Key Facts Of The Day 10/25

Hurricanes

• Thousands were left without power overnight, and substantial damage was seen in Jarrell, Texas as severe thunderstorms packing strong winds and heavy rain rolled through.
  • An 18-wheeler was overturned and cars were in a ditch along Interstate 35 after a possible tornado moved through east-central Texas Monday night.
  • While tornadoes are not uncommon in Jarrell, they typically occur during the spring months.
• Monday’s storms also brought 4 inches of rain to a few spots in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, resulting in street flooding.
• Severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes will pivot through the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, including part of the central Gulf Coast, into Tuesday night.
  • Cities such as Jackson, Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama, are among those in the highest threat area for these storms.
  • Downpours will also drench areas from Oklahoma to Illinois, Indiana, and Georgia into Tuesday night.
• According to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Hurricane Ian caused as much as $1.8 billion in damages to Florida agriculture.
  • The biggest losses came from citrus which had damages between $416 million and $675 million.
  • Florida also lost an estimated $153.7 million to $230.5 million, or around 10% to 15% of non-citrus fruits and vegetables.
• After Hurricane Ian, 22% of private well samples in Seminole County are contaminated with coliform or E-coli bacteria.

Wildfires

• As of Monday, there are currently 32 large active wildfires that have burned 463,512 across AL, CO, ID, IN, KY, MT, OK, OR, TN, TX, and WA. As of Monday, 58,093 wildfires have burned 7,153,698 acres across the country.
• In Colorado, 1 fire has burned 3,125 acres as of Monday.
• In Oregon, 3 fires have burned 299,715 acres as of Monday.
  • The Cedar Creek Fire has burned 127,283 acres and is 55% contained as of Monday.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 483 acres as of Monday.
• In Washington, 13 fires have burned 52,985acres as of Monday.

Extreme Heat

• More than 80% of the continental U.S. is experiencing unusually dry conditions or full-on drought, which is the largest proportion since the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration began tracking 20 years ago.
  • Winter is expected to intensify and spread the dry conditions, killing crops and increasing fire risks in regions that don’t usually face such dangers.
• Record-low water levels in the Mississippi river are making it hard to move cargo by barges.
  • The developing drought across the Mississippi Basin is also allowing salt water to enter from the Gulf of Mexico, which could contaminate drinking water.
• As drought drives prices higher, millions of Californians struggle to pay for water.
• Farmers harvested a lower yield of peanut crops due to summer heatwaves.

New Reports and Data

• An October 2022 study found that extreme weather events pose a significant threat to global dermatological health, as many skin diseases are climate sensitive.
• An October 2022 study found that protecting ancient trees can help mitigate climate change.
• An October 2022 study found that climate change causes acidification of the Arctic Ocean.