Dramatic images of intense weather systems have impacted millions of Americans from coast to coast since Monday, even overseas.
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Historic flash flooding in San Diego Monday turned roads into rushing rivers, leaving people to scramble for safety in their homes. The rain piled up on Monday, Jan. 22, 2024, becoming the fourth wettest day on record for the city, with a final total of 2.73 inches falling in 24 hours.
Then, in the Midwest, freezing rain led to icy conditions from Chicago to St. Louis. Video from a Missouri suburb showed a fire truck spiraling out of control on the slippery roads.
Even across the globe, in the Marshall Islands, a rogue wave slammed into a U.S. military base, sweeping people off their feet and ripping doors from their hinges. The powerful wave is a potential result of rising sea levels and resulting increased wave energy.
SEE MORE: Video shows massive wave crashing into US Army Base in Marshall Islands, ripping doors from hinges
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These weather events serve as a reminder that climate change is seen through local extremes. For San Diego, it's rainstorms that dump heavier rain than they're used to. For Houston, an example could be cold snaps that send temperatures below freezing during the winter.
It shows us all that we need to keep preparing for these once-uncommon events and continue to learn how to become more weather-resilient as the Earth's climate changes.
At ABC13, Meteorologist Elyse Smith helps Houstonians do just that through the "Weathering Tomorrow" initiative. The program shows southeast Texas, how climate impacts from heat, flooding, fire, and strong winds.
For more on this story, follow Elyse Smith on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
SEE MORE: Chicago-area Tesla drivers stranded as charging stations not working in bitterly cold weather