Pielke Sr: Colorado floods not a 1-in-1,000 year event

2 thoughts on “Pielke Sr: Colorado floods not a 1-in-1,000 year event”

1. Just addressing the recent Colorado floods, and not the other climate discussion, it seems ludicrous to speak in terms of 1-in-1000 years. Of course it depends on the degree of similarity demanded to compare different flooding events. Technically each event is unique. But if we are just referring to significant flash flooding in a general area then this seems to be more like a 1-in-40 years event. Flooding in the 1930s and the Big Thompson flood in 1976 and now 2013. I suspect that insurance companies would see it that way.

2. But, he concludes that the most robust climate change hypothesis is: “Although the natural causes of climate variations and changes are undoubtedly important, the human influences are significant and involve a diverse range of first- order climate forcings, including, but not limited to, the human input of carbon dioxide (CO2). Most, if not all, of these human influences on regional and global climate will continue to be of concern during the coming decades.”