For Immediate Release: December 5, 2007
Contact:
Tracy Allen, Environment Maine
(207) 253-1965
New Report: Extreme Downpours and Snowstorms
Up 43 Percent in Maine
U.S. Senate Urged
to Strengthen Key Global Warming Legislation
Alfred, Maine—Scientists have
said for years that global warming was “loading the dice” when it comes to
increasing the frequency of severe storms, and a new Environment Maine report
makes it clear that the Maine is already experiencing extreme downpours and
heavy snowstorms much more frequently.
Specifically, the new report found that storms with heavy rainfall or
snowfall are now 43 percent more frequent in the state than they were 60 years
ago.
“At the rate we’re going,
what was once was the storm of the decade will soon be commonplace,” said Tracy
Allen, Environment Maine Program Associate.
Allen pointed to the Patriots’
Day that hit southern and western Maine
earlier this year as an illustration of what more extreme rain and snowstorms could
mean for the region. That storm, which
dumped nearly 7 inches of rain on the area, led to widespread flooding and left
almost 135,000 homes and businesses across the state without power. Emergency
responders saw their services in high demand as roads and bridges were washed
out by floodwaters, causing over 24 million dollars of damage to public
property alone.
“More frequent downpours,
fueled by global warming, will leave Maine
even more vulnerable to dangerous flooding in years to come,” said Allen.
The new Environment Maine report, When it Rains, It Pours: Global Warming and
the Rising Frequency of Extreme Precipitation in the United States, examines
trends in the frequency of large rain and snow events across the continental United
States from 1948 to 2006. Using data from
3,000 weather stations and a methodology originally developed by scientists at
the National Climatic Data
Center and the Illinois
State Water Survey, the report identifies storms with the greatest 24-hour
precipitation totals at each weather station, and analyzes when those storms
occurred.
Nationally, the report shows that
storms with extreme precipitation have increased in frequency by 24 percent
across the continental United
States since 1948. At the state level, 40 states show a
significant trend toward more frequent storms with extreme precipitation, while
only one state (Oregon)
shows a significant decline.
Key findings for New England and
Maine
include:
- Storms with extreme precipitation increased in
frequency bypercent in New England
from 1948 to 2006. The New England region ranks 1st nationwide
for the largest increase in the frequency of storms with heavy
precipitation. 61
- Maine experienced a 43 percent increase in extreme rainstorms
and snowstorms during the period studied.
- In addition, the Boston metropolitan area shows a
significant increase in the frequency of large storms with heavy
precipitation, roughly estimated to be a 72 percent increase over the
nearly 60-year period.
- Nationwide, more precipitation is expected to
fall as rain rather than snow.
These findings are consistent
with the predicted impacts of global warming.
Scientists expect some parts of the United States to receive more
precipitation as a result of global warming, while other parts receive
less. But regardless of the trend in
total precipitation, scientists predict that the rain and snow that does fall
will be more likely to come in big downpours and heavy snowstorms.
Environment Maine
was joined by Bob Bohlman, Director of the York County Emergency Management Agency,
and Police Chief Doug Bracy of the York Police Department, who have seen first
hand the impacts of flooding in Maine.
Allen was careful to note
that an increase in the frequency of extreme rainstorms does not mean more
water will be available. Scientists
expect that, as global warming intensifies, longer periods of relative dryness
will mark the periods between extreme rainstorms, increasing the risk of
drought. For example, the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that, under a scenario of intense
warming, the percent of land enduring severe drought globally could be 30 times
greater by the end of the century than it is today.
“How serious these problems
get is largely within our control – but only if our country acts boldly to
reduce the pollution that fuels global warming,” said Allen.
According to the most recent
science, the United States
must reduce its total global warming emissions by at least 15 percent by 2020
and by at least 80 percent by 2050 in order to prevent the worst effects of
global warming.
“Steep reductions in global
warming pollution are challenging but achievable,” noted Allen, “and we already
have the energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies we need to get
started.”
Thursday, the U.S. Senate
Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee is expected to vote on
amendments to the “Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act of 2007” (S. 2191), a
global warming bill introduced by Senators Lieberman (I-CT) and Warner (R-VA). While recognizing the important efforts of
the bill’s supporters on this critical issue, Environment Maine said that the
legislation must be significantly strengthened to address the challenge of
global warming. Specifically, the bill’s
current pollution reduction targets fall short of what the science says is
necessary to avoid the worst effects of global warming, and the bill gives away
far too many subsidies to dirty and dangerous energy sources.
In addition to calling for a
strengthening of the “America’s
Climate Security Act,” Environment Maine is promoting two partner bills that
would go farther to reduce global warming pollution. To further demonstrate
their leadership on environmental issues, Senators Snowe and Collins should
cosponsor the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act – the only legislation in
Congress that would reduce pollution fast enough to protect future generations
from the worst effects of global warming. Representatives Allen and Michaud
have cosponsored the Safe Climate Act, the companion act in the House.
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Environment Maine is a statewide, citizen-based
environmental advocacy organization with 3500 members statewide.
Also at the press event will
be:
Bob Bohlman, Director, York
County Emergency Management Agency, (207) 324-1578
Chief of Police Doug Bracy of
the York Police Department, (207) 363-1031
