Key Facts Of The Day 10/26

Hurricanes

• A record breaking bomb cyclone slammed ashore Sunday in drought-plagued Northern California and the Pacific Northwest, blasting a wide swath of the West Coast with heavy rain, damaging winds, flooding and mudslides.

  • As of Tuesday, roughly 50,000 Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers are still without power in Avenal, Corcoran, Fresno, Dos Palos and north of Madera.

  • Record-breaking California bomb cyclone linked to climate change.

  • Downtown Sacramento, Sacramento Executive Airport, and Blue Canyon set their all time 24hr rainfall total record.

  • Slick driving conditions contributed to traffic accidents across the San Francisco Bay Area.

  • State highways 16 and 20 in Colusa and Yolo counties were shut down due to mudslides while evacuations were ordered in the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.

  • Flooding and debris flows were reported near the site of the Creek Fire.

  • Heavy rain also triggered evacuation orders for residents in Santa Barbara County living near the Alisal Fire burn scar.

  • As of Monday afternoon, a tornado warning was issued just west of Wasco, California.

• Major nor’easter hitting Eastern Seaboard with heavy rain and wind.

  • States of emergency and flash flood warnings were put in place in New York and New Jersey as officials were on high alert for the storm’s impacts.

  • Torrential downpours and gusty winds walloped the tri-state area on Tuesday, forcing many school closings and delays.

• As Nashville, Tennessee is building new sidewalks, the city is prioritizing trees along sidewalks which can reduce heat and flooding risks.

Wildfires

• As of Monday, there are currently 10 large active wildfires that have burned 1,817,491 acres across CA,  MT, OR, and WA. This year to date, 48,048 wildfires have burned 6,518,382 acres across the country.

• After the record rainfall, the chances of wildfire ignitions are greatly diminished in northern California.

• Forest restoration needed to prevent catastrophic wildfires in Arizona.

• Minnesota experienced an extra hot and dry summer, leading to one of the most active wildfire seasons in the state with 17 wildfires between March and October 2021.

• In California, 7 fires have burned 1,683,896 acres as of Monday.

  • The Alisal Fire burned 17,281 acres and was 97% contained as of Monday.

  • The Dixie Fire burned 963,309 acres and was 97% contained as of Monday.

  • The KNP Complex Fire burned 88,307 acres and was 60% contained as of Monday.

• In Montana, 1 fire has burned a total of 1,379 acres as of Monday.

• In Oregon, 1 fire has burned a total of 24,894 acres as of Monday.

• In Washington, 1 fire has burned a total of 107,322 acres as of Monday.

Extreme Heat

• As the world struggles to cap rising temperatures, greenhouse gas concentrations hit a record last year with carbon dioxide levels at 413.2 parts per million.

• Despite historic rain over the weekend and a healthy helping of snow in the Sierra, California’s drought remains deep and reservoir levels remain low.

• Extreme heat and significant drought conditions leave Christmas tree supply thin in future years.

  • A local farmer in Oregon lost 70 to 80% of the seedlings they planted this year due to the extreme drought.

• From late-spring frosts in western Michigan to triple-digit heat in the Pacific Northwest, apple growers saw a nearly 19% drop in fresh-market apple holdings in June 2021

• The continued drought and an unprecedented workforce shortage worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic has threatened chile pepper crops in New Mexico.

• Phoenix’s Parks and Recreation Board considered permanent restrictions on popular trails during high heat after 12 firefighters were sent home for heat-related issues after doing three back-to-back rescues.

• As drought continues in California, Santa Ana city officials rethink the use of non-shade and drought intolerant trees in the city’s urban forest.

New Reports And Data

• An October 2021 study found that the Flint water crisis increased the rate of low birth weight in babies born to moms who were exposed to lead in the city’s tap water and disproportionately affected Black babies.

• An October 2021 study found a new way to detect early signs of harmful blue-green algae, which bloom in lakes, rivers and reservoirs around the world.

• An October 2021 study found that a high-speed rail can substantially contribute more to the reduction in GHG emissions from the transport sector.