Hans Paerl Professor at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences

Heavier rainfall from tropical systems affecting North Carolina can have many dangerous impacts around the state. Just last year, Helene set the new flood of record for Asheville and other communities around the mountains. That was not the only historic rainfall event from a tropical system in North Carolina in 2024. Scientists, who study the impacts of storms, say the trend of heavier rain is not surprising. Hans Paerl, Professor at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences, joined Jeff Hamlin to discuss how climate change is impacting water quality concerns along the coast.