Key Facts Of The Day 5/18

Storms and Flooding

• A large cleanup effort is underway in North Carolina after last week’s collapse of two unoccupied houses caused debris to spread over a 15-mile stretch of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.
• Forecasters say that multiple days of disruptive weather will heighten the flood risk in part of the eastern U.S. through the end of the week.
  • Forecasters say rainfall totals ranging from 1 to 3 inches will be possible along a 1,000-mile stretch from Missouri to Virginia from the mid- to late week. 
  • In the heaviest of storms, forecasters say that rainfall rates over 1 inch an hour could occur.
  • Locally heavy storms can bring flash flooding and travel disruptions across the region.
  • After consecutive stormy days, farmers and gardeners who have started to plant crops and flowers could face the risk of washout or even minor damage to some of the more sensitive vegetation.

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, there are currently 13 large active wildfires that have burned 452,210 across AZ, CO, FL, MI, NH, NM, and TX. As of Wednesday, 25,902 wildfires have burned 1,432,012 acres across the country.
• In Arizona, 2 fires have burned 28,507 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • The Tunnel Fire has burned a total of 19,075 acres and is 98% contained as of Wednesday. 
• In Colorado, 1 fire has burned 1,572 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Florida, 1 fire has burned 1,500 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Michigan, 1 fire has burned 2,516 acres as of Wednesday.
• In New Hampshire, 1 fire has burned 106 acres as of Wednesday.
• In New Mexico, 4 fires have burned 413,509 acres as of Wednesday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned a total of 299,565 acres and is 34% contained as of Wednesday.
    • More than 2,000 fire personnel remain on the lines in the Sangre de Cristo mountain range south of Taos.
    • On Tuesday, Gov. Lujan Grisham said that given the ferocity and swift movements of a record-setting wildfire burning in the northeastern part of the state, the damage will be significant with estimates of burned homes and other structures likely to range between 1,000 and 1,500.
    • The houses of some residents have been without power for two weeks.
      • Online learning began last week, but few children are logging on because internet access is spotty — or because their lives have been upended.
• In Texas, 3 fires have burned 4,500 acres as of Wednesday.
• Officials with three of New Mexico’s five national forests announced that closure orders will take effect Thursday, prohibiting public access because of active wildfires and extreme fire danger.
  • All of the Santa Fe National Forest, the Cibola National Forest, and the Carson National Forest will be off limits 
• As of Monday, the Coastal Fire in California has burned 200 acres and is 90% contained.
• Oregon remains poised to see a potentially “challenging” wildfire season this summer.
  • The expanding drought due to climate change has added complexity to the state’s wildfire response.

Extreme Heat

• As Colorado River Basin supplies shrink, drought-stricken states follow southern Nevada’s lead in a push to swap out lawns for other landscapes.
• Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has declared drought in 15 counties, the earliest Oregon has seen that level of water scarcity in recent history.
• The U.S. Forest Service says the grouse population in the Fort Pierre National Grassland has declined by 15% in 2022, largely because of the dry conditions.
• The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Global Climate report found that greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification all hit their highest recorded levels in 2021.
  • These records are leading to “harmful and long-lasting ramifications” for humans and nature.
  • Extreme weather supercharged by climate change last year had led to billions of dollars in economic losses and triggered shocks to global food and water supplies that were reverberating into 2022.
  • The report found that the past seven years were the seven hottest on record and that temperatures in 2021 were 1.11 Celsius above pre-industrial baseline levels.
  • Atmospheric CO2 levels reached 413.2 parts per million (ppm) globally, or 149% of pre-industrial levels, and are expected to keep increasing.
  • The report found that the upper 2,000 meters of ocean had continued to warm, breaking the 2020 temperature record.
    • Oceans absorb up to a quarter of the CO2 emitted by human activity and play a vital role in regulating global weather patterns.
    • CO2 reacting with seawater leads to ocean acidification, which poses a threat to sea life, coastal areas, and to the food and tourism industries reliant on healthy seas.
  • Sea levels hit record levels in 2021, after rising an average of 4.5 mm each year since 2013, largely driven by melting ice sheets.
    • The WMO warned that sea-level rise posed a threat for “hundreds of millions of coastal dwellers,” putting them at risk of more powerful and frequent floods and storms.

New Reports And Data

• A May 2022 report found that greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification all hit their highest recorded levels in 2021.
• A May 2022 study found that it is now cheaper to switch from coal to clean energy, compared to switching from coal to gas. 
• A May 2022 study found that deaths from exposure to emissions from vehicles, smoke stacks, and wildfires have increased by 55% this century.
• A May 2022 survey found that 51% of Americans surveyed believe their tap water is unsafe to drink.