Texas - Much-Needed Downpour Has a Downside - AP via NYTimes.com

Another downside of climate change: even when you finally get rain in a drought-stricken area, the storm is likely to be violent, leading to flooding and other problems. Just so this week in Texas, where 2011 rainfall averaged 14.89 inches, instead of the recent historical average of 29.39 inches:

AP via NYTimes.com

Several inches of rain fell in the drought-stricken area over a two-hour period. Roads rapidly flooded and drivers became stranded on major arteries that connect the city’s sprawling neighborhoods and suburbs. In Texas City, about 40 miles southeast of Houston, a possible tornado damaged the roof and wall of the Mall of the Mainland. The building was evacuated and shut. In North and West Texas, the National Weather Service said, a steady downpour will drop an inch or two of much-needed rain.