Key Facts Of The Day 5/20

Storms and Flooding

• On Thursday evening, an EF-0 tornado touched down in Kirkwood, Missouri, and went Northeast until Warson Woods.
  • The storm tore down trees throughout St. Louis County, Missouri.
  • As of Friday morning, there are over 4,000 people without power in Missouri, down from the estimated 11,000 customers without power in the St. Louis region Thursday night.
  • Three cars were submerged as flash floods surged over Interstate 55 near Loughborough in south St. Louis City.
• On Thursday, an EF-1 tornado touched down near Jamestown Road just north of Breese in Clinton County, Illinois, damaging farms, grain bins/silos.
• On Wednesday, President Biden warned that the country would likely see “another tough hurricane season” this year.
  • President Biden pledged that his administration is prepared to respond to the storms and help Americans recover from them.
  • This year, Colorado State, the University of Arizona, and Accuweather are all forecasting a busier-than-average hurricane season.
• Federal forecasters said Hawaii and the Central Pacific basin should expect two to four hurricanes, tropical depressions, or tropical storms this year.
• The Government Accountability Office report found that 73 out of the 227 federally recognized Alaska Native villages face “significant environmental threats” from erosion, flooding, or thawing permafrost and recommended immediate action from several federal agencies.
  • The report also suggests that Congress form an interagency council to study and better address the looming risks and coordinate how agencies distribute funds.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 16 large active wildfires that have burned 510,977 across CO, FL, NE, NH, NM, and TX. As of Friday, 26,183 wildfires have burned 2,391,910 acres across the country.
• In Colorado, 3 fires have burned 2,669 acres as of Friday.
• In Florida, 1 fire has burned 1,500 acres as of Friday.
• In Nebraska, 1 fire has burned 2,500 acres as of Friday.
• In New Hampshire, 1 fire has burned 106 acres as of Friday.
• In New Mexico, 5 fires have burned 461,708 acres as of Friday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 303,341 acres and is 40% contained as of Friday.
    • While the fire encompasses an area more than 1.5 times the size of New York City, fire managers said there are pockets of green within the perimeter that could still burn.
• In Texas, 5 fires have burned 42,494 acres as of Friday.

Extreme Heat

• On Thursday, U.S. spot power and natural gas prices soared to their highest in several parts of the country as consumers cranked up air conditioners to escape an early spring heatwave.
• Nearly 60% of the U.S. population will see temperatures at or above 90 degrees this weekend.
  • Record heat, brewing across the drought-stricken Plains and parts of Texas, is moving east, and hundreds of temperature records could fall in its path.
  • From Thursday to Sunday, 130 record high temperatures are forecast to be tied or broken in parts of 20 states.
  • By Saturday and Sunday, 90-degree temperatures will reach the Northeast and parts of New England.
• This summer, western states are unlikely to see relief from record-setting drought conditions as La Niña conditions persist.
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that the greatest likelihood for above-normal temperatures is located in the central Great Basin through the central and southern Rockies this summer. 
• National Weather Service hydrologist Kevin Kodama said that Hawaii is expected to remain in severe to extreme drought conditions going into the summer dry season.
  • Hawaii’s wildfire season could get an earlier than normal start.
• The new North American Electric Reliability Corp. report found that this summer, the central and upper Midwest, Texas, and Southern California face an increased risk of power outages from extreme heat, wildfires, and extended drought.
  • The Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO), grid manager and energy market operator in the central Midwest, “faces a capacity shortfall in its North and Central areas, resulting in high risk of energy emergencies during peak summer conditions.”
  • An elevated risk of energy emergencies persists across the West this summer as dry conditions threaten the availability of hydroelectric energy for transfer.
    • When California suffers a heatwave, it leans heavily on hydropower from the Pacific Northwest to keep the lights on.
  • In Texas, extreme peak demand, low wind, and high outage rates from thermal generators could require system operators to use emergency procedures.
  • Drought conditions in the Missouri River Basin may affect operations of gas, coal, or nuclear plants in the Southwest Power Pool that rely on the river for cooling water supplies.
• A new study found that from 2008 through 2017, each additional extreme heat day per month was linked to 7 deaths per 10 million adults.

New Reports And Data

• A May 2022 report found that this summer, the central and upper Midwest, Texas, and Southern California face an increased risk of power outages from extreme heat, wildfires, and extended drought.
• A May 2022 report found that 73 out of the 227 federally recognized Alaska Native villages face “significant environmental threats” from erosion, flooding, or thawing permafrost.
• A May 2022 study found that from 2008 through 2017, each additional extreme heat day per month was linked to 7 deaths per 10 million adults.