Ann Johanssen, Winning Photographer for the Climate Visuals Photography Award
WHAT IT SHOWS: Jane Ann Hankins stands in flood water after having check in on her son’s house during severe flooding in the Trulock Bay area of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, June 6, 2019. Areas along the Arkansas River saw record-setting flooding caused by heavy rain. As global temperatures continue to rise Arkansas is expected to experience more frequent and intense flooding.
The increase in global greenhouse gas emissions, which traps heat in the atmosphere, is causing our temperatures to rise. With higher temperatures, more water evaporates from sea and land and the atmosphere holds more water vapor. This in turn increases the chance of more intense rainstorms and the chance of flooding.