Key Facts Of The Day 2/1

Storms and Flooding

• As of Wednesday morning, about 60 million people in 22 states, from New Mexico to Maine, were on alert for dangerously cold weather, ice, and flooding.
  • As of Wednesday morning, over 260,000 residents in Texas are without power.
    • More than one-third of the Texas power outages were in the Austin area.
  • As of Wednesday morning, more than 1,900 canceled flights across the U.S.
  • Car wrecks on slippery roads have been reported in Texas, Arkansas, and other states across the region all week.
    • On Tuesday, Travis County, Texas, officials responded to new crashes every three minutes.
    • At least six people died on slick Texas roads, including a triple fatality crash Tuesday near Brownfield.
  • As of Wednesday morning, in parts of Minnesota, a wind chill advisory was in effect as wind chills dropped as low as 35 degrees below zero. Officials warned that the conditions could cause frostbite in as little as 10 minutes.
  • On Tuesday, Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders declared a state of emergency and activated the Arkansas National Guard winter weather support teams to assist State Police.
• Accuweather meteorologists predict that intense arctic air will target the Northeast later this week.

Wildfire

• As of January 27, there are currently 0  large active wildfires that have burned 0 acres across the country.
• As of January 27, 1,392 wildfires have burned 11,005 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• A recent mapping campaign found that heavily developed urban areas of Milwaukee stayed about 10 degrees warmer at night than other parts of the city during hot summer days.
  • The nonprofit group, Groundwork Milwaukee, said they’ve already found a direct link between at-risk neighborhoods and redlining with their own GIS mapping in Milwaukee.
• In 2022, at least 268 heat-related deaths were recorded in Texas, and many of those deaths were likely migrants.
  • Migration experts, advocates, and local officials said the state data is likely a dramatic undercount of the actual number of heat-related deaths among migrants.
  • Of the 268 heat-related deaths, 135 were Texas residents, many of whom were experiencing homelessness or didn’t have air conditioning.
• The City of Phoenix Parks and Recreation Department is considering expanding trail closures during days of extreme heat.

New Reports and Data

• A January 2023 study found a 35% reduction in daily nitrogen dioxide concentrations and lower carbon monoxide averages in households with induction stoves compared to gas stoves.
• A January 2023 study found that planting more trees in cities could cut the number of people dying from high temperatures in summer.