Key Facts Of The Day 09/28

Hurricanes

• As of Wednesday morning, category 4 Hurricane Ian was located about 60 miles west of Naples, moving north at 10 MPH with maximum sustained winds of 155 MPH.
  • Hurricane Ian – now an “extremely dangerous” storm just shy of Category 5 strength – is poised to inflict “catastrophic” winds and storm surge as it nears a Wednesday afternoon landfall in southwestern Florida
  • The center of the storm is expected to cross onto land, perhaps north of Fort Myers near the Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda areas, by early Wednesday afternoon.
  • A hurricane warning is in effect on Florida’s Gulf Coast from Chokoloskee near the Everglades to the Anclote River north of Tampa, including Tampa Bay, and in the Dry Tortugas. 
  • A storm surge warning is in effect for coastal areas, including Tampa Bay. 
  • Historic storm surge up to 18 feet is possible and could swallow coastal homes; heavy rain could cause flooding across much of the state; and crushing winds could flatten homes and stop electricity service for days or weeks.
    • 12 to 24 inches of rain could fall in central and northeastern Florida, including Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville.
    • Up to 8 inches of rain is possible in South Florida as well as eastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina. 
  • As of Wednesday morning, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it is no longer possible to safely evacuate from Collier County up to Sarasota County since key paths out, including the Skyway Bridge from Manatee to Pinellas counties, were closing.
  • In Florida, more than 2.5 million people were advised to evacuate, including 1.75 million under mandatory evacuation orders.
  • Although there are repeated hurricane warnings, many people in Florida can’t evacuate.
    • Whether it’s first responders, people working in animal shelters, those with disabilities or people with a language barrier, the reality is often far more complicated for those who can’t easily get up and evacuate to safety.
    • Depending on a family’s financial situation, evacuating away from a storm can be costly.
    • Language and literacy can also be a barrier to leaving.
      • More than 400,000 households in Florida speak Haitian as their primary shared language.
      • Tens of thousands of Floridians speak Portuguese, French, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Arabic, German, Russian, Italian, or another language as their primary shared language at home.
  • Schools, supermarkets, theme parks, hospitals, and airports have announced closures. 
    • Across Florida, 58 school districts have announced closures due to the storm as campuses turned into shelters for evacuees.
  • Parts of far southern Florida already have begun feeling the storm’s effects, with tropical storm-force winds and at least two possible tornadoes reported in Broward County, including at North Perry Airport, where planes and hangers were damaged.
  • Major flooding was being reported in Key West due to storm surge, along with power outages. 
    • More than 142,000 Florida utility customers already were without power as of 9 a.m.
  • Local governments and state agencies also prepared those living in nursing homes and other senior care facilities to evacuate. 
    • Florida has around 6 million residents over the age of 60.
  • DeSantis activated 5,000 Florida National Guard members for Ian’s response operations, and 2,000 more guardsmen from Tennessee, Georgia, and North Carolina were being activated to assist. 
• Ten days after Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico, communities are still dealing with the aftermath.
  • As of Wednesday morning, about 345,000 customers in Puerto Rico are still without electricity.
  • The government of Puerto Rico on Saturday said that up to 16 people may have died as a direct or indirect result of the storm.
  • Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico at peak harvest time.
    • Farmers who do not have insurance are facing major losses after Hurricane Fiona damaged or destroyed crops including staple crops like plantains. 

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, there are currently 94 large active wildfires that have burned 896,633 across CA, ID, MT, OK, OR, WA, and WY. As of Wednesday, 53,090 wildfires have burned 6,855,925 acres across the country.
• In California, 4 fires have burned 147,757 acres as of Wednesday.
  • The Mosquito Fire has burned 76,775 acres and is 85% contained as of Wednesday.
• In Oregon, 6 fires have burned 330,071 acres as of Wednesday.
  • The Cedar Creek Fire has burned 114,999 acres and is 20% contained as of Wednesday.

Extreme Heat

• As California’s 2022 water year ends this week, the parched state is bracing for another dry year — its fourth in a row.
  • So far, in California’s recorded history, six previous droughts have lasted four or more years,  two of them in the past 35 years.
  • Despite some rain in September, weather watchers expect a hot and dry fall, and warn that this winter could bring warm temperatures and below-average precipitation.
• Southern California is at the tail end of its mini-heat wave, with temperatures in some areas expected to reach triple digits on Wednesday before cooling off into the weekend.
  • The National Weather Service in Oxnard extended the heat warning until 8 p.m. Wednesday for the San Gabriel, Santa Clarita, and San Fernando valleys.
  • The Ventura County valleys are under a heat advisory until 8 p.m. Wednesday. 
  • An excessive heat warning remains in effect until 8 p.m. Wednesday for the Inland Empire, inland Orange County, and the lower desert areas, according to the National Weather Service in San Diego.
  • Burbank, which hit 99 degrees on Tuesday, is forecast to be 100 degrees Wednesday. Woodland Hills could reach 105 degrees, up from 102 on Tuesday.
• Researchers seek ways to grow solar and crops together in the skeptical Corn Belt.

New Reports and Data

• A September 2022 study found that elements of environmental performance are more strongly associated with positive peace, which involves equitable resource distribution.
• A September 2022 study found that higher temperatures make it difficult for fig tree pollinators.
• A September 2022 study found that the ability of rainforests to store carbon can decrease in pace with climate change.