Key Facts Of The Day 11/12

Hurricanes

• Atmospheric river will pour over the Pacific Northwest through Friday.

  • There’s a potential for river flooding Thursday through Saturday along creeks and rivers in Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington.

  • There’s a potential for debris flows near the Lionshead, Beachie Creek, and Riverside burn areas in Oregon.

  • Snow levels will be high during this rain event, generally above 9,000 feet.

• Four confirmed tornadoes from Wednesday night’s storms in Louisiana.

• Severe storms, including a tornado, damaged homes and downed trees, leaving nearly 7,000 people without power Wednesday night in Oklahoma.

• First blizzard warnings of the season are issued as a powerful storm crosses the country.

  • Winter alerts were up Thursday morning for 2 million people across the Northern Plains and the Upper Midwest.

  • Wind alerts were also up for 11 million people as winds could gust as high as 50 mph through Thursday night.

  • The storm system will shift east on Friday, causing strong winds and heavy rain in the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, including the urban corridor from Washington to Boston.

• Storm to bring heavy soaking of rain and gusty winds before cold air sweeps in New Jersey.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 3 large active wildfires that have burned 106,656 acres across CA and MT. This year to date, 49,021 wildfires have burned 6,535,256 acres across the country.

• In California, 2 fires have burned 105,277 acres as of Friday.

  • The Alisal Fire burned 16,970 acres and was 99% contained as of Friday.

  • The KNP Complex Fire burned 88,307 acres and was 75% contained as of Friday.

• Santa Ana winds coupled with a significant warming trend will heighten San Diego-area wildfire hazards.

• Wildfires in California and Siberia are throwing soot into the high atmosphere that’s landing in the Arctic and melting polar ice.

• Investigators were only able to determine what created the initial spark in fewer than half of the large, human-caused fires in Colorado between 2000 and 2018, which is the worst rate of any western state.

• Wildfires and climate change forced a Californian family to move across the country.

• Wildfires and ecosystem loss are impacting Rio Grande health.

Extreme Heat

• Extreme heat linked to rising deaths in tropical forest communities.

• As average temperatures rise, workers will finally get protection from extreme heat when OSHA finally issues a standard.

  • An undocumented farmworker in Florida was paid by the piece, not by the hour, and worked with pesticides that weakened her health and made her even more susceptible to heat.

  • Workers at a Jack in the Box in Sacramento, California went on strike after being forced to 107 and 109 degrees on back-to-back days without air conditioning or breaks.

• Recent rainfall is not enough to pull Oregon out of severe drought.

• The Phoenix Drought Pipeline Project construction is underway.

  • This pipeline will move treated water from the Salt and Verde River from Central Phoenix, connecting to North Phoenix, and reducing the dependency of water usage from the Colorado River.

• California’s ongoing drought and heat waves caused lower citrus yield and smaller fruit.

• Northern Nevada at lower drought risk due to October atmospheric river.

• Acting Governor Clare Connors signed an emergency proclamation for Maui County, Hawaii’s drought to free up aid for farmers and ranchers.

  • Some areas of Maui County are classified as “exceptional drought” conditions because crops and cattle have been dying.

New Reports And Data

• A November 2021 study found crops that experience drought conditions or extreme temperatures during their early stages of growth and survive are better able to deal with those same conditions later in their growth cycle.

• A November 2021 study found that 25 watersheds contribute approximately 46% of global nitrogen inputs from wastewater into the ocean.

• A November 2021 study found that Brazil has a higher diet in ultra-processed foods, which have been the largest contributor to worsening impacts on greenhouse gas emissions, the nation’s water footprint and ecological footprint.