Climate change is fueling brutal rainstorms. Here's how to stay safe

Summary

Consider This from NPR: Climate Change is Fueling Brutal Rainstorms. Here's How to Stay Safe

Release Date: July 15, 2025
Host: Juana Summers
Episode Title: Climate change is fueling brutal rainstorms. Here's how to stay safe

---

1. The Aftermath of Texas Flooding

The episode opens with a poignant look at the aftermath of the devastating flooding in Texas. Volunteers like Cindy Martinez are tirelessly working along riverbanks to clean up debris left by the floodwaters.

Cindy Martinez (00:10): "I just wanted to help and it's my birthday and I couldn't think of I'm so thankful that I'm not going through something like this and the only thing I could think of doing, I feel so helpless."

Cindy shares with Juana Summers how the physical labor provides a temporary distraction from the tragic loss of lives and possessions.

Cindy Martinez (00:30): "When I see things like a lure, a fishing lure, and I'm like reminded like somebody just came out here to fish that day."

Her discovery of personal items underscores the human cost of the disaster.

---

2. A Nationwide Surge in Extreme Flooding

Within just 11 days of the Guadalupe River disaster, deadly floods have struck multiple communities across the United States, highlighting a troubling trend of increased extreme weather events.

• North Carolina: Remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal caused historic flooding.

  Lynn Crawford (01:22): "I have not seen this."

• New Mexico: Flash floods resulted in the tragic deaths of a man and two children in areas previously affected by wildfires.

  Lynn Crawford (01:27): "We received three and a half inches of rain on the South Fork burn scar in about a 90 minute period."

• New York and New Jersey: Heavy rainwater inundated subways and streets, turning daily commutes into perilous journeys.

  Lynn Crawford (01:45): "Last night we got crushed."

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy confirmed the loss of lives when floodwaters swept vehicles away.

Phil Murphy (02:25): "This message comes from saatva..."

---

3. The Role of Climate Change in Intensifying Rainstorms

Climate change emerges as the central factor exacerbating the frequency and severity of extreme rainstorms. Host Juana Summers discusses these insights with Michael Copley from NPR's Climate Desk and Kirby Saunders, Emergency Services Director.

Kirby Saunders (04:06): "A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture... that's raising global temperatures and fueling more intense rainstorms."

Climate economist Gernot Wagner emphasizes the urgent need for substantial investments to mitigate the impacts of these weather events.

Kirby Saunders (04:34): "Wagner says communities need to invest billions and billions to deal with more extreme weather."

---

4. Infrastructure Challenges and Necessary Investments

Addressing the intensified rainstorms requires significant overhauls of existing infrastructure. Key areas needing attention include:

• Stormwater Management Systems: Many cities need to upgrade systems built decades ago to handle increased water volumes.

• Transportation Systems: Investments in waterproofing and making underground rail systems more resilient are critical.

  Kirby Saunders (04:51): "There's a constant battle to keep water out... some flooding like we saw Last night in the New York subway is expected."

Expert Lynn Crawford warns of the dire consequences if these systems fail.

Lynn Crawford (05:24): "More flooding like that and people will die."

---

5. Public Preparedness and Safety Measures

With flash floods capable of developing rapidly, public preparedness is essential. The episode outlines several strategies to enhance personal and community safety:

• Emergency Alerts: Ensuring that individuals receive and heed flood warnings via cell phones, radio, and television.

• Flood Risk Assessment: Utilizing tools from FEMA and organizations like First Street to understand and prepare for local flood risks.

• Emergency Kits: Preparing bags with essential documents, medications, and plans for quick evacuation to higher ground.

Kirby Saunders (05:46): "When flash flood warnings go out, experts say you really need to take them seriously."

---

6. The Flaws in FEMA Flood Maps

A critical examination reveals that FEMA's flood maps are outdated and often underestimate flood risks, leaving millions vulnerable.

Laura Sullivan (07:34): "FEMA... maps woefully misrepresent the actual risk millions of Americans face."

Data scientist Jeremy Porter from First Street highlights discrepancies between government maps and actual flood zones.

Jeremy Porter (08:05): "When we zoom in, we actually see that they're in our flood zone."

The episode delves into how inadequate mapping fails to incorporate the increasing intensity of rainfall due to climate change, leading to improper construction and lack of necessary flood insurance.

---

7. Case Study: Camp Mystic and Regulatory Failures

Camp Mystic in Kerr County serves as a stark example of the consequences of flawed flood mapping. Investigations revealed that the camp successfully petitioned to exclude several buildings from FEMA's floodplain maps, negating stricter building requirements and flood insurance mandates.

Laura Sullivan (10:59): "Camp Mystic had successfully petitioned to remove buildings from those FEMA flood maps... which could mean the camp was exempt from stricter building requirements."

Jim Blackburn of Rice University's Severe Storm Center criticizes the complacency towards floodplain regulations.

Jim Blackburn (10:14): "We don't think that the floodplains are that serious."

His call for decision-making based on scientific evidence underscores the urgent need for policy reforms.

---

8. Overcoming Political and Economic Barriers

The episode reveals how political interests and economic pressures hinder efforts to update flood maps and enforce stricter building codes. Home Developer Associations and other special interest groups lobby against these measures, often citing increased costs and regulatory burdens.

Jim Blackburn (10:22): "We treat floodplains as kind of a good old boy, kind of wink and nod."

This resistance prevents the implementation of necessary safeguards to protect communities from increasingly frequent and severe flood events.

---

9. Conclusion: The Human and Economic Toll of Inaction

As extreme rainstorms become more common with ongoing climate change, the episode underscores the profound human and economic impacts of inadequate preparation and flawed infrastructure. It calls for immediate and substantial investments in storm management, updated flood mapping, and public education on flood risks to mitigate future disasters.

Juana Summers (02:08): "Climate change is increasing flash flooding risk in the US and our tools to deal with it are struggling to keep up."

---

Production Credits:
Produced by Monika Evstatieva, Jordan, Marie Smith, and Connor Donovan
Audio Engineering by Maggie Luthar and Ted Mebane
Edited by Barry Hardiman, Neela Banerjee, and Jeanette Woods
Executive Producer: Sammy Yenigun

---

This episode of Consider This provides a comprehensive exploration of how climate change is intensifying rainstorms across the United States, the challenges in infrastructure and policy, and the critical steps needed to safeguard communities against future flooding disasters.

Transcript

[Juana Summers]

The aftermath of the flooding in Texas is really just beginning. Volunteers are still working along the riverbank cleaning up debris. One of them is Cindy Martinez.

[Cindy Martinez]

I just wanted to help and it's my birthday and I couldn't think of I'm so thankful that I'm not going through something like this and the only thing I could think of doing, I feel so helpless.

[Juana Summers]

She told NPR's Martin Costi that doing physical work, dragging tree branches up the muddy hill, makes it easier not to think about the lives lost here.

[Cindy Martinez]

Although I'll be telling, I'll be honest with you, when I see things like a lure, a fishing lure, and I'm like reminded like somebody just came out here to fish that day.

[Michael Copley]

What have you found today?

[Cindy Martinez]

A doll? Some pajamas? People's lives.

[Juana Summers]

The disaster brought everyday life in parts of Texas to a standstill. One thing that hasn't stopped, though, is flooding. Kerr county, the hardest hit area in the Guadalupe flooding, was under another flash flood warning Tuesday morning. And in just 11 days since the Guadalupe river disaster, deadly floods have hit communities all across the country. Last week, parts of North Carolina were inundated as remnants of Tropical Storm Chantal rolled through. Emergency Services Director Kirby Saunders called the flooding historic.

[Kirby Saunders]

I've been here 12 years. It's my 28th year in public safety.

[Lynn Crawford]

I have not seen this.

[Juana Summers]

A man and two children were killed in flash flooding in New Mexico in an area that saw wildfires last summer.

[Lynn Crawford]

We received three and a half inches of rain on the South Fork burn scar in about a 90 minute period.

[Juana Summers]

That was Ruidoso Mayor Lynn Crawford. Then Monday night, it was New York and New Jersey. Video on social media captured rainwater cascading into the subways and streets turned into rivers.

[Lynn Crawford]

You know, last night we got crushed.

[Juana Summers]

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy said two people were killed when floodwater swept their car away. The common thread in each of these situations, a ton of rain dumped very quickly, a risk that is expected to grow as the planet heats up.

[Lynn Crawford]

We New Jersey, we America, we the globe. We're getting dragged by climate.

[Juana Summers]

Consider this. Climate change is increasing flash flooding risk in the US and our tools to deal with it are struggling to keep up. From npr, I'm Juana Summers.

[Phil Murphy]

This message comes from saatva. What does it take to be the goat? For athletes, it's more than just talent and dedication. It takes the quality sleep necessary for recovery, sleep, which has also been proven to improve athletic abilities and increase energy. Every Saatva is designed for that kind of sleep, which is why they were named Best luxury mattress by sleepfoundation.org save $200 on $1,000 or more at saatva.com NPR the House of Representatives has approved a White House request to claw back two years of previously approved funding for public media. The rescissions package now moves on to the Senate. This move poses a serious threat to local stations and public media as we know it. Please take a stand for public media [e-mail] thank you.

[Lynn Crawford]

You know those things you shout at the radio or maybe even at this very NPR podcast on NPR's Wait, Wait, don't tell. We actually say those things on the radio and on the podcast. We're rude across all media. We think the news can take it. Listen to NPR's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me. Wherever you get your podcasts.

[Juana Summers]

It'S consider this from npr. So why is climate change expected to make extreme rainstorms like the ones we've seen this month more common? To dig into that question and what people can do to prepare, I spoke with Michael Copley from NPR's Climate Climate Desk. So, Michael, over the past couple of weeks, so many of us have been really just shocked to see the intensity of some of this flooding. What can you tell us about why we're experiencing such extreme weather?

[Kirby Saunders]

Yes, in general, a warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, so people keep releasing a ton of greenhouse gas emissions, mainly from burning fossil fuels like coal and oil. And that's raising global temperatures and fueling more intense rainstorms that drop more water in shorter periods of time. And we're going to see more extreme weather events as the Earth keeps heating up. And that's going to pose bigger threats to people and their homes and cities. Here's Gernot Wagner. He's a climate economist at Columbia Business School.

[Lynn Crawford]

It seems to be bad right now. This is the best year of our lifetimes.

[Kirby Saunders]

Wagner says communities need to invest billions and billions to deal with more extreme weather.

[Juana Summers]

Okay, billions and billions. But what kinds of investments are we talking about here?

[Kirby Saunders]

Yeah, we're talking about overhauling stormwater management systems that cities built decades ago so that they can handle more water coming down in these storms. They're also going to make big investments in underground rail systems like the New York subway. There have been cases of passengers stranded and service disrupted in places like Boston, D.C. and London in recent years. Some cities are trying to make investments to make their systems more resilient to climate change, waterproofing stations and tunnels. But keeping water out is a constant battle. And Wagner says some flooding like we saw Last night in the New York subway is expected.

[Lynn Crawford]

Yes. Certain amount of flooding around the tracks in the subway system is in fact, by design. Well, more flooding like that and people will die.

[Kirby Saunders]

Wagner says a lot of these transportation systems are already operating at or near the breaking point.

[Juana Summers]

I mean, these flash floods, they can happen rather quickly. So what can people do to stay safe?

[Kirby Saunders]

Yeah, they do happen really, really quickly. It's important to make sure that you're getting the emergency alerts. So people get those through their cell phones oftentimes. They're often they're also broadcast over the radio and television. And when flash flood warnings go out, experts say you really need to take them seriously. Maybe delay your commute, don't drive through flooded areas. Also check the flood risk at your home. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has a tool for that. So does First Street. It's an organization that assesses climate risk. And then you need to think about what are you going to do in an emergency? Pack a bag ahead of time with important stuff like documents and medication and think about if you need to evacuate, how can you get to higher ground quickly.

[Juana Summers]

Right. And Michael, I understand that according to the government, just 4% of homeowners have flood insurance, Is that right?

[Kirby Saunders]

That's right, Yeah. I think most people don't know that home insurance doesn't generally cover flooding. They don't know that they need to buy a separate policy through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private company or they think they only need flood insurance if they're in a flood zone. Anderson Baker is a retired insurance executive in Louisiana, and here's what he has to say to that.

[Lynn Crawford]

Everybody's in a flood zone. People at the top of a mountain are in a flood zone. They're just in a good flood zone.

[Kirby Saunders]

The other issue that we're seeing is flood insurance is getting pretty expensive around the country, especially in flood prone areas. And that cost is often a deal breaker, especially for people on tight budgets. But when homeowners don't have flood insurance, often they're on their own to deal with the damage, and that can be devastating financially.

[Juana Summers]

Michael Copley from NPR's Climate Desk. Michael, thank you.

[Kirby Saunders]

Thank you, Juana.

[Juana Summers]

One of the tools that Michael mentioned was the FEMA flood maps. They're supposed to help communities predict and prevent the worst danger. Laura Sullivan on NPR's investigations team has found that in Texas there were flood.

[Laura Sullivan]

Risks that those maps simply didn't capture for most Americans. If you want to know if you live in an area at risk of flooding, you can punch an address into a database run by fema. A color coded grid will tell you where the agency expects the water to. But for decades now, these maps have relied on old and limited data. And scientists for private companies are finding government maps woefully misrepresent the actual risk millions of Americans face.

[Michael Copley]

I mean, it's interesting to see how close these cabins and these smaller buildings are.

[Laura Sullivan]

Data scientist Jeremy Porter with the group first street is studying aerial photos of a line of cabins at Camp mystic in Kerr county, where more than two dozen young girls and camp staff lost their lives. As many as 17 camp buildings seem safely outside the water's range on the FEMA maps.

[Michael Copley]

When we zoom in, we actually see that they're in our flood zone.

[Laura Sullivan]

But First Street's maps show the buildings, including many cabins, are in danger. The difference reflects more than whether people know their flood risk, but whether they have prepared for it. Structures inside the government's flood areas are often required to be built in ways that could protect people from a flood.

[Michael Copley]

There's a human element here that oftentimes gets overlooked because we're so worried about property damage.

[Laura Sullivan]

The problem extends well beyond the banks of the Guadalupe river in Texas. First street found more than two times as many Americans live in risky places compared to what the government reports on its maps. The reason, Porter says, is that FEMA does not map rainfall. It focuses instead on tidal surge and large river flooding. At a time when climate change is supercharging rainfall intensity, you think in principle.

[Michael Copley]

People would say we should have better flood coverage. Look what just happened. But it's so heavily politicized that you can't get anybody to bring it forward because they don't want to be the people that raised flood insurance costs.

[Laura Sullivan]

A recent investigation by NPR and PBS Frontline found special interests are also playing a role. Groups like home Developer Associations have been lobbying Congress for less flood regulation and in some cases, to stall updating the nation's flood maps. Developers told NPR they are trying to keep homes affordable. But even when FEMA does mark the most dangerous areas, those warnings are not always heeded. At Camp Mystic, NPR found at least eight buildings, including four cabins that housed younger campers inside what FEMA calls a floodway. It's the most dangerous part of the floodplain, and it's where water is expected to move rapidly during a flood. Think of the banks of a river in Texas.

[Jim Blackburn]

We don't think that the floodplains are that serious.

[Laura Sullivan]

Jim Blackburn is the co director of the Severe Storm center at Rice University in Houston.

[Jim Blackburn]

We treat floodplains as kind of a good old boy, kind of wink and nod. Oh, yeah, it's a floodplain. You know, it's environmental red tape, and that is going to get a lot.

[Laura Sullivan]

Of people killed, blackburn says. What were once thought of as rare events are no longer it is happening.

[Jim Blackburn]

The science is solid. What we need is reasonable decision making based on the best available science, and we don't have that right now.

[Laura Sullivan]

Many catastrophic storms over the last few years have hit places people never expected, but growing research shows they are predictable enough to prepare for.

[Juana Summers]

That was NPR's Laura Sullivan. And there's one more big issue with the FEMA map in Texas. Laura found documents that revealed that Camp mystic had successfully petitioned the to remove buildings from those FEMA flood maps. The change meant that more than a dozen buildings were no longer included in the dangerous area that FEMA designates as a floodplain. That could mean the camp was exempt from stricter building requirements like elevating structures or shoring up foundations. It can also remove requirements for flood insurance. There is a link to those documents and more of Laura's reporting in our show. Notes this episode was produced by Monika Evstatieva, Jordan, Marie Smith and Connor Donovan, with audio engineering by Maggie Luthar and Ted Mebane. It was edited by Barry Hardiman, Neela Banerjee and Jeanette Woods. Our executive producer is Sammy Yenigun. It's Consider this from npr. I'm Juana Summers.

[Lynn Crawford]

This summer on Planet Money Summer School, we're learning about political economy. We're getting into the nitty gritty of what government does with things like trade, taxes, immigration and healthcare. So politics and economics, which are taught separately, they shouldn't be separated at all. I think you have to understand one to really appreciate the other. So what is the right amount of government in our lives? Tune into Planet Money Summer School from npr wherever you get your podcasts. At Planet Money, we know that economic jargon can sometimes feel like speaking another language.

[Phil Murphy]

Yeah, like arbitrage, Alpha, Otarchy.

[Lynn Crawford]

That's just what's in the news these days. There's also absolute advantage.

[Phil Murphy]

Aggregate demand, aggregate supply. And this is just the A's.

[Lynn Crawford]

Oh, animal Spirits.

[Phil Murphy]

That's a pretty good one. Planet Money from npr. We help you translate the economy so you can understand the world wherever you get your podcasts. Want to hear this podcast without sponsor breaks? Amazon prime members can listen to Consider this sponsor free through Amazon Music. Or you can also support NPR's vital journalism and get consider this plus@ + NPR org. That's + NPR. Org.