I downloaded some data from the Houston Channel 2 website on the history of terrible storms that have hit the Houston Area over the years. The results, I have to admit, were surprising; and yet, predictable. Below, is a plot that I have constructed from that data.
On the x axis, is the year the storm hit; and on the y axis, is the time span between storms. I did a least-squares-regresson on the data and extrapolated back to the 1900 storm. See anything wrong with this picture? Since 1980, the frequency of these killer storms is increasing – I think rapidly.
I am not a meteorologist, but I think that we need to get ready for a new normal. Be careful when it rains in Houston, because it is becoming very hard to predict when this erratic weather will bring a disaster that is looming just over the horizon.