Texas Floods: Cloud Seeding Startup Not to Blame

The Texas Floods and Cloud Seeding: Separating Fact from Fiction

Following a major disaster, it is typical for individuals to seek explanations for the events that transpired. The recent devastating floods in Texas have been no different, prompting widespread speculation.

The Cloud Seeding Accusations

Among the potential causes proposed for the high death toll resulting from the rapidly rising floodwaters, one theory has gained traction: cloud seeding. Some individuals allege that a cloud-seeding company, Rainmaker, exacerbated the storm's rainfall. However, available data contradicts these claims.

While Rainmaker did operate in the affected region in the days leading up to the storm, atmospheric scientist Katja Friedrich of the University of Colorado Boulder asserts that “cloud seeding had nothing to do” with the floods.

Bob Rauber, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois, echoed this sentiment, stating to TechCrunch that the idea is “just a complete conspiracy theory” and that “somebody is looking for somebody to blame.”

Understanding Cloud Seeding Technology

Cloud seeding is not a recent innovation; it has been employed since the 1950s. The process involves dispersing small particles, typically composed of silver iodide, into clouds.

These silver iodide particles function by mimicking the structure of ice crystals. When they encounter super-cooled water droplets – water remaining liquid below freezing – they initiate the formation of ice. This freezing process is crucial, as ice crystals grow more rapidly than super-cooled water droplets.

Consequently, they are more likely to accumulate sufficient water vapor to become heavy enough to fall from the cloud. Without freezing, these droplets would likely evaporate.

Effective cloud seeding requires clouds containing a substantial amount of super-cooled water.

Common Applications of Cloud Seeding

In the United States, cloud seeding is most frequently conducted during winter months near western mountain ranges. As air is forced upwards by the mountains, it cools and water vapor condenses, forming clouds.

Strategic seeding can induce these clouds to release water as snow, which accumulates as snowpack. This natural reservoir replenishes artificial reservoirs behind dams during spring melts.

While cloud seeding has been practiced for decades, recent technological advancements have enabled more thorough evaluation of its impact on precipitation. “We really didn’t have the technologies to evaluate it until recently,” Rauber explained.

Recent Research and Findings

In 2017, Friedrich, Rauber, and their team conducted a detailed study of cloud seeding in Idaho. Over three occasions, they seeded clouds for a combined duration of two hours and ten minutes.

This resulted in an estimated addition of approximately 186 million gallons of precipitation.

Although seemingly substantial, this amount can be significant for drought-affected Western states. Idaho Power utilizes cloud seeding throughout the winter to increase water collection behind their dams, supporting year-round electricity generation. “Their data shows that it’s cost-effective for them,” Rauber noted.

However, when compared to the scale of a major storm, 186 million gallons represents a negligible amount. “When we talk about that huge storm that occurred with the flooding [in Texas], we’re literally talking about the atmosphere processing trillions of gallons of water,” he stated.

Why the Texas Claims are Unfounded

Any influence Rainmaker might have had on the Texas storm would have been minimal, essentially a rounding error. In reality, there was no influence.

Firstly, the company’s seeding activities occurred days before the storm’s arrival. “The air that was over that area two days before was probably somewhere over Canada by the time that storm occurred,” Rauber clarified.

Secondly, the effectiveness of cloud seeding may differ in the cumulus clouds prevalent in Texas during the summer. These clouds differ from the orographic clouds found near mountain ranges and respond differently to seeding.

Cumulus clouds are typically short-lived and produce limited precipitation. While seeders may attempt to enhance their output, “the amount of rain that comes out of those seeded clouds is small,” Rauber said.

For long-lasting, deep clouds like thunderstorms, natural processes are sufficient. “Those clouds are very efficient. Seeding those clouds is not going to do anything.”