Warming ocean temperatures and warmer air mean there’s more water vapor in the atmosphere to fuel exteme downpours like those that struck Texas during the July 4 weekend.

Researchers agree that climate change has made torrential downpours more frequent—but the science gets murky when examining how strong the link is between an extreme event and climate change.

The Gulf, which borders Texas, has become significantly warmer in recent years due to climate change, Swain explained. This results in a very warm body of water that produces a lot of evaporation, releasing more tropical moisture into the air than seen historically.

At least 119 are dead and over 170 people are still missing after the catastrophic flooding in Texas. NBC News’ Jay Gray and The Kerry County Lead Editor and Publisher Louis Amestoy share the latest updates from Kerrville,

Bill Nye knows that if Congress stopped denying the existence of climate change, disasters like the Texas Flash Flood could be prevented.

Democrats have blamed climate change for the Texas floods around Camp Mystic, but Heritage experts poke holes in this narrative.

Going back through U.S. weather station records dating to 1955, Kunkel found that rain over the past 20 years has become more intense in the eastern two-thirds of the country, including the southern Great Plains, where Texas is located. Intensities have remained the same or declined in the West and southwest.

As the death toll continues to rise and search and rescue teams continue to look for victims, the devastating flood in Kerr County, Texas show not only the vital role of weather forecasters, but also climate researchers who help make more accurate predictive models,