Facts Of The Day 10/1

Extreme Heat

• Toxic algae bloom as the cause of death for a northern California family found dead in Sierra National Forest has not been ruled out.

• Bay area wineries attempted alternative farming methods such as dry farming and grape leaf “sunscreen” due to the droughts, wildfires, and extreme heat California has faced.

• Extreme drought in Oregon led to a smaller pumpkin yield and forced a family farm to outsource their pumpkins to host their annual harvest festival.

• Extreme weather conditions led a farmer in Bluffton, Indiana to use cover crops that can help build organic soil matter, hold more water, and protect other crops from rapid temperature changes.

• Unusually hot and dry conditions caused nearly 80% of the water from California reservoirs to either evaporate or be absorbed into parched soil.

• The autumnal activity of leaf-peeping is facing some serious threats as droughts and extreme weather have caused leaves to turn brown and wither before they can reach peak color.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 54 large active wildfires that have burned 2,972,848 acres across CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, OK, OR, WA, and WY. This year to date, 46,190 wildfires have burned 5,911,020 acres across the country.

• As climate change escalates and wildfires continue, people turn to alternative methods for protection, such as wrapping their homes in aluminum foil.

• Fall heatwave and gusty winds have created an increased fire danger to Southern California.

• In California, 10 fires have burned 1,995,826 acres as of Friday.

  • The Caldor Fire burned 221,775 acres and was 91% contained as of Friday.

  • The Dixie Fire burned 963,309 acres and was 94% contained as of Friday.

  • The Fawn Fire burned 8,578 acres and was 90% contained as of Friday.

  • The KNP Complex Fire burned 49,496 acres and was 20% contained as of Friday.

    • The hazardous air quality from the KNP Complex fire led the Three Rivers Union School District to close its one school for nearly 2 weeks.

    • Back at school, students need to wear masks indoors, per COVID-19 mitigation measures and are now encouraged to wear them outdoors due to the ongoing wildfire.

• In Colorado, 1 fire has burned a total of 3,792 acres as of Friday.

• In Idaho, 18 fires have burned a total of 245,674 acres as of Friday.

• In Montana, 8 fires have burned a total of  196,850 acres as of Friday.

• In Nevada, 2 fires have burned a total of 89,637 acres as of Friday.

• In Oklahoma, 1 fire has burned a total of 832 acres as of Friday.

• In Oregon, 6 fires have burned a total of 292,318 acres as of Friday.

• In Washington, 4 fires have burned a total of 131,536 acres as of Friday.

• In Wyoming, 4 fires have burned a total of 16,383 acres as of Friday.

Hurricanes

• As of Friday morning, Hurricane Sam’s top winds are up to 150 MPH just 7 mph shy of Category 5 status, moving northwest at 17 MPH.

  • Sam is now the strongest storm of the 2021 season.

  • Sam’s intensity is expected to begin a slow decline Saturday as it encounters cooler water temperatures and storm-shredding wind shear but remains a powerful major hurricane through at least Saturday night.

  • Forecasters expect tropical storm conditions could reach Bermuda as early as Friday night.

  • Sam is expected to remain about 500 miles away from the US mainland, but its swells could reach the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and Bermuda and then impact the U.S. East Coast spreading from Florida to New England.

• As of Friday morning, tropical storm Victor was moving northwest at 15 MPH and was located about 630 miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with winds of 60 MPH.

  • Victor is expected to strengthen slightly on Friday as it moves over the eastern Atlantic Ocean, before beginning to weaken over the weekend.

  • Victor is forecast to move northwest and into open water, posing no threat to land.

• In the wake of the deaths of 15 Louisiana residents who were evacuated to a warehouse during Hurricane Ida, the federal government is reassessing its emergency preparedness requirements for nursing home residents.

• Extreme weather events such as Hurricane Ida have kept thousands of students out of schools:

  • As of Tuesday, a month after Hurricane Ida more than 70,000 students in Louisiana have been unable to return to school, which represents more than 1 in 10 K-12 students in the state.

  • More than 300,000 students were unable to attend school in the immediate wake of Hurricane Ida.

  • There is currently a $28 billion annual funding shortfall to regularly update school facilities.

• Heavy rain and flooding in Texas early Friday morning have brought 2 to 5 inches of rain across Central Texas.

  • Flash flood warnings were issued overnight as flooding occurred at Old Bee Caves Road at Williamson Creek in Austin, Texas, and several low water crossings are closed in Travis County.

  • Showers are expected to continue through midmorning, with some isolated showers on Saturday with 1 to 2 inches expected.

  • Severe weather is not expected, but the storms could bring small hail, winds, lightning, and local flooding.

  • A flash flood watch has been issued for Nueces, Kleberg, Jim Wells, Jim Hogg, Brooks, Kenedy, and San Patricio counties until 10 PM local time Friday.

• Rescue crews had to be called into the Annaville neighborhood near I-37 and Rand Morgan in Corpus Christi, Texas as drivers were caught in flash floods.

  • The flooding occurred at the same time as school pick-ups, with some parents having to walk in knee-deep waters to pick up their children.

• Hurricane season is over in Texas, as vertical wind shear, which is the change in wind direction and speed vertically within the atmosphere, reduces the chances of storm formation in the Gulf of Mexico.

• Forecasters have only one storm name left due to the number of storms of the 2021 hurricane season and will choose names from a supplemental list if necessary.

• The Great Lakes region has seen increased flooding and lake erosion due to climate change.

• After a summer of flooding from storms and hurricanes, authorities warned that mold and fungi that follow can be deadly to those with compromised immune systems and even the healthy.

Climate Studies