[NeilBlanchard]

I think the whole 100 year, 500 year, 1,000 year event idea is vague and hard to understand. I have heard any number of discussions of how problematic it is. As I understand it, this is a way of expressing typical ranges, and a way to compare records and how extreme / unusual things are.

How frequently have you heard of an 8" rainfall in 3 hours - in your lifetime? When was the first time you heard of something this extreme? Or, more extreme?

When I was old enough to pay attention (about 25 years ago), having a rain storm of 1/2" in an hour was considered pretty heavy rain. 1" in an hour was something that happened, but only rarely, and only in a few places on earth.

Now, we get rain storms - not even tropical storms, let alone a hurricane - that are up to 5"+ per hour and this can continue for many hours.

This is what is expected as one of the effects of climate change. More evaporation leads to more precipitation.

The fact that these extreme events are happening more frequently, and in virtually every area on the earth IS THE POINT of understanding climate change.