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The United States is currently grappling with a convergence of extreme weather events, creating hazardous conditions for millions. Wildfire smoke has spread across the eastern U.S., from the Great Lakes to Washington D.C., while floodwaters continue to inundate Texas's Hill Country for a third day. Simultaneously, new wildfires have ignited in the Pacific Northwest, adding to the 68 large blazes currently burning across 15 states.

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These are compound events, and that can sometimes make the impacts of them far worse than what we would experience with any one of these events individually.

Firefighters are engaged in battling these numerous wildfires, with the number of active large fires increasing significantly. The Pacific Northwest has become the most active region, with 17 new blazes sparked by lightning strikes. In response, over 17,400 personnel, 140 helicopters, and four military C-130 air tanker crews are deployed nationwide. The dry conditions fueling these fires are exacerbated by record-low snowpack in the Mountain West and drought, creating fire-prone environments typically seen much later in the season.

This year's wildfire season has already burned nearly 3.72 million acres, surpassing last year's mid-July total by over a million acres. Experts warn that these simultaneous disasters, termed "compound events," can be far more dangerous than individual weather phenomena. Climatologists suggest that a wave pattern in the jet stream, potentially a "resonance" phenomenon where large waves become amplified and trapped, is causing extreme weather to persist over regions for extended periods.

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This occurs when large waves in the jet stream become amplified and trapped, causing extreme weather to persist over a region for longer periods, creating more chaos.

Research indicates a significant increase in these stalled jet stream events since the 1950s, linked to human-driven climate change. Climate scientists explain that rising global temperatures are a fundamental driver of these disasters. A warmer atmosphere intensifies evaporation, leading to drier landscapes and increased wildfire risk, as seen in Canada. Conversely, a warmer atmosphere also holds more moisture, contributing to the intense rainfall currently battering Texas. This dual effect highlights how climate change "rolls the dice" to produce both drier conditions and more severe weather events.

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What climate change is doing is it's rolling the dice so that you’re going to get drier conditions and more wildfires at t