At least five people have been killed and two children are still missing after severe flooding swept through parts of southeastern Pennsylvania. The region was hit by intense rain and violent storms, adding to the growing list of areas in the US affected by extreme weather events as the global climate crisis worsens. The devastating incident occurred over the past week, with flash floods wreaking havoc and leaving destruction in their wake.

According to Tim Brewer, the chief of the Upper Makefield fire department, the family of the missing children was caught in their car while on their way to a barbecue on Saturday. Tragically, their mother was later found dead, but their father and young sibling managed to escape to safety. Four other people in the Bucks County area also lost their lives due to the flooding, although their identities have not yet been released.

These recent storms have increased the number of casualties in the region, with initial reports of three deaths. However, officials have warned that this number could still rise. The incident has left the affected families devastated, with Brewer expressing his grief over the mass casualty event.

Pennsylvania is the latest area in the US to face the wrath of extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis. Just last week, Montepelier in Vermont was inundated after being hit by two months’ worth of rain in a matter of hours. In the same storm, parts of New York’s Hudson Valley were washed away, resulting in the death of a 35-year-old woman.

The northeast region of the US has experienced excessive rainfall, with some areas receiving 200% to 300% of their average monthly precipitation over the past month. The torrential rains that struck Pennsylvania on Saturday subsequently moved on to the New York region on Sunday, exacerbating the flooding and adding to the severity of the situation.

In response to the extreme weather conditions, New York’s governor, Kathy Hochul, urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel. She emphasized the danger of flash floods, stating that the ground was already saturated, making the region more susceptible to these rapid and deadly occurrences.

According to climate scientist Michael Mann, the warming climate is intensifying natural weather events like heavy rainfall and flooding. Mann explained that while rainfall and flooding are normal occurrences, climate change amplifies the impact, leading to more destructive outcomes.

As the northeastern region continues to grapple with flooding, over 100 million Americans are currently under heat warnings. Death Valley, located along the border of central California and Nevada, experienced scorching temperatures of 128F (53.3C), just two degrees shy of breaking the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth.

The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, like the flooding in Pennsylvania, highlight the urgent need for climate action. These incidents serve as a stark reminder that the global climate emergency is not merely a looming danger, but a current and pressing reality that must be addressed. As severe weather events continue to wreak havoc across the United States, it is clear that immediate action is necessary to mitigate the impacts of climate change and protect vulnerable communities.