Key Facts Of The Day 6/23

Hurricanes

• Although not much, Wednesday’s rainfall set records in parts of Los Angeles County:
  • Long Beach Airport: 0.11 inches of rain broke the old record of a trace set in 1967.
  • Lancaster: 0.51 inches of rain broke the old record of zero inches.
  • Palmdale Airport: 0.3 inches of rain broke the previous record of zero inches.
  • As of Thursday, thunderstorms are possible in Southern California’s mountains, increasing the risk of wildfires.
• On Wednesday night, strong to severe storms moved across the D.C. area, wreaking havoc on the afternoon commute, toppling trees, and leaving thousands without power.
  • Earlier Thursday, damaging winds of up to 80 MPH battered the region, as well as large hail.
  • Fallen trees, debris, and electric wires blocked area roadways, causing delays during the evening commute in Virginia. 
  • These storms knocked out power for nearly 50,000 homes and businesses in Northern Virginia.
  • The widespread storm damage and power outages caused Fauquier County School officials to cancel Thursday’s summer school classes and other school activities.
• Last year, researchers with the US Geological Survey (USGS) and two universities published a report that an event like the recent flood in Yellowstone was increasingly likely due to climate change.
  • The report found that the average temperatures could increase by up to 10 degrees in the coming decades and the region should expect intense dry conditions peppered with dangerous downpours.

Wildfires

• As of Thursday, there are currently 50 large active wildfires that have burned 1,693,426 across AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, NV, NJ, NM, NC, SD, TX, and UT. As of Thursday, 31,979 wildfires have burned 3,342,074 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 30 fires have burned 925,548 as of Thursday.
  • The Apoon Pass Fire has burned 84,138 acres and is 0% contained as of Thursday.
• In Arizona, 6 fires have burned 66,167 acres as of Thursday.
  • A trio of blazes in Arizona has gutted several buildings at a national observatory, forced the evacuation of a historical monument and threatened other archaeological artifacts.
    • The mountaintop where the observatory is located remains evacuated and without power, limiting the ability of observatory officials to fully assess the four telescopes nearest to where the fire burned. 
    • The electrical grid on the mountain has to be stabilized, equipment has to be cleaned of ash and fire retardant, and the instruments have to be returned to full functionality before research can resume.
• In California, 1 fire has burned 800 acres as of Thursday.
• In Colorado, 1 fire has burned 1,654 acres as of Thursday.
• In Florida, 2 fires have burned 850 acres as of Thursday.
• In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 1,120 acres as of Thursday.
• In Nevada, 1 fire has burned 3,209 acres as of Thursday.
• In New Jersey, 1 fire has burned 13,500 acres as of Thursday.
  • The fire is expected to grow further, putting it on track to become the state’s largest fire in 15 years.
  • Smoke could be smelled as far away as Atlantic City, around 40 miles away from where the fire was burning, and smoke also drifted over Long Beach Island, a popular tourist destination.
• In New Mexico, 3 fires have burned 671,495 acres as of Thursday.
  • The Black Fire has burned 325,128 acres and is 68% contained as of Thursday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,471 acres and is 72% contained as of Thursday.
  • The Midnight Fire has burned 4,896 acres and is 98% contained as of Thursday.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 839 acres as of Thursday.
• In South Dakota, 1 fire has burned 3,810 acres as of Thursday.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 450 acres as of Thursday.
• In Utah, 1 fire has burned 3,984 acres as of Thursday.

Extreme Heat

• A stifling heat dome has been baking much of the U.S. for about two weeks now and continues to set new daily temperature records. 
  • The National Weather Service issued heat advisories affecting more than 20 million people from eastern Texas to southern Georgia and the Florida Panhandle.
  • On Wednesday, more than a dozen cities set record highs, including Macon, Georgia (105 degrees), Memphis, Tennessee (102 degrees), Tuscaloosa, Alabama (101 degrees), Charlotte, North Carolina (101 degrees), Nashville, Tennessee (101 degrees), Raleigh, North Carolina (100 degrees) and New Orleans, Louisiana (96 degrees).
    • Wednesday’s 105 in Macon was its highest temperature ever observed so early in the year.
  • The most intense heat on Thursday is anticipated over the Florida Panhandle and central and east central Georgia.
  • Earlier this week, numerous heat records were set from North Dakota to Texas.
    • On Monday, Minneapolis, Minnesota hit 101 degrees, its first time over 100 since 2018.
    • On Tuesday, Milwaukee, Wisconsin touched the century mark for the first time in nearly a decade.
• Last week, 96% of people in the contiguous U.S. experienced nighttime temperatures more likely to occur due to human-caused warming.
  • Overnight temperatures, as opposed to daytime temperatures, were boosted the most by climate change.
  • More than 3,000 new daily high temperatures were reached in the Lower 48 states that week – with nearly twice as many unprecedented warm temperatures reached at night than during daytime.
  • On June 13 alone, Phoenix, Arizona, Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee Atlanta, Georgia, St. Louis, Missouri, Tampa, Florida, and Santa Fe, New Mexico, all experienced warm overnight temperatures that were made at least five times more likely because of climate change.
• As temperatures continue to climb, extreme events will not just increase – they’re more likely to overlap and become “compound extremes”.
  • The flood in Yellowstone was a “compound extreme” after warming weather flushed melting snow into the waterways as a deluge pelted the region, dropping up to three months-worth of summer rain over the span of just a few day.
• Following the heat dome in the Pacific Northwest last year, Portland, Oregon is working on multiple projects to keep residents cool this summer.
  • The TriMet bus system created a new policy that it would not collect fares from riders traveling to or from cooling shelters any time the state or county issues a heat emergency.
  • The city of Portland is looking to work with community groups to help set up cooling shelters in neighborhood churches or other places where residents might feel more comfortable. 
  • The misting stations that were improvised last year will become permanent fixtures at neighborhood playgrounds, too.
  • City messaging around heat will include not just the fact that heat kills but also reminders that people should check in on their neighbors and family members who may need help.
  • The city has decided that it will activate National Weather Service wireless emergency alerts to personal cellphones during heat waves reminding people of ways to stay cool.

New Reports And Data

• A June 2022 study found that climate change reporting can momentarily change minds.
• A June 2022 study found a long-term, increasingly warming pool of water in the northeast Pacific as a result of human activity.
• A June 2022 study found that having a portable air cleaner in the home can reduce the negative impacts of air pollution on brain development in children.