The University of California, San Diego says the atmospheric river storms that periodically hit the western U.S. could cause as much as $3.2 billion a year in flood damage by the end of the century, a figure three times higher than an estimate the university made in 2019.
August 24, 2022
The University of California, San Diego says the atmospheric river storms that periodically hit the western U.S. could cause as much as $3.2 billion a year in flood damage by the end of the century, a figure three times higher than an estimate the university made in 2019.
Researchers also say the figure could be trimmed to about $2 billion a year if countries significantly reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
The findings were made in a paper published in the journal Scientific Reports on Aug. 12. It was based on an updated look at differing climate models, one that put annual flood damage at $2.3 billion in the 2090s and another that put the figure at $3.
