Key Facts Of The Day 2/27

Storms and Flooding

• On Monday, a barrage of snow, rain, and harsh wind are forecast in places from the West Coast to the Great Lakes, including some still without power following a similar string of severe weather last week.
  • As of Monday morning, more than 227,000 homes and businesses were without power, and about half were in Michigan.
  • More than 100 storm reports – including wind and hail – were recorded in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas as hurricane-force winds and severe thunderstorms tore through.
  • A gust of 114 MPH was recorded in Memphis, Texas – equivalent to sustained winds in a Category 3 hurricane.
  • On Monday, nine western states were under winter weather alerts as heavy snowfall was forecast across the region.
    • A blizzard warning remains in effect for the Sierra Nevada mountains in California, which could see between 2 and 6 feet of snow.
    • Yosemite National Park was closed Saturday due to severe weather and will not reopen until at least Wednesday as the multiday blizzard warning remains in effect across Yosemite Valley.
• At least seven tornadoes and 12 injuries were reported in Oklahoma, and two tornadoes were reported in Kansas.
  • A tornado displaced about a dozen families in Liberal, Kansas.
  • About ten trailers were also damaged in Liberal, Kansas.
• A new report by First Street Foundation found that over 13.4 million properties will be exposed to tropical cyclones in 30 years that are not currently.
  • Florida accounts for over 70% of the entire nation’s risk.
  • The report also estimated that the country could expect to see an annual loss of $18.5 billion this year resulting from hurricane winds.
    • Roughly $1 billion of the increase comes from increased exposure in Florida alone.
• Sudden weather swings bewilder plants and animals, disturb the balance of delicate ecological systems, and can exacerbate human health problems.

Wildfire

• As of February 24, there are currently 2  large active wildfires that have burned 1,496 acres across the country.
• As of February 24, 3,485 wildfires have burned 28,701 acres across the country.

Extreme Heat

• Last week, a record-strength ridge of high pressure over the Southeast brought summerlike heat with temperatures 30 degrees above average to multiple states.
  • Many cities in Tennessee, West Virginia, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, Alabama, and North Carolina set all-time heat records for the month of February – or for an entire winter.
  • On Thursday in southern Texas, temperatures reached 102 degrees Fahrenheit at Falcon Lake – the second-hottest February reading in U.S. history.
• Despite historic amounts of rain and snow, California is still in a drought emergency.
• Last year, Texas farmers abandoned 74% of their planted cotton crops because of heat and parched soil, hallmarks of a megadrought made worse by climate change.
  • That crash increased the price of tampons 13%, cloth diapers 21% , cotton balls 9%, and gauze bandages 8%.

New Reports and Data

• A February 2023 report found that over 13.4 million properties will be exposed to tropical cyclones in 30 years that are not currently.
• A February 2023 study found that climate change and urbanization drive major declines in Los Angeles, California birds.