Storms in New Jersey have been getting more intense, and an environmental group points to a new report which says global warming is to blame.

Environment New Jersey says the new study shows heavy downpours in the Garden State are now 33 percent more frequent than they were 65 years ago.
Matt Elliott is the group’s clean energy advocate.

 “As global warming increases the amount of evaporation that’s happening, it also enables the air to hold more water. So essentially global warming provides more fuel for these heavier rainstorms and snowstorms when they do come.”

Elliott says there’s also more concern about drought.

“That’s because the same evaporation that leads to more water in the air also leads to dryer soil. So we’re kind of getting hit at both ends here where we’re seeing more rain and more intense storm but then also drought and less water left in the ground.”

Elliott says the trend toward more extreme storms will continue unless additional efforts are made to reduce carbon pollution and increase fuel efficiency standards.