Key Facts Of The Day 08/18

Hurricanes

• Intense tropical downpours will bring much-needed rain to the drought-stricken Southwest, but the amount of precipitation could increase the risk of life-threatening flash flooding.
  • Last week,  floodwaters in Las Vegas turned the famous Las Vegas Strip into a river.
  • A tropical rainstorm that brought torrential rainfall to Texas this past weekend and Monday will continue to spread into the interior Southwest this upcoming weekend.
  • Over the next seven days, southern, central, and eastern New Mexico is expected to see widespread rainfall amounts of 2-4 inches.
• Attendance at Yellowstone National Park fell by 45% in July compared with last year after a record flood forced a temporary closure in mid-June.
  • Overall, the park’s attendance for 2022 is at 1,864,771, down 30% from 2021.
  • As the park rebuilds, officials have yet to decide whether to reconstruct a popular flood-damaged road that runs through the Gardner River Canyon.
• Atlantic hurricane season could ramp up into September.
  • The historic peak of hurricane season is around September 15, but most of late August into mid-October is regarded as the busiest stretch of weeks when it comes to tracking the tropics.
  • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasts 14 to 20 named storms, six to 10 hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes.
  • Across the Atlantic, there are signs that activity might start to pick up more notably in the next 10 days.

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, there are currently 58 large active wildfires that have burned 1,435,417 across AK, AZ, CA, FL, HI, ID, MT, NE, NV, NM, NC, OR, and TX. As of Wednesday, 42,489 wildfires have burned 5,930,293 acres across the country.
• In Alaska, 12 fires have burned 800,788 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Arizona, 2 fires have burned 1,833 acres as of Wednesday.
• In California, 6 fires have burned 109,713 acres as of Wednesday.
  • The McKinney Fire has burned 60,392 acres and is 95% contained as of Wednesday.
  • The Oak Fire has burned 19,244 acres and is 98% contained as of Wednesday.
• In Florida, 1 fire has burned 1,400 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Hawaii, 1 fire has burned 25,000 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Idaho, 10 fires have burned 92,002 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Montana, 11 fires have burned 31,701 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Nevada, 1 fire has burned 1,966 acres as of Wednesday.
• In New Mexico, 1 fire has burned 341,735 acres as of Wednesday.
  • The Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire has burned 341,735 acres and is 98% contained as of Wednesday.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 1,226 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Oregon, 4 fires have burned 6,258 acres as of Wednesday.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 700 acres as of Wednesday.

Extreme Heat

• On Wednesday, California’s interior experienced dangerously high temperatures, and the state’s power grid operator called for voluntary energy conservation.
  • The heat spell largely affected the Central Valley but also extended to interior portions of the north and east San Francisco Bay region and the coast south of Monterey Bay.
  • A record high of 108 degrees was set at Ukiah Municipal Airport in Mendocino County.
  • The weather service issued red flag warnings for increased wildfire risk in far northwest and northeast California due to dry thunderstorms with the potential for “abundant lightning.”
  • A heat advisory was also issued for valleys in Southern California’s inland region.
• Extreme heat and drought conditions in the U.S., Europe, and China compound problems for workers and businesses when economic growth is already slowing and adding to upward pressure on prices.
  • Extreme weather could exacerbate “existing pinch points” along supply chains, a major reason inflation has been difficult to bring down.
  • Nearly three-quarters of U.S. farmers say this year’s drought is hurting their harvest — with significant crop and income loss.
  • In California — a state with high fruit and nut tree crops — 50% of farmers surveyed said they had to remove trees and multiyear crops due to drought, which will affect future revenue.
• Farmers in Texas are being forced to sell off their cattle herds earlier than normal due to extreme drought as water sources dry out and grass burns up.
  • Farmers in Texas reported the largest reduction in herd size, down 50%, followed by New Mexico and Oregon at 43% and 41%, respectively. 
  • Diesel cost is falling but is still high, making it significantly more expensive to truck in additional water than in years past. 
  • The price of fertilizer for grass and crops and feed for animals also remains expensive.

New Reports and Data

• An August 2022 study found that the Deepwater Horizon cleanup crew is 60% more likely to get asthma.
• An August 2022 report found that by 2050, almost 68% of people are expected to live in urban areas, which experience far greater levels of air pollution than rural areas.
• An August 2022 study found that Pennsylvania children who live near fracking wells have a higher leukemia risk.