Climate Impact Report – 10/20

Quick Facts

As of Wednesday, flooding continues on a street in Victoria, Texas.
- Residents urge the city to do more than just warn them about intense flooding.
The recent flooding in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania completely destroyed the Riverside Dog Park along the riverfront.
With the arrival of La Niña, increased rainfall in the Northwest could lead to flooding and mudslides because the soil is scarred from the raging wildfire season.
Officials bracing for a significant winter storm headed for Reno-Tahoe region.
- The area includes the Dixie and Caldor fire burn scars, which bring concerns about potential mudslides, erosion and flooding.
The damage caused by Hurricane Ida threatens Native American culture unique to Terrebonne parish, Louisiana by pushing people to move out of the region.
Local police departments are citing climate disasters when seeking military gear.
- In Johnson County, Iowa, the sheriff’s office claims that the massive, mine-resistant vehicle is to be primarily used during extreme weather events in order to save residents from the state’s extraordinary blizzards or floods.

As of Tuesday, there are currently 18 large active wildfires that have burned 2,253,764 acres across CA, ID, MT, OR, and WA.
So far this year, Minnesota has experienced nearly 50% more wildfires.
As global temperatures climb, drought conditions similar to those seen this summer could become more common in the Midwest, potentially leading to an uptick in its number of wildfires.
As wildfire seasons grow longer and more deadly, Congress proposes legislation to raise firefighter pay, provide funding for health care, paid leave, retirement benefits and housing assistance.
In California, 8 fires have burned 1,905,459 acres as of Tuesday.
- The Alisal Fire burned 17,254 acres and was 78% contained as of Tuesday.
  - Tajiguas landfill facing temporary closure and an estimated $20 million in Alisal Fire damage.
- The Caldor Fire burned 221,835 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 88,068 acres and was 55% contained as of Tuesday.
  - Two iconic giant sequoias were spared from the KNP Complex Fire in California, but it could be months before a full damage assessment is complete.
In Idaho, 3 fires have burned a total of 135,842 acres as of Tuesday.
In Montana, 3 fires have burned a total of 5,673 acres as of Tuesday.
In Oregon, 3 fires have burned a total of 99,468 acres as of Tuesday.
In Washington, 1 fire has burned a total of 107,322 acres as of Tuesday.

The summer of 2021 set a new high for average land temperature.
As of Saturday, a nonprofit planted 80 of the planned 600 trees in a historic New Orleans neighborhood to mitigate the effects of extreme heat and flooding.
As climate change creates more farming challenges, a researcher at Southern Illinois University is developing heat-tolerant pumpkins.
California Governor Newsom has declared all 58 counties in the state to be under a drought emergency.
Rain is unlikely to reach drought-starved reservoirs that supply Sonoma County.
Due to ongoing drought, a Pinal County alfalfa farmer struggles to grow crops with less water.
As climate change intensifies, Seville, Spain becomes the first city in the world to categorize and name heat waves.

An October 2021 study found that putting honeybee hives on solar parks could help increase crop production in surrounding farmland.
An October 2021 study found that the benefits of animal migration have been eroded by the effects of climate change and human pressure.
An October 2021 study found that 84% of trash on Australian beaches is plastic.