Key Facts Of The Day 3/22

Storms and Flooding

• Millions of people across the South on Tuesday could face damaging winds, flooding or the possibility of tornadoes into the night, when they can be particularly deadly.

  • The same storm spawned widespread destruction a day earlier in Texas, where more than a dozen tornadoes were reported and dozens of homes demolished.

  • A new tornado watch was issued Tuesday for more than 1.5 million people in parts of southeastern Texas and western to northeast Louisiana.

  • Major cities in the storm’s path include Baton Rouge and New Orleans in Louisiana; Jackson and Gulfport in Mississippi; Birmingham, Alabama; and Memphis, Tennessee.

  • Aside from the tornado watch, about 18 million people from Texas to Alabama up to Arkansas and Tennessee are under a flood watch Tuesday.

  • At least 20 tornadoes were reported across Texas and Oklahoma.

  • Dozens of families lost their homes after the same storm on Monday pummeled swaths of Texas.

  • As of Tuesday morning, more than 60,000 customers had no power in Texas — mainly in the Houston area.

  • In Jack County, 60 to 80 homes were destroyed.

  • Nine people in Jack County were hospitalized with minor injuries.

  • A reported tornado moved through Round Rock in Williamson County around 6 p.m. Monday.

    • An emergency declaration was already in effect in Williamson County due to the recent fires and will apply to storm damage as well.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 21 large active wildfires that have burned 129,168 acres across CA, FL, KS, MO, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX. As of Friday, 12,514 wildfires have burned 320,144 acres across the country.

• The majority of active blazes on Monday were burning in Central Texas between Dallas and Midland, while a number of smaller fires that erupted late last week and over the weekend were contained or put out.

  • 178 Texas fires have burned more than 108,000 acres in the past week.

  • The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for dangerous fire weather for much of western half of Texas in effect through Monday evening.

  • Volunteer cowboys work to move cattle and horses that were in the path of several growing wildfires in north Texas.

• As of Monday,  the Eastland Complex blaze burned more than 54,463 acres and is 60% contained in Texas.

  • The complex consists of seven fires.

  • The complex, about midway between Abilene and Fort Worth, has destroyed over 140 structures.

  • Wildfires wiped out 86 homes and a majority of the small town of Carbon, Texas. About 85% of Carbon, with a population of 225, was burned.

    • Driven by strong winds and feasting on dry brush, the fires consumed most of Carbon within three hours.

  • Governor Greg Abbott on Friday declared a disaster in 11 Texas counties and ordered flags to be lowered to half staff in Eastland County in honor of the sheriff’s deputy Barbara Fenley.

Extreme Heat

• Climate change is fueling more natural disasters leaving behind debris that can pose health risks.

  • Disaster debris takes up landfill space that is already at a premium in many places.

  • Rural areas are often at highest risk and experts say better government planning is needed.

  • Communities near construction and debris landfills have disproportionately high numbers of minority and lower income residents and female-headed households.

  • Disaster debris can include asbestos, lead, household chemicals, and other potentially hazardous wastes. If a plan is not in place to separate them from regular debris, the hazardous materials can be sent to landfills not equipped to contain them.

• A Spring heatwave could set daily records in major cities in California such as Los Angeles, San Jose and San Francisco, as well as parts of Nevada and Oregon.

  • Temperatures are likely to soar higher as the week continues.

  • Tuesday is when several records could be broken in California cities such as Burbank, Redding, Sacramento, Stockton and San Francisco.

• 75-year-old California cattle rancher retires amid drought conditions.

  • With the grasses that the cattle feed on being very short and drying up under drought conditions, he had to buy $26-27 ,000 worth of hay. Fuel prices also add to the cost.

  • He says that hay is liable to be very high next year.

• Oregon heads into spring with much of the state still facing drought conditions.

• Drought will continue into the spring months across Arizona, increasing wildfire risk and stress on water resources and agriculture.

  • About 75% of Arizona is in drought right now, ranging from moderate, severe, extreme and exceptional levels.

New Reports And Data

• A March 2022 study found that a fraction of the wind and solar projects already proposed in Texas could eliminate the state’s remaining coal power plants and their emissions.

• A March 2022 study found that rooftop gardens and greenery can help ease some of the severe heat in cities.

• A March 2022 study found that nearly two-thirds of ocean plastics are outside the reach of current monitoring methods.