About the Texas Flood Cloud Seeding Conspiracy
July 21, 2025 – Two days before devastating floods ravaged Kerr County, Texas, on the Fourth of July, a cloud seeding operation was conducted by a California-based company named Rainmaker. From an aircraft about 100 miles from the site of the eventual disaster, engineers released approximately 70 grams (2.5 oz) of silver iodide into a developing cloud. This action, routine in weather modification efforts aimed at enhancing rainfall, has since drawn public attention and conspiracy-fueled speculation linking it to the fatal floods that followed.
Silver iodide (AgI) is a chemical compound primarily known for its use in cloud seeding to induce precipitation. It acts as an efficient ice-forming nucleus, prompting the formation of snowflakes in supercooled clouds. Beyond cloud seeding, silver iodide also finds applications in medicine (as an antiseptic) and photography.
However, leading climate experts have dismissed any connection between the cloud seeding and the deadly storm. Dr. Andrew Dessler, a respected climate scientist, responded decisively: “There’s no physical way that cloud seeding could have made the Texas storm.” According to Dessler, the storm was driven by an entirely different and far more powerful atmospheric system—an influx of tropical moisture originating in the Gulf of Mexico. The levels of atmospheric water involved were extreme, far surpassing what could be influenced by human intervention.
Cloud seeding can increase precipitation, but its effectiveness varies. Studies show a range of increases from 0 to 20 percent, and some research suggests a 10-15% increase is more realistic. Success depends on factors like the type of clouds, atmospheric conditions, and seeding techniques. While it’s not a drought solution, it can be a useful tool for increasing water supply in targeted areas.
Cloud seeding typically has a very limited impact. It may slightly increase precipitation in an already moist cloud, but it cannot generate massive, slow-moving systems or induce widespread flooding. The 70 grams of silver iodide released—a relatively small amount in the context of atmospheric science—would be negligible against the backdrop of a major tropical disturbance.
Yet, in the wake of tragedy, the human impulse to assign blame or seek control over natural chaos persists. While understandable, such theories often ignore science in favor of speculation. As officials continue to investigate the cause and scale of the Kerr County flooding, climate experts insist that energy is better spent improving forecasting, emergency preparedness, and infrastructure resilience than chasing unfounded claims. Cloud seeding did not cause the flood; nature’s power, magnified by tropical moisture, did.
