Key Facts Of The Day 12/7

Storms and Flooding

• As of Monday, Hawaii Gov. David Ige declared a state of emergency ahead of the threat of catastrophic flooding.

  • The declaration allows the use of funds to support state and county efforts in providing quick and efficient relief of suffering, damage, and losses caused by flooding and other effects of heavy rains.

  • The Hawaiian Islands could experience catastrophic flooding from a storm system lasting until Tuesday afternoon.

  • Nearly one foot of rain has already fallen in Kula on Maui.

  • Rainfall storm total amounts of 10 to 15 inches are anticipated, with isolated areas of 20 to 25 inches possible.

  • Landslides are expected and in some cases, highways may be closed due to flooding and landslides, potentially cutting off communities.

• Natural gas pipeline constraints, global supply chain problems and even a shortage of fuel delivery truck drivers on local roads place New England’s power system at heightened risk heading into the winter.

  • Grid operator warns of possible power outages if an extended cold snap hits the region and fuel supplies are pinched as demand spikes.

  • If the risks materialize and threaten the reliability of New England’s power system, the Independent System Operator said it will turn to several operating procedures to manage the grid, “up to and including controlled power outages.”

• Cobb County, Georgia held a community forum to hear from people whose homes sustained damage from a flash flood that dumped several inches of rain the night of Sept. 7.

  • Some neighborhoods have been denied loans to make repairs while some elderly residents said they were trapped in their houses after the storm collapsed driveways.

  • Repair bills for some homeowners exceeded $200,000.

• 10 months after the February winter storm some Texans are still waiting on insurance claims to get repairs done.

  • Texas law requires insurance companies to pay claims within 60 days of receiving all necessary information from the homeowner, but consumer advocates say it is often hard to hold insurance companies accountable.

Wildfires

• As of Friday, there are currently 13 large active wildfires that have burned 105,279 acres across AK, CA, KY, MT, NC, OK, and WV. As of Friday, 54,350 wildfires have burned 6,802,729 acres across the country.

  • As of Friday, the KNP Complex fire burned 88,307 acres and was 80% contained.

• Experts say Colorado wildfires in December may become more common if dry conditions persist past summer across the state.

• Nighttime is not quieting wildfires like it used to.

  • Wildfire activity generally slows at night as winds die down, temperatures drop and humidity rises, but new data shows that increases in nighttime fire activity outpaced daytime increases.

Extreme Heat

• For Sonoma County, California’s reservoirs, the late October atmospheric river was a moment of temporary relief.

  • The intervening weeks have seen just enough rain to keep water moving into Lake Mendocino, but not the system’s larger reservoir.

  • Lake Sonoma is currently just under 50% of its capacity, but that’s down from 67% at the same time last year.

• As Phoenix, Arizona continues to urbanize and its population expands, the benefits of adapting to extreme heat may only increase, as will the consequences of inaction.

  • Extreme heat already costs people in metro Phoenix $7.3 million every year in emergency room visits and hospitalizations due to heat-related illnesses.

  • Maintaining roadways in the metro area costs transportation agencies over $100 million annually as streets and highways buckle, rut and crack from high temperatures.

  • Installing cool roofs on just a third of the structures in the Phoenix metro area could help save as much as $280 million annually in avoidable losses from decreased labor productivity, increased energy needs and heat-related illnesses and deaths.

• An intense heat wave over the summer damaged pine trees and supply chain issues that are delaying deliveries has led to a Christmas tree shortage and price hike in Washington.

  • One farmer said  warm, dry summers and a lack of moisture in the soil means that seedlings he has planted over the past few years failed to survive.

  • This farmer plans to move away from Christmas trees and instead use his farm to grow pumpkins.

New Reports And Data

• A December 2021 study found that plants struggle to keep pace with climate change in human-dominated landscapes.

• A December 2021 study found a new type of earthquake in an injection environment, which is slower and lasts longer than conventional earthquakes.

• A December 2021 study found that global warming makes long lasting weather situations in the Northern hemisphere’s summer months more likely, which in turn leads to more extreme weather events.