Key Facts Of The Day 4/17

Storms and Flooding

• For the first time since 2019, some of California’s hillside has a super bloom of wildflowers, which is the product of an extremely wet winter.
• On Saturday, powerful storms hit the Mississippi Valley, unleashing damaging wind gusts and destructive hail.
  • According to storm reports from the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), a gust of 97 MPH occurred in Vichy, Missouri.
  • In Hecker, Illinois, storm damage has knocked out power to residents through at least Monday afternoon.
  • By Sunday evening, the National Weather Service confirmed four tornadoes across the St. Louis area, the highest being an EF 1.
• Last week, extreme rainfall rarely seen in the U.S. flooded homes, highways, and the airport in and around Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
  • Trantalis declared a state of emergency for the city on Thursday due to the flash flooding.
  • A state of emergency was also issued for Broward County, where Fort Lauderdale is located.
  • Motorists were forced to abandon their vehicles due to the severe flooding that unfolded. By Thursday morning, many vehicles remained submerged and abandoned on major roads.
  • If the 25.91-inch rainfall total recorded in Fort Lauderdale is confirmed, it will be the greatest 24-hour precipitation total recorded in the state.
    • The record currently stands at 23.28 inches, reported in Key West on Nov. 11-12, 1980, during Hurricane Jeanne.
  • In addition to the severe flooding, the National Weather Service in Miami reported two EF0 tornadoes in South Florida during the torrential downpours.
• The next risk for damaging storms will arrive on Tuesday as a new storm organizes in the central U.S.
  • Tuesday’s threat will likely include a long swath of the Plains, stretching from South Dakota to the Big Bend region of Texas.

Wildfire

• As of April 14, 20  large active wildfires have burned 24,230 acres across the country.
• As of April 14, 11,246 wildfires have burned 302,755 acres across the country.
• In Arizona, 2 fires have burned 1,648 acres as of April 14.
• In Michigan, 1 fire has burned 303 acres as of April 14.
• In Oklahoma, 8 fires have burned 5,491 acres as of April 14.
• In Pennsylvania, 1 fire has burned 387 acres as of April 14.

Extreme Heat

• New research from the University of Washington confirmed the extreme heat wave that hit the state in Summer 2021 was responsible for more than 150 deaths.
• Heatwaves in April and May are becoming more common and can be particularly dangerous.
  • There’s greater mortality earlier in the season because people are not acclimatized to the higher temperatures.
  • Humidity also makes it feel hotter, so areas that are used to coping with dryer heat may be ill-adapted to different conditions. Places typically used to dry heat, like Southern California, are expected to face more humidity.
  • Nights are also a lot hotter than they used to be. The ability to cool down at night is one of the most important factors in preventing heat illness.

New Reports and Data

• An April 2023 study found that by the end of the century, the biggest rain and snow days will be 20 to 30% wetter than they are today.
• An April 2023 study found that flash droughts have become more frequent due to human-caused climate change, which is predicted to accelerate in a warmer future.