Key Facts Of The Day 08/08

Hurricanes

• On Sunday, thunderstorms produced heavy rainfall causing flash flooding across parts of the Denver metro and the Front Range in Colorado.
  • The Denver Fire Department said a baby was among at least 19 people rescued from the flash flooding.
• The National Weather Service in Louisville warned in a tweet early Monday that Tuesday and Wednesday could bring widespread showers or storms, raising flooding concerns in Kentucky.
• Last Friday, National Guard soldiers rushed to deliver more than 11,600 cases of water to flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky as forecasters warned of more rain coming to the region.
  • About 13,500 service connections remained without water, and another 41,000 service connections have boiled water advisories.
    • It could take weeks or even months to repair water systems in some areas.
  • Damage to area schools will total at least in the tens of millions of dollars.
  • Emergency shelters and area state parks housed more than 500 people who fled homes that were destroyed or badly damaged. 
• Last Friday, flash flooding at Death Valley national park closed all roads into the park, buried cars, and stranded about 1,000 people.
  • At least 1.7 inches of rain fell in the Furnace Creek area; the park’s average annual rainfall is 1.9 inches.
  • About 60 vehicles were buried in debris, and about 500 visitors and 500 park workers were stranded.

Wildfires

• As of Monday, there are currently 69 large active wildfires that have burned 1,690,492 across AK, AZ, CA, GA, ID, MT, NE, NV, NM, OR, TX, UT, WA, and WY. As of Monday, 40,319 wildfires have burned 5,846,049 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 27 fires have burned 1,055,515 acres as of Monday.
• In Arizona, 3 fires have burned 3,201 acres as of Monday.
• In California, 5 fires have burned 91,039 acres as of Monday.
  • The McKinney Fire has burned 60,271 acres and is 40% contained as of Monday.
    • Thousands of fish were found dead along the Klamath River after a flash flood raced through an area decimated by a recent wildfire.
      • The debris entering the river led to oxygen levels in the Klamath River dropping to zero on Wednesday and Thursday nights.
      • The fish kill was a blow for the Karuk and Yurok tribes, which have been fighting for years to protect fragile populations of salmon in the Klamath River.
      • The salmon are revered by the Karuk Tribe and the Yurok Tribe.
  • The Oak Fire has burned 19,244 acres and is 94% contained as of Monday.
• In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 235 acres as of Monday.
• In Idaho, 5 fires have burned 75,087 acres as of Monday.
• In Montana, 7 fires have burned 39,220 acres as of Monday.
• In Nebraska, 1 fire has burned 724 acres as of Monday. 
• In Nevada, 1 fire has burned 1,966 acres as of Monday.
• In New Mexico, 1 fire has burned 341,735 acres as of Monday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,735 acres and is 98% contained as of Monday.
• In Oregon, 6 fires have burned 15,988 acres as of Monday.
• In Texas, 5 fires have burned 6,356 acres as of Monday.
• In Utah, 1 fire has burned 11,666 acres as of Monday.
• In Washington, 3 fires have burned 39,898 acres as of Monday.
• In Wyoming, 2 fires have burned 7,632 acres as of Monday.

Extreme Heat

• Human remains found at drought-hit Lake Mead for 4th time.
  • Police have speculated that more remains may be discovered as the water level at Lake Mead continues to recede.
  • A report earlier this year found the Colorado River is the most endangered waterway in the U.S. as climate change and overuse threaten its future.
• The drought in Texas is worsening and taking a toll on wineries. 
  • At Solaro Estate Winery, they decided to change to a new drought-resistant rootstock. The yield will be less, but the quality will be higher.
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, declares another heat health emergency that will be in effect from Monday to Tuesday night.

New Reports And Data

• An August 2022 study found a way to reduce the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to grow cereals such as rice, wheat, and corn.
• An August 2022 study found that over the past 60 years, the global forest area has declined by 81.7 million hectares, threatening the future of biodiversity and impacting the lives of 1.6 billion people worldwide.