Key Facts Of The Day 3/13

Storms and Flooding

• California officials assessed the damage from severe flooding along the Central Coast and Central Valley.
  • A levee failure on the Pajaro River in Monterey County triggered massive flooding in and around the farming town and prompted evacuations.
    • The flooding also led to possible contamination of drinking water, and Pajaro residents were urged not to use tap water for drinking or cooking until further notice.
  • More than 5,000 people in Monterey County were under an evacuation order or warning on Sunday.
  • As of Sunday afternoon, more than 2,000 people had already been evacuated, primarily from the Pajaro area.
  • Flooding or mudslides shut down several stretches of the highways Sunday morning around Watsonville in Santa Cruz County.
  • Monterey County had road closures from flooding, downed trees or power lines, storm damage, and debris.
  • Major flooding was reported in Tulare County’s Springville area, where officials conducted dozens of water rescues Friday morning
• Another atmospheric river will bring new flood concerns to Northern California beginning Monday and continuing through Tuesday night.
• A late-winter nor’easter is expected to bring widespread heavy, wet snow, rain, and gusty winds to parts of the Northeast starting Monday night and lasting into Wednesday.
  • Heavy snow rates and strong winds up to 50 MPH will likely produce dangerous to impossible travel in parts of the Northeast and will cause widespread power outages and tree damage.

Wildfire

• As of March 10, 4  large active wildfires have burned 4,178 acres across the country.
• As of March 10, 5,431 wildfires have burned 73,072 acres across the country.
• In Florida, 2 fires have burned 3,362 acres as of March 10.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 316 acres as of March 10.

Extreme Heat

• Despite ongoing drought conditions, California began releasing millions of gallons of water from a major reservoir as a series of atmospheric rivers pummeled the state with heavy rain, and residents braced for potential flooding.
• In Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, old leaking pipes from the 1800s caused millions of gallons of water to go down the drain amid the drought.
  • Schools have already been forced to close without warning several times over the last year as water is shut off while repairs are made.
  • Last year, as many as 30 water pipes broke in one day.
  • As the system continues to fail, water in some parts of the city could be shut off for a week at a time.

New Reports and Data

• A March 2023 report found that the price of producing oil and gas could rise as much as 10% in 2023.
• A March 2023 study found that exposure to higher concentrations of a common air pollutant may heighten young adults’ odds of developing the syndrome often dubbed long COVID.