Key Facts Of The Day 11/3

Hurricanes

• As of Thursday morning, Tropical Depression Lisa was located about 65 miles southeast of Ciudad del Carmen, on Mexico’s Gulf coast, with maximum sustained winds of 35 MPH and moving west at 10 MPH.
  • The hurricane center warned of the danger of flooding and mudslides from heavy rains in Mexico.
• A potent storm system moving in from Canada will deliver snow to all 11 Western states, as well as trigger a tornado threat in the South, as the cold Arctic air meets the autumn warmth.
• On Tuesday, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster asked President Biden to authorize a disaster declaration to help with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts in his state.
  • The South Carolina Emergency Management Division and the Federal Emergency Management Agency found that 17 homes were destroyed, 232 homes had major damage, and 82 had minor damage because of the storm.
  • Ongoing assessments determined that Ian cost state and local agencies more than $25 million.

Wildfires

• As of October 27, there are currently 25 large active wildfires that have burned 256,629 across ID, IN, KY, MT, OK, OR, and WA. As of October 27, 59,441 wildfires have burned 7,210,454 acres across the country.
• In Oregon, 2 fires have burned 128,183 acres as of October 27.
  • The Cedar Creek Fire has burned 127,283 acres and is 60%
  • contained as of October 27.
• In Washington, 10 fires have burned 40,857 acres as of October 27.

Extreme Heat

• 23 million residents live in neighborhoods that experience intense heat, face high energy costs, and house vulnerable residents least able to cope with these impacts.
  • One-fifth of U.S. metro area residents—or about 60 million people—face more than 76 days with temperatures over 90 degrees each year.
  • About 10.5 million people living in metro areas face a high energy burden.
  • Almost 9 million residents under 5 or over 60 are living in poverty across all metro areas nationally.
• About 3,000 residents in a Louisiana community south of New Orleans have been warned saltwater permeated their drinking water supply, posing a threat to residents with health risks.
• Climate and sustainable design and planning experts advocate for the investment in infrastructure adaptation on west coast college campuses.
  • Many college campuses have inadequate cooling systems or lack cooling systems.
  • Many older buildings are unable to cool down and are degrading at a faster rate against the high demand for energy.
  • A professor at UC Davis noted, “heatwaves can be devastating to schools because poor environmental conditions can very easily not only be a distraction to students but have more severe health consequences.”

New Reports and Data

• A November 2022 study found that airborne concentrations of dangerous fine particles — including those with trace amounts of lead and other toxic metals — are higher among people of color and low-income communities.
• A November 2022 report found that 23 million residents live in neighborhoods that experience intense heat, face high energy costs, and house vulnerable residents least able to cope with these impacts.