The aftermath of flooding in Clendenin, West Virginia, in June 2016. Ty Wright / Getty Images

As global warming fuels more extreme rainfall in Appalachia, new research finds a link between flooding and opioid deaths.

Across the U.S., the heaviest downpours are becoming more severe , giving rise to more intense floods. The new study, which analyzed flooding and mortality data from counties across Appalachia, found surges in lethal overdoses following severe floods, with the effects persisting for up to a decade. On average, yearly opioid deaths rose by 26 percent in the year or two after a flood, according to the study , which was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

From 2000 to 2017, there were a total of 11,744 opioid overdose deaths across rural Appalachia, said co-lead author Kristina Brant, of Penn State University.…