Key Facts Of The Day 10/13

Hurricanes

• As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Pamela, with top winds at 75 MPH, is located about 170 miles west-southwest of Mazatlan moving north-northeast at about 12 MPH.

  • Pamela is expected to approach the Texas border as a tropical depression or remnant with heavy rains and flooding by late Wednesday or Thursday.

• Eastman, Georgia reported over 15,000 gallons of sewage spills due to heavy rainfall.

• After deadly flooding in Alabama, communities are still cleaning up and addressing persistent drainage issues that seem to be getting worse.

  • Pelham assessed damage to 250 homes and earmarked $500,000 for storm cleanup.

• 6 weeks after the devastating flash flood that destroyed 76 homes in Hurley, Virginia, residents are still recovering.

• Facing floods and fires, undocumented immigrants are excluded from most emergency funds after climate-related disasters.

Wildfires

• As of Tuesday, there are currently 45 large active wildfires that have burned 2,826,806 acres across CA, CO, ID, MT, OK, OR, WA, and WY. This year to date, 47,057 wildfires have burned 6,462,007 acres across the country.

• 20 California counties have been warned by utility company PG&E that they could see a Public Safety Power Shutoff on Thursday in response to wildfires.

• In California, 10 fires have burned 2,036,297 acres as of Tuesday.

  • The Alisal Fire burned 13,400 acres and was 5% contained as of Wednesday.

    • The Alisal Fire forced thousands of residents to evacuate and shut down portions of Highway 101 and nearby railroad tracks.

    • As of Tuesday, the Santa Barbara Public Health Department and air pollution control officials issued an Air Quality Watch due to the smoke from the Alisal Fire.

  • The Caldor Fire burned 221,775 acres and was 98% contained as of Tuesday.

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

  • The KNP Complex Fire burned 87,467 acres and was 30% contained as of Tuesday.

    • As the KNP Complex Fire continues to threaten the giant sequoia trees, the chief of resources management and science for the parks opted to go with experimental protection methods.

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

• In Idaho, 14 fires have burned a total of 213,266 acres as of Tuesday.

• In Montana, 8 fires have burned a total of 184,606 acres as of Tuesday.

• In Oklahoma, 1 fire has burned a total of 630 acres as of Tuesday.

• In Oregon, 5 fires have burned a total of 261,388 acres as of Tuesday.

• In Washington, 3 fires have burned a total of 109,623 acres as of Tuesday.

• In Wyoming, 2 fires have burned a total of 15,268 acres as of Tuesday.

Extreme Heat

• A Christmas tree farmer has lost almost all of the seedlings they planted and many of their grown trees have heat damage because of the ongoing drought conditions in Oregon.

• Neighborhoods in Phoenix, Arizona were covered in a light gray sealant to reduce heat.

• Volunteers in St. Paul, Minnesota will plant about 70 trees to combat extreme heat disparities in different neighborhoods.

• In southern California, Rite Aid workers face heat risks in the mostly non-air-conditioned warehouse.

  • Temperatures inside the Rite Aid warehouse can climb to 90 degrees or higher and simmer there for hours.

• Drought conditions caused soft white wheat production in Washington to plummet to historic lows.

• More than 40% of homes on the Navajo Nation reservation do not have access to water infrastructure, and small lakes and ponds that provide water for the reservation’s livestock are currently losing water or drying up completely.

• Energy upgrades in Texas homes could avert blackouts at lower cost than proposed gas plants.

New Reports And Data

• An October 2021 study found that nearly 6 million children are driven into severe hunger by the hot, dry shifts of a strong El Niño.

• An October 2021 study found that daily exposure chemicals called phthalates, may lead to roughly 100,000 premature deaths among older Americans each year.

• An October 2021 study found that wildfires affect cave diversity underneath scorched surfaces.