Key Facts Of The Day 6/28

Hurricanes

• One disturbance located in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, and has a 30% chance of consolidating into a depression or named storm.
  • Located about 200 miles south-southeast of the Sabine River, or the Texas-Louisiana border, the system was roiling with thunderstorm activity early Tuesday.
  • It could bring heavy flooding rains to parts of the Texas coastline.
  • Rain will begin to push ashore on Thursday, lingering through Saturday. 
  • A couple of pockets of urban and small stream flooding, or even localized flash flooding, are possible.
• A new study found that the total numbers of tropical cyclones are decreasing across most of the world, but are becoming more intense and destructive due to climate change.
  • Other recent research has found that cyclones in some parts of the world are moving more slowly, meaning more rain falls in one area, increasing the risk of floods.

Wildfires

• As of Tuesday, there are currently 43 large active wildfires that have burned 1,789,551 acres across AK, AZ, GA, NV, NM, NC, TX, and UT. As of Tuesday, 32,954 wildfires have burned 3,608,939 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 31 fires have burned 1,039,127 acres as of Tuesday.
  • The Clear Fire has burned 9,555 acres and is 7% contained as of Tuesday.
    • The fire was started last Tuesday by lightning and is burning in a mix of tundra, brush, hardwood trees, and black spruce.
    • Conditions Friday included higher-than-anticipated temperatures and winds, which pushed the fire closer to subdivisions.
    • On Saturday, an evacuation order was issued for people living in about 45 homes in subdivisions near a community in interior Alaska after winds pushed the Clear Fire closer to them.
    • The Denali Borough has set up evacuation sites at the Tri-Valley School in Healy and at the city school in Nenana.
  • Alaska’s nighttime temperatures are on the rise alongside its daytime temperatures leaving little respite from the heat, and fueling bigger and hotter fires.
• In Arizona, 5 fires have burned 62,350 acres as of Tuesday.
• In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 2,213 acres as of Tuesday.
• In Nevada, 1 fire has burned 1,200 acres as of Tuesday.
• In New Mexico, 2 fires have burned 666,871 acres as of Tuesday.
  • The Black Fire has burned 325,136 acres and is 70% contained as of Tuesday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,735 acres and is 93% contained as of Tuesday.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 1,938 acres as of Tuesday.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 11,598 acres as of Tuesday.
• In Utah, 1 fire has burned 4,254 acres as of Tuesday.

Extreme Heat

• On Monday, King County, Washington officials said they are working to develop the area’s first extreme heat mitigation strategy.
  • King County is trying to ensure future heat waves aren’t as deadly as last June’s, which killed more than 30 people countywide.
  • Local leaders particularly want to reduce the effects of extreme heat in some of the county’s denser urban areas.
  • Many of the hardest-hit areas are home to large populations of people of color.
    • The Chinatown-International District was one area where residents struggled last year to stay cool in their homes.
    • County officials say they have increased outreach to people who don’t speak English as their primary language — including sending emergency alerts in nine languages instead of two.
• On Friday, the combination of mechanical issues with the filtration equipment and the higher-than-normal demand due to the prolonged high temperatures led Jackson, Mississippi to issue a boil-water alert. 
• The State of Nevada launched a new central resource for Nevadans who are facing extreme heat conditions this summer in collaboration with State, local and federal partners.
  • It’s a resource for Nevadans to access information about extreme heat. 
• In California, soaring temperatures caused a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) train to partially derail after the heat warped the track.
  • Last Tuesday, temperatures at the Concord Airport, near the spot of the derailment, spiked to 102 degrees — a record daily high. The train derailed during the evening commute that day.
  • While the tracks are normally around 115 degrees, the heat pushed them up to around 140 degrees.
  • 50 people were evacuated from the train.
• With triple-digit temperatures scorching Central California, the risk of heat exhaustion is getting higher for residents, especially for those who work outside.
  • As construction on high-end homes in the Fig Garden area continues, construction workers are finding ways to cope with the heat.
    • The workers have an adjusted schedule, “They start very early, they leave very early and they work hard,” said project manager and interior designer Gary Steinart.
  • Farmworkers also have to deal with extreme heat in the summer, so the Fresno County Farm Bureau is focusing on education and outreach.

New Reports And Data

• A June 2022 study found that cyclone frequency fell 13% since 1850 but are becoming much more destructive.
• A June 2022 study found that natural gas used in homes contains hazardous air pollutants.
• A June 2022 study found that heat waves could lead to avian population decline.