From Frisco to Rockwall, hostile weather has been sabotaging businesses, schools, and infrastructure, as heavy rains, hail, and severe weather have descended on the area for the last few months.

According to AP environmental science teacher Jamie Berendt, there are various factors causing it from climate change to phenomenons such as La Niña.

“Most people are aware of what climate change is, but as our climate is changing with the increased amount of greenhouse gasses, we’re absorbing a little bit more heat into our atmosphere,” Berendt said. “The other thing that we have to consider that’s part of why our weather is crazy is also things like El Niño and La Niña. Those phenomena that happen on a two to seven year cycling, also influence it. We’ve been in a very strong La Niña lately, so that’s been one of the major issues too.”

This type of weather poses a threat to infrastructure, as it results in the destruction of homes and businesses, and a corresponding rise in insurance as damages occur.

“If hail gets worse and worse, there’s a lot [of people] to say, ‘What’s going to happen?’ ‘Will my insurance cover my car from hail damage if I live in this area?’ ‘Is house insurance going to go up?’,” Berendt said. “So there are a lot of factors that influence it, the infrastructure and the ability to take care of it too. We’re definitely needed to get more updated with solving everything.”

This type of weather can directly affect academic and extracurricular activities within and outside of school as well.

“Well, a lot of practice before school, usually it’s postponed or we do hall work out,” junior Wyatt Haggard said. “Sometimes on tournaments, with the weather, they either postpone them or wait for the courts to dry, or they just cancel tournaments altogether.”