Key Facts Of The Day 12/5

Storms and Flooding

• A rare December tropical disturbance popped up in the Atlantic.
  • According to the National Hurricane Center, forecasters are watching a low-pressure system that’s producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms about 750 miles northeast of the northern Leeward Islands.
  • Although the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30, tropical activity is usually possible through the end of December.
• The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season produced 14 named storms, eight of which were hurricanes and two of which were major hurricanes.
  • The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ended last week, was one of the most destructive on record.
  • Hurricane Ian, which hit the southeastern U.S. in September, was the season’s worst storm and among the country’s deadliest hurricanes in recent decades.
    • Hurricane Ian was also among the costliest, causing an estimated $67 billion in privately insured property damage across five states.
• Population growth is making hurricanes more expensive.
  • As the number of people, homes, and businesses in a vulnerable area grows, the potential for storms to cause costly damage increases.
• On Monday, schools around western Washington announced cancellations and delays amid snowfall and icy road conditions.

Wildfires

• As of November 11, there are currently 19 large active wildfires that have burned 11,358 across AZ, GA, KY, NC, OH, TN, TX, and VA. As of November 11, 61,390 wildfires have burned 7,251,835 acres across the country.
• In Arizona, 1 fire has burned 808 acres as of November 11.
• In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 115 acres as of November 11.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 105 acres as of November 11.
• In Texas, 1 fire has burned 1,500 acres as of November 11.

Extreme Heat

• As the climate continues to warm, the ski industry in California will face new challenges.
  • Most California ski resorts are above the snowline, but as the climate warms, lower-elevation resorts could face difficulties with melting snow near the base of the mountain.
  • California already has a variable climate, but the effects of climate change will increase climate whiplash.
  • Another impact of climate change on the California ski industry is fewer storms in total but higher strength when they do strike.
• In California, desalination offers only a partial solution to the growing drought.
  • In mid-November, the California Coastal Commission granted conditional approval for a desalination facility in Marina. The proposed facility would send supplies to richer enclaves adjacent to Marina, which has sufficient water but is also home to lower-income neighborhoods.
• Jabal is a new drought-tolerant variety of durum wheat created as part of an international breeding program to boost climate resilience in the food system by increasing crop diversity.
  • Crop failures due to lost biodiversity and extreme weather events such as drought, extreme heat, and floods have led to rising wheat prices and food insecurity in many parts of the world.

New Reports and Data

• A December 2022 study found that old-growth trees are more drought tolerant than younger trees in the forest canopy and may be better able to withstand future climate extremes.
• A December 2022 study found that exposure to traffic-related air pollution is associated with an increased likelihood of having multiple long-term physical and mental health conditions.
• A November 2022 report found that carbon emissions from fossil fuels in 2022 are expected to reach 37.5 billion tons of carbon dioxide, the highest ever recorded.