--- title: "As Much of the East Coast Is Choking on Wildfire Smoke, Texas Is Drowning in Life-Threatening Floods" description: "Just weeks into the mounting El Niño cycle, over 100 million US residents are facing some kind of climate catastrophe." date: "2026-07-18" modified: "2026-07-18" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/science-energy/wildfire-smoke-texas-flooding-el-nino-climate-disaster" categories: - "Climate Change" - "Environment" - "Science & Energy" --- # As Much of the East Coast Is Choking on Wildfire Smoke, Texas Is Drowning in Life-Threatening Floods ![Rowdy Loftin, left, and Zane Brewer of Santa Fe look at the swollen Frio River along State Highway 127 in Concan on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.]() *Sam Owens / San Antonio Express-News via Getty Images* Fresh off a month that saw all but five states mired in [severe drought](), the US is reeling from multiple crises of national proportions. First, there's the record-breaking heat dome which is currently baking most of the continental US. According [to the *Guardian*](), over 100 million Americans are currently living under extreme heat warnings, forecasted to persist well into the weekend. At the same time, the country is being smoked out by [dozens of wildfires]() across North America, a situation the heat wave isn't exactly helping. On top of that, smoke from over [800 blazes]() in Canada is helping choke out the US Midwest and North-East, making the air hazardous to breathe. Things aren't necessarily any prettier outside of the smoke-zone — just wetter. Communities situated around the Guadalupe River in Texas are reeling after near endless rainfall triggered massive floods across the state for the second year in a row. So far, at least one person is dead, while thousands have been forced to evacuate. At least [57 counties]() representing over six million people were placed under flood watches over the past few days. With even more rain on the horizon, it remains to be seen when Texas will get relief from the torrential downfalls. Stepping back, it's clear this cascade of extremes isn't happening in a vacuum. The overlapping wildfires, floods, and heat waves are all being amplified by the same [climate forces](): a rapidly warming planet, fueled in no small part by [skyrocketing carbon emissions]() from the US itself. All in all, it's been an action-packed summer as the [El Niño cycle]() rolls on — and unfortunately, the devastation is far from over. **More on climate disaster:** *[Scientists Propose Dimming Sun to Combat El Niño]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()