Key Facts Of The Day 1/17

Storms and Flooding

• The nine consecutive rainstorms that inundated California since December 26 killed at least 20 people and tens of thousands remained under evacuation orders on Monday.
• A 10-mile stretch of state highway in western Nevada along the West Walker River is expected to remain closed for months after a huge landslide triggered by heavy rain covered the road southwest of Yerington with mud and rocks.
  • Now, drivers looking to travel on paved roads between Yerington and Smith Valley must travel roughly two hours out of the way to get between the Lyon County seat and the rural farming community. About 1,800 drivers pass through the canyon each day.
• Last Thursday,  extreme weather — including dozens of tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail — killed at least ten people in Alabama and Georgia and triggered states of emergency in both places.
  • On Sunday, President Biden approved a major disaster declaration for Alabama, which freed up federal aid for recovery efforts.
• New Jersey regulators are drafting rules requiring new coastal development to be elevated at least 6 feet above flood levels in state efforts to address climate change and sea-level rise.

Wildfire

• As of January 13, there is currently 1 large active wildfire that has burned 475 acres across FL. As of January 17, 543 wildfires have burned 4,578 acres across the country.

• In Florida, 1 fire has burned 475 acres as of January 13.

Extreme Heat

• Pittsburgh and surrounding Allegheny County face rising risk from landslides as global warming fuels extreme storms that dump massive quantities of rain over the region’s hilly terrain.
• Although recent storms dumped a lot of rain in California, officials are urging Californians to continue conserving water.
  • The U.S. Drought Monitor still shows almost the entire state under moderate or severe drought conditions.
  • Reservoir levels were still below average for this time of year.
  • The atmospheric rivers largely failed to reach the Colorado River basin, a critical source of southern California’s water.
• Residents in the unincorporated community of Rio Verde Foothills are suing Scottsdale, Arizona, to restore water delivery services, which were cut off due to extreme drought conditions in the Colorado River.

New Reports and Data

• A January 2023 report found that the Bay Area has hidden flood risk from sea level rise and groundwater.
• A January 2023 study found that smoke particles from human-lit fires are responsible for over 80% of smoke-related deaths each year.
• A January 2023 study found that genetically engineering rice to have better salt tolerance could allow it to be grown in places it would otherwise fail.