STUDY SEES MORE FREQUENT SEVERE STORMS IN PARTS OF TEXAS

A study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) redefines the amount of rainfall that constitutes a 100-year or 1,000-year rain event in Texas, indicating that parts of the state are seeing more frequent severe storms. Using decades of more recent rainfall data, the NOAA study finds that 100-year events in Houston produce 18 inches of rain in 24 hours rather than the previous 13 inches. Storms with 13 inches in 24 hours now qualify as 25-year events. The study raises the volume of rainfall for a 100-year event in Austin and Corpus Christi to 13 inches from 10 inches.