Heavy rain and flooding are impacting parts of the US East Coast, disrupting travel and leaving many residents stranded. Nearly 50 million people are under flood watches, with states of emergency declared in New Jersey and New York City.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, making storms capable of unleashing huge amounts of rain over land. Studies have shown that for every degree Fahrenheit that the planet heats up, the atmosphere can hold around 3% to 4% more moisture. As a result, flooding risks across the country are expected to increase in the coming years.