Facts Of The Day 7/13

Extreme Heat

• Parts of the west continue to see record temperatures with about 18 million people under heat alerts in southeast Oregon, northern California, eastern California, and parts of Nevada and Utah on Tuesday.

• As of July 2021, the National Weather Service has tied its 2017 record issuing four Excessive Heat Warnings.

• Washington has become the third state to issue outdoor work regulations in extreme heat conditions, requiring employers to provide shade and breaks.

• Texas and Arizona have reported increases in migrant deaths, some of which are attributed to extreme heat.

• Additional cities reported high temperatures tied or broke records over the weekend:

  • Salt Lake City, Utah, broke its record 104 degrees on Sunday.

  • Daggett, California, tied its record at 118 degrees on Saturday.

  • Desert Rock, Nevada, tied its record at 113 degrees on Saturday.

Wildfires

• There are currently 63 large wildfires active across AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, UT and WA. Nationally, 863,976 acres have burned so far this year.

• Wildfires are threatening homes and land across 10 Western states.

• Wildfires in Oregon knocked out three major power transmission lines to California, representing about 10% of California’s power supply, or 5,500 MW.

• As of July 2021, California has seen three times as much land burned so far this year than during the same time span last year.

• In California, the Beckwourth Complex Fire has burned 91,200 acres and was 26% contained as of Monday night. At least six injuries connected to the fire have been reported, and postal service had been suspended for nearby areas due to the fire. Frenchman Lake and Dixie Valley are still under evacuation orders as of Monday.

• In California, the River Fire has burned more than 8,000 acres and was 10% contained Monday. Five structures have been destroyed and nearby areas were under evacuation orders as of Monday. Parts of the San Joaquin Valley are seeing smoke from the fire, leading officials to issue a health caution warning residents to remain indoors.

• An air quality warning was issued for Grand County, Colorado due to haze and smoke from wildfires in the state.

• In Colorado, the Morgan Creek Fire has burned more than 3,858 acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning. Route County, Colorado, is under an air quality advisory due to the fire, and smoke from the blaze can be seen in Wyoming.

• In Idaho, the Snake River Complex Fire burned about 80,000 acres and had unknown containment as of Monday. The Snake River Complex Fire is the top priority fire in the country, and nearby areas were ordered to evacuate on Monday.

• In Montana, Missoula County and Bitterroot National Forest have raised their fire danger to “extreme.”

• In Montana, The West Lolo Complex Fires has burned at least 1,000 acres and had unknown containment as of Monday afternoon. More than 20 structures are threatened by the fire.

• In Montana, the Rock Creek Fire has burned about 3,400 acres and was 80% contained as of Monday afternoon.

• In Montana, the MY Complex Fire has burned more than 24,000 acres and had unknown containment as of Monday afternoon. The fire threatens at least 26 structures as of Monday afternoon.

• In Oregon, the Grandview Fire has burned more than 4,500 acres and was 5% contained as of Monday afternoon. Nearby areas were ordered to evacuate Monday evening.

• In Oregon, the Bootleg Fire has burned at least 153,000 acres and was 0% contained as of Monday afternoon. Up to 2,000 structures near the towns of Sprague River, Beatty, and Bly are currently threatened by the fire, and FEMA announced $600,000 in extra federal funds to tackle the blaze. Smoke from the Bootleg Fire has been spotted in Wyoming.

• In Utah, the Sand Cove Fire has burned 21 acres and had unknown containment as of Tuesday morning. The fire caused power outages for 551 people on Sunday evening.

Hurricanes

• Tropical Storm Elsa resulted in three times the amount of rain in the first 12 days of July than the average for the whole month for Worcester, MA, leading to flooded streets and downed trees.

  • Boston’s rainfall total was 8.89 inches as of noon Monday, making it the third wettest July on record by the twelfth day of the month. If the rain continues, the city is on track to see its wettest July since 1872.

• A new report found Hurricane Zeta in October 2020 cost Louisiana’s government, insurers and property owners $1.5 billion.

  • Zeta ranks among the costliest tropical systems ever in the New Orleans area, with insured losses for the state totalling $566 million.

  • Initial residential and commercial losses for just New Orleans are calculated to be $180 million.

  • Jefferson Parish’s initial insured loss claims total $161 million.

Climate Studies

• A report published in July 2021 found that 25 cities account for 52% of greenhouse gas emissions.

• A report published in July 2021 found around 8.4 billion people, which is almost 90% of the projected global population, are at risk for being exposed to malaria or dengue fever by 2080.

• A report published in July 2021 found low-income residents and communities of color face higher and more severe heat extremes than people who live in more affluent and whiter areas.