Climate Impact Report – 10/19

Quick Facts

New Jersey plans to expand buyouts of flood-prone properties to include areas where floods are expected to increase as climate change worsens.
As of Monday, Middlesex County, New Jersey officials announced that Johnson Park animal haven will be permanently closed after the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded the small Piscataway zoo.
On Monday night, more than a dozen Hoover, Alabama residents voiced their need to have the city’s storm water drainage system fixed and developers held accountable for their properties that have caused flooding to the City of Hoover’s Council members.
The Texas Zoo postponed its Haunted Zoo due to flooding at Riverside Park.
Colorado State University predicts this hurricane week outlook will be quiet but things could pick up next week because of the arrival of La Niña.
West Virginia is more exposed to worsening floods than anywhere else in the country.

As of Monday, there are currently 18 large active wildfires that have burned 2,253,764 acres across CA, ID, MT, OR, and WA.
Fast-growing cities in the West need more housing, but residents fear that crowded roads could lead to Paradise, California style disaster when fires hit.
After facing devastating wildfires, northern and central California may catch a break this month as a series of expected storms could effectively end the fire season.
- Southern California, however, will see far less rainfall, and therefore remain at risk for wildfires
In California, 8 fires have burned 1,905,459 acres as of Monday.
- The Alisal Fire burned 17,254 acres and was 78% contained as of Monday.
- The Caldor Fire burned 221,835 acres and was 98% contained as of Monday.
- The Dixie Fire burned 963,309 acres and was 94% contained as of Monday.
- The KNP Complex Fire burned 88,068 acres and was 55% contained as of Monday.
In Idaho, 3 fires have burned a total of 135,842 acres as of Monday.
In Montana, 3 fires have burned a total of 5,673 acres as of Monday.
In Oregon, 3 fires have burned a total of 99,468 acres as of Monday.
In Washington, 1 fire has burned a total of 107,322 acres as of Monday.

In a year with both extreme heat and extreme drought, California has reported its driest water year in terms of precipitation in a century, which has been worsened by climate change.
About 1 million residents in San Jose and neighboring communities will face the toughest water rules of any big Californian city including water budget and drought fees.
In Imperial County, California, 22 heat-related deaths have been confirmed so far this year through Oct. 2.
Advocates say that Calexico, California is not prepared to protect vulnerable residents and has neglected the needs of unhoused people in extreme heat.
Pacific Northwest food producers who lost crops due to extreme heat will be eligible for federal disaster relief in a $10 billion package.
- One berry farmer in Washington lost 84% of the farm’s crop, which is an estimated $232,000 in lost revenue, because of the heat.
- In Washington, about 20% of cherry crops were lost as temperatures soared in late June.

An October 2021 study found that rising temperatures and drier weather could double the probability of wildfires occurring in the Great Lakes region and New England region by the end of the century.
An October 2021 study found that marsh plants can play a major role in mitigating coastal damage as sea levels rise and storm surges increase.
An October 2021 study found that areas where the majority of residents are people of color had both higher COVID case rates and less urban nature, such as greenness and parks.
An October 2021 study found that lake temperatures are rising and seasonal ice cover is shorter and thinner because of massive greenhouse gas emissions since the Industrial Revolution.