Key Facts Of The Day 07/28

Hurricanes

• Heavy rain caused life-threatening flash floods in Kentucky and stranded hundreds of people late Wednesday and early Thursday. 
  • On Thursday, Gov. Andy Beshear announced a state of emergency in Breathitt, Clay, Owsley, Letcher, and Pike counties.
    • On Wednesday, a state of emergency was declared in Floyd County.
  • Flash flood emergencies were declared early Thursday for areas including Perry, Leslie, and Clay counties, and flash flood warnings are in effect for other nearby areas.
  • Local roads have been left impassable as flash flooding transformed them into rivers, leaving many stranded.
    • In the creekside town of Hindman, waist-high water turned a main road into a river before dawn.
  • The floodwaters also washed away mobile homes, cars, and flooded schools.
    • A photo on social media shows the Buckhorn Elementary School, located in Perry County, almost entirely underwater. 
    • Hundreds of residents are expected to lose their homes and it’ll likely take families years to recover and rebuild.
  • Swift-water rescues have been reported Thursday in Kentucky’s Perry County, including in Chavies.
  • Some people are waiting on roofs to be rescued.
  • Crews from Kentucky’s Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources are out on boats making rescues.
  • Breathitt County opened its courthouse building as a shelter for those displaced by the flooding.
  • One death has been confirmed from the flooding so far, in Perry County.
  • While the total number of people missing is unknown,  at least 20 people have been reported missing or unaccounted for in Perry County.
  • In Perry County alone, 8 inches of rain had fallen in the past 24 hours as of 8 a.m. Another 1 to 3 inches are possible in the area during the day.
  • More flooding is possible Thursday, especially in parts of eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia, and far southwest Virginia.
  • As of Thursday morning, the dangerous waters have cut power to more than 20,000 customers across eastern Kentucky.
• An NPR analysis based on modeling from the National Hurricane Center for three critical regions — New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami-Dade County — found future sea rise alone could expose about 720,000 more people to flooding in the decades to come.

Wildfires

• As of Thursday, there are currently 73 large active wildfires that have burned 3,020,265 across AK, AZ, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, NM, OK, TX, UT, and WY. As of Thursday, 38,724 wildfires have burned 5,610,142 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 50 fires have burned 2,555,360 acres as of Thursday.
• In Arizona, 4 fires have burned 4,701 acres as of Thursday.
• In California, 2 fires have burned 23,707 acres as of Thursday.
  • The Oak Fire has burned 18,824 acres and is 35% contained as of Thursday.
  • The Washburn Fire has burned 4,883 acres and is 94% contained as of Thursday.
• In Hawaii, 1 fire has burned 2,368 acres as of Thursday.
• In Idaho, 4 fires have burned 42,025 acres as of Thursday.
• In Montana, 2 fires have burned 1,287 acres as of Thursday.
• In Nevada, 3 fires have burned 8,020 acres as of Thursday.
• In New Mexico, 2 fires have burned 344,435 acres as of Thursday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,735 acres and is 93% contained as of Thursday.
• In Oklahoma, 1 fire has burned 19,072 acres as of Thursday.
• In Texas, 2 fires have burned 7,192 acres as of Thursday.
  • On Tuesday, a grass fire spread to at least nine homes in a rural North Texas subdivision.
    • High-voltage power lines were downed, and propane tanks were set on fire.
    • The fire occurred a day after the Balch Springs fire, which destroyed nine homes.
  • North Texas has been vulnerable to explosive wildfires for at least two weeks, with temperatures topping 100 degrees Fahrenheit with 20-mph wind gusts and 20 percent humidity.
• In Utah, 1 fire has burned 11,701 acres as of Thursday.
• In Wyoming, 1 fire has burned 397 acres as of Thursday.

Extreme Heat

• Extreme heat wave in U.S. Northwest is forecast to last longer.
  • The National Weather Service in Portland, Oregon is now forecasting up to 101 degrees Fahrenheit for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
  • The duration of the heat wave puts Oregon’s biggest city on course to tie its longest streak of six consecutive days of 95 degrees or higher.
  • On Tuesday, Portland already hit a new record daily high at 102 degrees.
  • On Tuesday, Seattle, Washington also hit a new record daily high at 94 degrees.
  • Heat-related 911 calls in Portland have tripled in recent days, from an estimated eight calls on Sunday to 28 calls on Tuesday.
  • Multnomah County, which includes Portland, said there has been an uptick in the number of people visiting emergency departments for heat-related symptoms. 
    • In the past three days, hospitals have treated 13 people for heat illness, when they would normally expect to see two or three.
  • On Wednesday, the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office said at least two people died from suspected hyperthermia during the heat wave.
  • Multnomah County said its four emergency overnight cooling shelters were at half capacity on Tuesday with 130 people spending the night.
  • Many food truck businesses had to shut down because temperatures inside the cart are generally 20 degrees hotter than outdoor temperatures.
  • Climate change is fueling longer heat waves in the Pacific Northwest, a region where weeklong heat spells were historically rare.

New Reports And Data

• A July 2022 study found that smoke from Western wildfires can influence Arctic sea ice.
• A July 2022 study found that Western U.S. wildfire smoke plumes are trending taller, with more smoke and aerosols lofted up where they can spread farther and impact air quality over a wider area.
• A July 2022 study found that people who commute by car can be subject to higher levels of harmful gases than those who walk or cycle to work.