Key Facts Of The Day 09/12

Hurricanes

• On Sunday, persistent rains hit Chicago flooding basements and alleys, closing grocery stores and restaurants, and leaving cars floating under viaducts on streets impassable with deep water.
  • Close to five inches of rain had fallen by late afternoon.
  • To prevent more flooding, Mayor Lori Lightfoot advised Chicagoans not to run dishwashers or washing machines. She also said people should avoid swimming in Lake Michigan because of the high waves and dangerous conditions.
• Last Friday, remnants of Hurricane Kay unleashed intense winds, flooding rains, and even scorching temperatures in drought-stricken California.
  • The extended heat wave in Southern California allowed Kay to move closer than usual.
  • In San Diego, 0.63 of an inch of rain was measured on Friday.
    • According to the Desert Research Institute’s Western Regional Climate Center, the probability of the city receiving 0.5 of an inch of rain in one September day is almost zero.
  • Violent flash floods erupted as the rain came down on the arid landscape, including areas scarred by wildfire burns.
    • Remnants of Kay caused flooding Saturday, stranding about 40 vehicles and closing a stretch of State Route 190 in Death Valley National Park.
  • Multiple trees, branches, and power lines were downed throughout several San Diego suburbs.
  • Power outages in California topped 63,700 early Saturday morning, but by the same time on Sunday, the number of outages in Southern California was below 1,000.

Wildfires

• As of Sunday, there are currently 93 large active wildfires that have burned 813,066 across CA, ID, MT, OR, UT, WA, and WY. As of Sunday, 49,753 wildfires have burned 6,675,569 acres across the country.
• In California, 12 fires have burned 153,040 acres as of Sunday.
  • The Fairview Fire has burned 28,307 acres and is 49% contained as of Sunday.
    • In Southern California, cooler temperatures and moisture brought respite to firefighters battling the massive Fairview Fire.
  • The Mosquito Fire has burned 46,587 acres and is 10% contained as of Sunday.
    • The fire threatened more than 5,000 structures in Placer and El Dorado counties and blanketed the region in smoke.
    • About 11,000 residents of communities, including Foresthill and Georgetown, were under evacuation orders. 
    • Organizers of the Tour de Tahoe canceled the annual 72-mile bicycle ride scheduled on Sunday around Lake Tahoe because of the heavy smoke from the blaze — more than 50 miles away.
  • Fire officials warn that Northern California communities are still at risk for a heat wave and wildfire conditions.
• In Oregon, 9 fires have burned 302,277 acres as of Sunday.
  • The Cedar Creek Fire has burned 86,734 acres and is 0% contained as of Sunday.
    • South of Portland, more than 3,000 residents were under new evacuation orders because of the fire, which has burned for over a month.
• A September 2022 Forest Service report called for tighter oversight and new policies to encourage the use of fire as a management tool.
  • Forest Service Chief Randy Moore said that by the beginning of next year, the Forest Service will create a Western prescribed fire training curriculum in collaboration with other agencies.
  • The report said the Forest Service should make climate change a bigger part of its environmental reviews for prescribed burns, weighing the effects of drought.

Extreme Heat

• Last Friday, Tropical Storm Kay unleashed intense winds, flooding rains, and even scorching temperatures in drought-stricken California.
  • In Los Angeles, the temperature rose to 102 degrees, breaking the old record of 96 degrees set back in 1986.
    • According to the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles, since it was so hot, many residents in Los Angeles County did not see any rain for the first few hours of Kay’s impacts because the precipitation evaporated before hitting the ground.
  • In Oxnard, the temperature reached 96 degrees, which broke the 38-year-old record of 94. 
• The worst drought ‘in living memory’ threatens the world’s olive oil supply.
  • Olive trees are renowned for their ability to grow in even the driest of soils, but this year, scorching temperatures and a severe lack of rainfall have taken a toll.
  • The United States Department of Agriculture last month forecast a drop of 14% in global production.
    • One European farmer estimates that the olive oil harvest from his farm will fall by about 40% this year because of the extraordinary weather conditions.
  • Spanish olive oil prices have risen by 80% in two years.
• Excessive heat interferes with pollinator interactions with plants that produce about a third of the world’s food crops.
  • Excessive heat can interfere with photosynthesis and diminish the nutritional value of flowers, which in turn can impair the survival, development, and reproductive success of pollinators that feed on them, including bees.
    • Bees support about 100 commercial nut, fruit, and vegetable crops.

New Reports and Data

• A September 2022 study found that exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius could trigger multiple climate tipping points.
• A September 2022 study found that rising seas could swallow millions of U.S. acres within decades.