Key Facts Of The Day 1/3

Storms and Flooding

• As of Tuesday morning, a major winter storm is threatening strong tornadoes and flooding to the South, and ice and snow to the Plains and Upper Midwest.
  • More than 35 million people are under some sort of severe weather threat in the South, with the highest risk near the Gulf Coast.
    • Rainfall totals could reach 2 to 4 inches across the South through Wednesday, while some areas could see up to 6 inches.
    • As of early Tuesday morning, 30 storm reports were submitted to the National Weather Service, including two tornado reports, 22 high wind reports, and six large hail reports.
    • The National Weather Service said it had reports of a damaging twister in Montrose, Arkansas, that trapped people in their homes.
    • Another tornado near Jessieville, Arkansas, damaged at least 14 homes and multiple commercial and government buildings, including a local high school.
  • Over 15 million people from Colorado to Michigan are under winter weather alerts.
    • Residents in parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, and Minnesota are likely to see intense snow rates of 1 to 3 inches per hour.
• Over the weekend, a major winter storm triggered deadly floods in California.
  • More than 15 million people from the West Coast to Wisconsin were under winter weather alerts on Sunday.
  • At least two people were killed, and others were rescued from the flooding in portions of northern California over the weekend.
  • On Saturday, Oakland, CA, had its wettest day on record, with 4.75 inches of rain in a 24-hour period.
  • The severe weather, which included high winds, left about 235,000 homes, businesses, and other power customers without electricity in California and Nevada on Sunday.
  • In Sacramento County, crews rushed to repair a 200-foot section of a levee system along the Cosumnes River that protects more than 53 square miles of vineyards and cattle ranches.
• Christmas week’s fierce “bomb cyclone” has put new urgency on how grid owners and operators prepare for extreme weather emergencies.
  • At the storm’s peak impact, more than 60% of the country was under winter weather alerts.
  • On Christmas Eve, over 1.6 million U.S. customers lacked power.

Wildfire

• As of December 23, 2022, there are currently 0 large active wildfires that have burned 0 acres. As of December 23, 2022, 65,818 wildfires have burned 7,472,995 acres across the country.
• Cal Fire announced more than 85% of California’s rural and unincorporated land is now in “high” or “very high” severity zones for wildfire danger.

Extreme Heat

• Recent rain and snow in California leave experts cautiously optimistic about drought relief.
  • It won’t be until March or April when the possibility of easing off water conservation efforts can be determined.
• In Los Angeles, CA, design changes that could help the city absorb less heat are underway, including installing cool roofs, coating streets with reflective materials, and increasing shade by planting more trees.
• On New Year’s Day, at least seven countries in Europe saw their warmest January weather on record as temperatures surged to springtime levels.

New Reports and Data

• A December 2022 study found that only 6% of corporations headquartered in counties with wildfires report their fire exposure to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
• A December 2022 study found that the total amount of microplastics deposited on the bottom of oceans has tripled in the past two decades.
• A December 2022 study found that existing conservation efforts are insufficient to protect Antarctic ecosystems, and population declines are likely for 65% of the continent’s plants and wildlife by the year 2100.