Tragic flash flooding in Texas has prompted an outpouring of sympathy, as well as, regrettably, ghoulish responses from some quarters. So it may be a good time for a reality check. Are we living in an era of natural disasters, as some allege?
In fact, happily, deaths from severe weather and other natural disasters are at an all-time per capita low. This is because weather in general has been relatively benign in recent years, and also because improved weather forecasting has made severe weather less dangerous:
So tragedies like the one in Texas are terrible for those affected. But they are not emblematic of any larger trend.
