Key Facts Of The Day 1/13

Storms and Flooding

• At least eight people were killed on Thursday as severe storms and tornadoes left a trail of damage across the South.
  • More than 6.8 million people across Alabama and Georgia had been under a tornado watch on Thursday, and the governors of both states declared states of emergency.
  • By early Friday, the immediate threat of extreme weather across the South had passed, but tens of thousands of customers were still without power in parts of Alabama and Georgia.
  • Meteorologists tracked 45 reports of tornadoes across the South on Thursday.
  • Thunderstorms were forecast for parts of Central and South Florida on Friday, along with some possible snow in northern Alabama.
• More powerful storms are headed for California over the next week, threatening regions already struggling to recover from extreme weather over the last two weeks.
  • Heavy rain in places with steep terrain and wildfire burn scars creates the potential for hazardous conditions associated with landslides and debris flows.

Wildfire

• As of January 6, 2023, there are currently 0 large active wildfires that have burned 0 acres. As of January 9, 2023, 78 wildfires have burned 549 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• The rains that hit California in recent weeks aren’t traveling far enough West to boost the Colorado River Basin, where water supplies in major reservoirs sit at record low levels.
• Bureau of Reclamation data shows the nation’s largest reservoirs, lakes Mead and Powell, are currently filled to just 28% and 24% of capacity, respectively.
• Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs unsealed an until-now unreleased report that Phoenix’s West Valley is short of its 100-year supply of water required by law.
  • The plans to develop the far West Valley of Phoenix and surrounding areas that are reliant on groundwater will not be able to get government approval, as projections put the area 4.4 million acre-feet short of demand over a century-long period.

New Reports and Data

• A January 2023 study found that global carbon dioxide emissions from the life cycle of gas-fired power are 3.6 billion tonnes each year, which could be reduced by as much as 71% if a variety of mitigation options were used around the world.
• A January 2023 study found that wheat containing exotic DNA from wild relatives benefits from up to 50% higher yields in hot weather compared with elite lines lacking these genes.
• A January 2023 study identified the genetic underpinnings for why broccoli heads become abnormal when it’s hot.