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Rescuers work to free people trapped upstairs during torrential rain that caused flash floods along Main Street in Ellicott City, MD.
Flash flooding from a massive rainstorm rushed through Main Street on Sunday in Ellicott City, Md., which was severely ravaged by flood waters just two years ago.
Why it matters: Sunday's and 2016 flooding likely rank as greater than 1-in-1,000 year rainstorms, which means than in any given year there's just a 0.1 percent chance of them occurring, Axios science editor Andrew Freedman explains. By adding more moisture to the air available for storms, climate change is leading to a well-documented uptick in heavy rain events, particularly in the Northeast. Human development patterns are also elevating flood risk in many areas.
Between the lines: Although scientists have not yet examined this particular, localized event, climate change has led to a well-documented uptick in heavy rain events, particularly in the Northeast.
Videos from the scene by The Baltimore Sun's Libby Solomon:
Go deeper: Police are still searching for Eddison Hermond, 39, the Baltimore Sun reports.