Key Facts Of The Day 11/2

Hurricanes

• As of Tuesday morning, Tropical Storm Wanda was about 800 miles west of the Azores, a set of islands about 900 miles west of Portugal with high winds of 50 MPH.

  • There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

  • A warming planet can expect stronger hurricanes over time, and a higher incidence of the most powerful storms.

• Last week’s storms and heavy winds caused the Alexandria waterfront to experience the third-highest coastal flooding ever recorded at 5.99 feet.

  • Low pressure and continuing onshore winds caused historic coastal flooding along parts of the Chesapeake Bay and tidal Potomac River.

• As of Monday, more than 100 parents rallied in Cresskill, New Jersey to push for help with reopening the district’s middle/senior high school, which has been shut since the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded the building.

  • The school sustained more than $19 million in damage from the storm.

• After Friday’s storm and coastal flooding, a Pasadena neighborhood deals with damage cleanup.

• Extreme precipitation events are likely to fall in shorter intervals with heavier amounts in Illinois due to climate change.

• Intensifying weather patterns including floods, droughts, and high temperature are gradually adding stress to river ecosystems across the country, chipping away at wildlife’s ability to adapt.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 6 large active wildfires that have burned 336,400 acres across CA,  MT, OR, and WA.

• Human-caused climate change is the main driver behind increased wildfire risk in the western U.S.

• The nonprofit Archangel Ancient Tree Archive gathered cones and took clippings of giant sequoia trees over the past decade to clone and preserve the genes of two of the oldest and largest trees.

• In California, 3 fires have burned 202,805 acres as of Friday.

  • The Alisal Fire burned 17,281 acres and was 99% contained as of Friday.

  • The KNP Complex Fire burned 88,307 acres and was 73% contained as of Friday.

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

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

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

Extreme Heat

• The 2021 Pacific Northwest heat wave was ‘virtually impossible’ without human induced climate change.

  • The summer high temperatures in Portland are usually in the seventies, but in 2021 they reached more than 110 degrees.

• Florida’s military bases are some of the most vulnerable to climate change, especially extreme heat.

• Extreme heat periods are likely to get longer and hotter in Illinois with summer extending into September and October due to climate change.

• Montana’s worst drought in more than 20 years continues into fall with 100% of the state in severe drought, 70% in extreme drought, and 96% of the state categorized as having short to very short topsoil moisture.

• Counties in Florida like Sarasota and Manatee saw an increase in tourism during the summer months despite red tide and ongoing pandemic.

• Since bottom water temperatures have been warming drastically across the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas over the last few years, there’s been an increase in harmful algal blooms.

New Reports And Data

• A November 2021 study found that the EPA allows polluters to turn neighborhoods into “sacrifice zones” where residents breathe carcinogens.

• A November 2021 study found that a temperature increase of around 1.5°C can have a marked impact on algae and animal species living on our coastlines.

• An October 2021 study found that diesel emissions in major U.S. cities disproportionately harm communities of color.