miles beyond their point of origin into cities and towns. In such instances, urban landscapes can morph into death traps. Concrete sidewalks, highways and parking garages repel rainfall, increasing runoff by as much as six times, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Tall buildings in a city's downtown can turn into river banks as fast-moving waters gush through. Flash floods could also be worse in areas already ravaged by wildfires, such as the American West. Earth damaged by fire is less permeable. It can't absorb even small amounts of rainfall, meaning flooding and runaway surges of dirt and debris are more likely. In St. Louis, cleanup efforts of the waterlogged city are slowly underway today after fire departments rescued at least 400 people. Stay safe out there, everyone.   It's Wednesday — thank you for tuning in to POLITICO's Power Switch. I'm your host,  Arianna Skibell.  Power Switch is brought to you by the journalists behind E&E News and POLITICO Energy. Send your tips, comments, questions to  askibell@eenews.net.   A message from ExxonMobil: Producing for today. Investing in tomorrow. We're doing both. At ExxonMobil, we're investing to increase supplies of oil and gas to help meet today's demand. We're producing more oil and gas than any other American company and adding capacity to refine U.S. crude oil by 250,000 barrels per day. We're also investing over $15 billion in lower-emission initiatives through 2027 to support society's net-zero future. Learn more at ExxonMobil.com/supply   Power Centers Workers install solar panels on a home. | Joe Raedle/Getty Images Solar power for all The Biden administration has unveiled a plan to hook up low-income residents with solar power, writes Zack Colman. The program is President Joe Biden's latest attempt to use executive authority to reach his ambitious climate goals after legislative negotiations collapsed. Read the story here . Profit over people? Oil field jobs have not recovered from the pandemic and recession of two years ago, but oil companies are recording healthy profits, writes Mike Lee. That could indicate the industry is undergoing a structural change. New technology and the push for renewable power means fewer jobs. Read more here . Winter is coming The European Union has agreed to ration natural gas to help prevent a severe shortage of fuel this winter, writes Sara Schonhardt. The move comes as the threat of a complete gas shut-off by Russia looms large. The EU relies on Russia for about 40 percent of its gas imports. Here's the story . In Other News Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images A cattle graveyard: After a June heat wave killed thousands of cows, top U.S. cattle feeding companies sent 1,000-pound carcasses to a Kansas landfill, risking massive methane emissions. Caught in the act : Hundreds of pages of internal documents reveal U.S. power companies secretly spent millions to protect profits and fight clean energy. Today in POLITICO Energy's podcast: Catherine Morehouse explains the Midwest power grid operator's approval of a $10.3 billion proposal to expand power transmission while clearing the way for vast amounts of renewable energy. Question Corner The science, policy and politics driving the energy transition can feel miles away. But we're all affected on an individual and communal level — from hotter days and higher gas prices to home insurance rates and food supply. Want to know more? Send me your questions and I'll get you answers.   A message from ExxonMobil:   Subscriber Zone A showcase of some of our best subscriber content. A helicopter drops water near power lines in California to protect the grid. | AP California's grid is beating the summer heat so far, as the state races to overhaul its grid and ensure its reliability. The Energy Department has finalized an $100 million loan for the processing of a critical material used in electric vehicle batteries. Falling gas prices are blunting Republican campaign attacks with just over 100 days to go until an election that could end Democratic control of Congress. That's it for today, folks! Thanks for reading.   A message from ExxonMobil: Investing in energy and the world. At ExxonMobil, we're working to supply the reliable energy the world needs. We're investing and producing, more than any other American company, to increase supplies of oil and gas today. In fact, we are adding capacity to refine U.S. crude oil by 250,000 barrels per day—the equivalent of adding a new, medium-sized refinery. And we are investing more than $15 billion in lower greenhouse gas emissions initiatives through 2027. Increasing supplies of reliable energy and decreasing greenhouse gas emissions is not an "either/or" proposition. We can strengthen energy security and help advance the energy transition. Producing for today. Investing in tomorrow. We're doing both. Learn more about what we are doing to strengthen energy security at ExxonMobil.com/supply     Follow us on Twitter Arianna Skibell @ariannaskibell   Follow us

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