Texas Floods and L.A. Fires Reveal U.S. Climate-Preparedness Shortfalls

A string of recent disasters—from flash floods that killed 109 people in Texas over the July 4 weekend to January wildfires that claimed 30 lives and destroyed some 15,000 homes and businesses in Los Angeles—underscores how quickly climate-driven extremes are outpacing U.S. preparedness, according to scientists and disaster experts. The Texas storm dropped about 20 inches of rain; the Guadalupe River jumped 26 feet in 45 minutes, overwhelming warning systems and sweeping away 27 children at Camp Mystic. In California, winds approaching 100 mph fanned fires that local agencies failed to anticipate despite ample National Weather Service alerts. Researchers note that what once counted as rare is now typical. NOAA’s climate-extreme index, which tracks heat, drought, heavy rain and hurricanes, is running 58 percent higher than its 1980s baseline. The World Meteorological Organization reports a five-fold increase in global extreme-weather events over the past half-century, while U.S. damage from major storms reached $180 billion last year and has totaled nearly $3 trillion since 1980. Despite the mounting toll, experts warn that federal capabilities are eroding. Recent budget cuts and staffing losses at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the National Weather Service and NOAA research labs risk slowing forecasts, weakening disaster response and delaying long-term resilience projects. Scientists argue that communities—and the federal government—must recalibrate risk models to reflect a hotter climate, invest in early-warning infrastructure, and plan for worst-case scenarios rather than historical averages. Without such changes, they say, lethal floods, firestorms and heat waves are likely to become still more frequent and costly.