Key Facts Of The Day 3/29

Storms and Flooding

• A multiday stretch of strong to severe thunderstorms is set to kick off Tuesday, bringing turbulent weather to the eastern Plains before a more substantial episode of damaging winds and tornadoes ensues Wednesday over parts of the Deep South.

• A vigorous storm system moved into Southern California on Monday, delivering much-needed rain and high-elevation snow to the drought-stricken region — along with lightning, flash floods and road hazards — but it wasn’t enough to make more than a dent in the ongoing drought.

  • Heavier rainfall during the day brought flooding to several areas.

  • At least three cars got stuck in waterlogged roadways in valley areas north of Hollywood.

  • The storm also prompted closures at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park and Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia.

  • A mandatory evacuation order for areas near the Bond fire in Orange County was in effect because of the possibility of debris flowing along or near the wildfire burn scar.

• Two people and a dog were rescued from a rain-swollen Southern California river Monday as a vigorous late-season storm moved slowly through the state, bringing heavy showers and snow.

• Hurricane Michael hit the Florida Panhandle in 2018, yet some Black and low-income neighborhoods still haven’t recovered.

  • Since the hurricane, the FEMA and other federal agencies have funded over $3.1 billion to help residents recover, in the form of loans, grants and flood insurance payments.

  • However, many residents in historically Black or low-income neighborhoods remain stranded in tarp-covered and mold-infested homes that are only half rebuilt, with little or no financial assistance to complete the repairs and get their lives back on track.

    • Many residents have spent the past three years living without a roof or walls.

    • Some began renovations but had to stop because of soaring costs— forcing them to breathe in particulate matter, dust, debris and other compounds that may cause respiratory illnesses.

    • Others still live alongside water puddles, blotches of black mold and infestations from insects and rodents.

    • Unprecedented heavy rains and Covid-19 restrictions have had compounding effects on people’s livelihoods the past two years.

  • The advocates fault FEMA and its procedures that reject needy applicants but then invite them to repeatedly reapply for assistance.

  • Without upgrading old houses to make them more resilient or building new ones that communities can afford, people will likely continue to struggle.

• Researchers found that low-income households or renters in Florida would be the groups most at risk of being displaced if people were forced to move inland due to sea level rise.

  • Many projections show certain parts of the state having to deal with flooding on nearly a daily basis in the next 30 years.

  • The areas identified in Pinellas County as having the highest risk of displacement were Clearwater, Largo and North St. Petersburg.

  • According to researchers, home values are much lower in high-risk areas which contain a larger majority of renters. Hispanics and African Americans also make up a higher percentage of those facing displacement in high-risk areas.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 14 large active wildfires that have burned 106,029 acres across AZ, CA, FL, KY, MA, OK, SD, TX. As of Friday, 13,996 wildfires have burned 466,807 acres across the country.

• As of Monday afternoon, state and local firefighters are currently working on 12 active wildfires in Texas as the potential for more wildfires this week may outpace suppression efforts.

• As of Monday,  the Eastland Complex Fire in Texas has burned 54,513 acres and is 90% contained.

• As of Monday, the Crittenberg Complex in Texas has burned more than 33,000 acres and is 55% contained.

  • It consists of three wildfires in Coryell County, Texas.

  • About 80 people have been assigned to fight the fire.

• A storm system will create “extremely critical” fire weather concerns over the western Plains Tuesday.

  • Red flag warnings, signaling tinderbox conditions that can quickly kindle and fuel any ignition, blanket areas from western Texas to southern Nebraska.

  • High wind warnings are in effect for parts of western Texas as well, where gusts could approach 60 MPH.

Extreme Heat

• Amid the drought crisis, California Governor Newsom pushes water suppliers to ramp up conservation efforts by enacting more stringent regulations.

  • The governor signed an executive order Monday calling on the State Water Resources Control Board to look into potentially adopting regulations banning the watering of decorative grass located adjacent to commercial buildings.

  • The ban would not apply to residential lawns, parks or sports fields.

  • The governor also called water suppliers to move to Level 2 of their Water Shortage Contingency Plans. Level 2 is designed to prepare for a water shortage of up to 20%.

  • Some local cities and agencies have already enacted water restrictions, including the city of Glendale and the Walnut Valley Water District, which has thousands of customers in Pomona, Diamond Bar and Walnut.

  • Despite the dire conditions, however, in January, Californians actually increased their water usage by 2.6% compared to the same month in 2020.

• As the planet warms, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, scientists say changes in ocean conditions are helping drive wild swings and collapses of key stocks of salmon.

  • Many salmon are dying as marine heat waves driven by climate change are altering their ecosystem.

  • Climate modeling suggests marine heat waves will occur more often as the atmosphere and the oceans continue to warm.

New Reports And Data

• A March 2022 study found that sea level rise may put Florida inland communities at risk of gentrification.

• A March 2022 study found that the death rate linked to extreme temperatures will increase significantly under global warming of 2 degrees celsius.

• A March 2022 study found that solid aerosols found in the Arctic atmosphere could impact cloud formation and climate.