By PAUL J. WEBER
Associated Press

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) - A new Texas report says natural disasters on the scale of Hurricane Harvey's deadly destruction last year will only become more routine.

But the report released Thursday by a task force created by Republican Gov. Greg Abbott doesn't use the phrase "climate change." The 200-page report also makes no mention of global warming.

Skepticism about climate change and how much is caused by humans runs deep among Texas leaders. But the report cites "a changing climate" while reinforcing the need to strengthen dams and levees.

The report wasn't commissioned as an assessment of climate change in Texas. It is instead recommendations on how the state can better prepare for future disasters.

A White House report last month warned that disasters such as Hurricane Harvey are worsening because of global warming.

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