Quite apart from what long-term changes in precipitation say about global warming, these events also provide a reality check on the ability of urban areas to cope with flooding from intense downpours in a warming climate.
They "definitely can tell us a lot about where our vulnerabilities are and what types of things might be on the checklist for fixing," says Joe Casola, staff scientist with the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions in Arlington, Va.
During the past 110 years, average precipitation has increased over much of the continental US. During the past 54 years, the amount of rain or snow falling from the top 1 percent of intense storms has increased in every region, with the Northeast and Midwest recording the largest increases, according to the latest National Climate Assessment from the federal government's US Global Change Research Program, released in May.
Those trends are expected to continue as the climate warms, with the wet areas generally growing wetter and the dry regions growing still more arid.
Last week's storms fit the pattern.
The continuing growth of cities, with their paved surfaces and limited open land where rainwater can be absorbed, will increase the risk of flooding, even from storms less extreme that those that occurred during the past week.
To reduce the effect of paving in preventing the ground from absorbing water, some cities are using porous paving materials – concrete or asphalt – in roads and sidewalks.
Green roofs on buildings and even the widespread use of household rain barrels can help reduce runoff from roofs, another impervious surface.
One way to address the issue of money for improvements to the way cities handle storm water is through the use of so-called state revolving funds the US Environmental Protection Agency makes available for water resource and water-quality projects.
Heavy Rain and Floods: the 'New Normal' with Climate Change?
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