Editor’s note: As a former meteorologist in Cincinnati, Nashville, and Columbus, GA, Simon Medcalfe’s story about climate change and future economic impacts in the CSRA intrigued me. I reached out to discuss the topic in depth with a current weather expert.
If you are an Augustan or have lived in the CSRA long enough, you know that weather can have a huge financial impact. The first example that comes to mind, is the flooding of October 1990, when more than a foot of rain fell in two days, including 8 inches in 8 hours. That catastrophe resulted in more than $40 million in commercial and residential damage. It also washed out Amen Corner at Augusta National.
Then, there was the ice storm in February 2014. It was a recipe for disaster with three-quarters to an inch of ice, an inch of snow, and another one-and-a-half inches of sleet. Trees were down. There were power outages. Businesses were closed. Everything came to a standstill. Damage estimates came in at more than $60 million.
More recently, what of all the climate change and global warming talk? Does anyone believe it? WRDW Chief Meteorologist, Riley Hale says, “It’s complicated. First, you have to drill down to what is happening locally.”
“There is an island effect that creates artificial warming in our area. For example, there are two NOAA weather monitoring stations, one at Daniel Field which is typically 7 to 10 degrees warmer than Bush Filed, which is near the river and can be as much as 10 to 15 degrees cooler,” Hale explained.
Climate is the long-term average of temperature, precipitation, and other weather variables at a given location. Every 30 years, climate scientists calculate new averages. The normal high and low temperatures reported on your local weather forecast come from these 30-year averages.
“Temperatures across the Southeast have been some of the warmest on record but ironically, Augusta had a cooler than average year and the third wettest year on record.”
According to NOAA weather records, temperatures are increasing slowly but surely. The significance of that bump, even by a degree or two, matters. As Hale explains, “A small increase in temperature results in more water the air can hold.”
About that recent cold snap? That was a result of a Polar Vortex. Before you jump on the “What global warming train? Let’s explain.
An increase in warm air results in a weakening of the polar air that normally would stay far north, in the North Pole. As warm air rises, it causes the polar vortex to get off balance and the frigid air to ooze south. The bottom line is that even a cold snap relates to a warming effect.
Will more heat and more severe weather events, including storms and flooding, result in an exodus to the north? Only time will tell.
Editor’s Note:
Mitzi Oxford is a veteran broadcaster and features writer who also worked at the same television station in Columbus, Georgia as Augusta’s Brad Means! If you have a South Carolina story idea for Mitzi, please email her at mitzioxfordcreative@gmail.com.
