Is there a database of extreme weather events, globally? (Updated)

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A live database to track current and past extreme weather would help a lot to put things into perspective, the understand the big picture. For instance i would like to know how the northern hemisphere jet setup has been back in 1947, during what were considered one of the greatest UK deluges - till today. Today, there are so many more unprecedented events all over the globe.

I begun to collect unprecedented events http://climatestate.com/forums/topic/global-extreme-weather-summary/ but i know that i miss a lot of events, since there is so many going on at the same time, it's hard to keep track.

This is an important example of the tremendous inadequacy of the level of resources devoted to even understanding climate change, let alone slowing/coping with it.

It is part of a bigger problem of the one-sided development of our societies, led by the US and other developed nations, and now followed by China, India, etc.

The commercial, capitalist, entrepreneurial, individual part of society, partly due to the cold war ideological/theological wars, has completely outstripped the communal/government/group interest.

Private firms/individuals are carrying out activities which may or (in the case of fossil fuels certainly will) have huge consequences for everyone else, but they are only interested in their own advantage, while no or little communal oversight is exercised on behalf of everyone else - until there is a disaster

By John Salmond (not verified) on 13 Feb 2014 #permalink

OOOhhh ... snap.

I ... I ... I say Martha. We is fifty miles from home, done wrecked the car, got no way home, nowhere to stay ... But we is all still alive an I figure it can't get no worse ... Do you smell smoke? ...

For instance i would like to know how the northern hemisphere jet setup has been back in 1947, during what were considered one of the greatest UK deluges – till today.

But that would only be a start. You'd also have to take into account all the flood mitigating infrastructure that's been built in the interim. To do the job properly, you'd also need to look at all the flood promoting actions taken in the same period. Draining wetlands, cutting down forests for example.

(And, into the bargain, do a proper review of which/where certain projects undertaken for mitigation purposes have turned out to do the opposite - straightening and dredging some rivers comes to mind here.)

That's a local pic for me! The photographer and that woman were really surprised it went viral and started a meme. We did end up with a mess around Raleigh, NC--not as bad as it was a few years ago (kind of like Atlanta had) because the schools closed for the day.
These polar vortex storms are getting old. I'm a high school teacher and we won't get any workdays for the rest of the semester! We've got to make up 7 days now. School Monday.