- US President Joe Biden announced a major disaster in the state of Tennessee affected by the floods.
- On Saturday, the state encountered a major storm with rainfall reaching 38 cm.
- Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme weather events.
The White House said in a statement on Tuesday that US President Joe Biden has declared a major disaster in the southern state of Tennessee and approved federal funding after the devastating floods that occurred over the weekend killed at least 21 people.
Tennessee was hit by what meteorologists call a historic storm and flood on Saturday, with rainfall reaching as much as 38 cm.
Read | Rescue team looks for dozens of missing people in Tennessee after “destructive” flooding
Rural roads, national highways, bridges and hundreds of houses were washed away, and large-scale power outages affected thousands of people.
The National Weather Service said the move allowed the affected people in Humphreys County to obtain federal funds, and Saturday’s downpour broke the 24-hour rainfall record in Tennessee.
The White House said that assistance to residents includes “temporary housing and house repair subsidies” and “low-cost loans to cover loss of uninsured property.”
Flooding is a natural phenomenon, but climate change is changing the earth’s rainfall patterns, making some areas wetter and others drier.
Scientists say that climate change is increasing the risk of heavy rains all over the world because the warm atmosphere contains more water.
According to an international study published on Tuesday, climate change has increased the likelihood of deadly floods that destroyed parts of Germany and Belgium last month nine times.
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