Oklahoma saw record rainfall in April. Of the 15.54 inches that have fallen in the Sooner State so far this year, 12.55 inches came in April. And here’s the kicker: May is usually the wettest month in Oklahoma, where I live.
If you’re wondering where the April 2025 record stands with other months, The Oklahoman provided a list:
- 19.48″ – May 2015
- 14.66″ – June 1989
- 14.52″ – May 2013
- 14.12″ – June 1932
- 12.55″ – April 2025
Notice something about the dates? Yes, Oklahoma gets a lot of rain in the spring, but three of the top five records have occurred after climatologists warned the world about climate change.
CBS News reported this week on the outbreak of storms in April, not only in Oklahoma but across the South and Midwest. Storms killed at least 24 people. An analysis by World Weather Attribution, a climate science group, “found that human-caused global warming made the record-breaking downpours about 9% heavier.”
CBS News reported on the WWA study: “From April 3 to April 6, the storms swept across the Midwest and South, dumping record amounts of rain across Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas and other states. The study found that the four days of rainfall were the heaviest ever recorded for the region. The storm’s intensity was fueled in part by unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico, which were about 1.2 degrees Celsius (2.2 degrees Fahrenheit) hotter than normal due to climate change.”
How is the federal government responding to the intensity of storms and rainfall across the U.S.? Last month, the Trump Administration rejected a request by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee for federal disaster relief after tornadoes and storms killed 40 people. Arkansas voted for Trump in 2024, capturing 65.10% of the vote.
In addition, the administration announced that it was decommissioning sea ice data from Antarctica, a key set of data points for monitoring climate change. Scientists have been collecting the decrease in Antarctic ice shelves to determine the speed at which climate change is increasing.
All of this news is very alarming.
In the book of Jeremiah (2:7), the prophet declared a word from the Lord: “And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.”
As people of good faith, we must assume responsibility for God’s creation. God entrusted humanity with caring for creation, which means all living creatures, including the largest, the Earth. Theologian Walter Brueggemann argued humans often forget we are living on a created organism with a heart, mind and lungs.
Since the Earth is a living creature, similar to a tree or plant, she will defend herself when she feels attacked. Guess where the attacks are coming from these days? You got it: humans. The escalating storms, rains and droughts are simply an attempt by the Earth to survive.
Humans must remember we are part of a delicate symbiotic relationship, existing with and relying on all living creatures. As tenders to God’s garden (Genesis 1 and 2), we must ensure every living creation is nurtured and prospers. Our very existence depends on it.
Chief Seattle (1780-1866), leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples, once said: “Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect.”
As May begins and more storms are on the horizon, we need to remember the wisdom of the scriptures and Chief Seattle. Hope does spring eternal, but until then, please hand me an umbrella.
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