Facts Of The Day 7/2

Extreme Heat

• An estimated 13 people in Maricopa County died alone in mobile homes in 2020 from suspected heat-related causes.
• More than 4 million people remain under heat warnings in the Pacific Northwest as of Friday morning.
• Temperatures in parts of Idaho are expected to top 100 degrees through next Thursday. The Treasure Valley region is under an excessive heat warning until Saturday evening.
• Phoenix, AZ, set a record for the hottest June in the city’s history with an average temperature of 95.3 degrees which topped its previous record of 94.8 degrees set in 2013 and tied in 2016.
  • The city also broke its record for the warmest average low temperature for June at 82.5 degrees.
• Washington grocery stores have had to pull perishable goods out of refrigerated sections and put plastic covers over refrigerated goods to maintain the cooler temperatures due to the heat.

Wildfires

• There are currently 45 large wildfires active across AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, and UT. Nationally, 672,653 acres have burned so far this year. 
• Wildfire smoke from Canada is expected to drift in eastern Washington and northern Idaho beginning Friday and into the weekend.
• Large scale wildfires are adding to pollution of water supplies with ash and other sediments.
• FEMA rejected 95% of California applicants for wildfire aid in 2020.
• Smoke plumes from wildfires burning across California can now be seen from space.
• In Arizona, the Rafael Fire has burned 78,750  acres and was 89% contained as of Thursday evening. One structure has been destroyed as of Thursday.
• The wildfires in California have helped create pyrocumulus clouds, which are formations that can help fires spread more rapidly.
• In California, the Lava Fire has burned through almost 19,680 acres and was 27% contained as of Thursday evening. 3,500 people in or around the city of Weed are still under evacuation orders. 
• In California, the Tennant Fire has burned more than 9,400 acres and was 6% contained as of Thursday evening. Nearby areas are under evacuation orders. 
• In California, the Salt Fire north of Redding burned 4,500 acres as of Thursday afternoon with 0% contained. More than a dozen homes, garages and outbuildings were destroyed on Thursday, and nearby areas were still under evacuation orders as of Thursday night.
• In Colorado, the Sylvan Lake Fire burned more than 3,792 acres with 50% contained as of Thursday night. The fire has cost $4.4 million to contain as of Thursday.
• In Colorado, Muddy Slide Fire burned 4,093 acres and was 28% contained as of Wednesday night. The fire has cost $4.1 million to contain as of Thursday.
• In Oregon, Rattlesnake Fire, located near the Warm Spring Reservation, has burned 5,000 acres and was 10% contained as of Wednesday evening. South Junction road and South Junction Campground are closed as of Thursday.
• Smoke from the Lava and Salt Fires in California is expected to drift into Oregon.
• In Oregon, thunderstorms on Wednesday evening and early Thursday sparked two-dozen or more fires.
• In Oregon, the Wrentham Market Fire has burned about 10,000 acres with 38% contained as of Thursday night. An outbuilding and barn has been destroyed and between 70-100 people were evacuated as of Thursday.
• Wildfires in Utah fires have cost $36 million to fight so far this year.

Hurricanes

• Hurricane Elsa formed Friday morning over the Atlantic just west of the Caribbean island of Barbados with maximum sustained winds of 40 MPH.
  • Elsa was moving west-northwestward at 28 MPH on Friday morning, about 20 miles west-southwest of Barbados with maximum sustained winds of 75 MPH.
  • Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and St. Lucia are under hurricane warnings, while southern Haiti is under a hurricane watch.
  • The southeastern U.S. and states along the Atlantic coast are under alert for potential severe weather from Elsa.
  • Elsa will likely track near south Florida on Sunday or Monday, potentially bringing thunderstorms to the Florida peninsula. Depending on how severe the conditions are, Elsa may halt the ongoing search and rescue operations at the Surfside condominium.
• FEMA officials will visit Detroit, Michigan to assess damage from last weekend’s rain. 
• The Washington, D.C., area saw a possible tornado on Thursday night.
  • More than 30,000 Maryland and Virginia households and at least 10,000 D.C. residents were without power Thursday night.
  • One non-threatening injury was reported in Virginia.

Climate Studies

• A report published in July 2021 found that agricultural pollutant emissions contribute to premature death from air pollution.