Facts Of The Day 7/23

Extreme Heat

• A new red tide algae bloom has killed at least 650 tons of marine wildlife in the Tampa and St. Petersburg region of Florida as of July 2021.

  • About 200 St. Petersburg employees have been cleaning up the dead marine wildlife at the cost of at least $1 million for Pinellas County as of July 2021.

• Warmer temperatures make cooling aid a necessity rather than a luxury in Massachusetts.

• Heatwaves, drought and other extreme weather events have taken a toll on infrastructure such as roads, bridges and commercial flights in the United States.
• Summer 2021 is expected to fall short of being one of the five hottest summers on record for the United States.

• Massachusetts households could save $172 a year and the state could save $29 million a year by installing electric pumps to cool and heat their homes.

• Extreme heat takes a toll on firefighters due to increased work battling fires and elevated risk for issues like overheating.

• Almost 100% of the Western United States is in a drought, which is a record according to the Palmer Drought Index.

• The United States is forecast to see another heatwave next week, with central and eastern parts of the country seeing higher temperatures.

• Although cities are making efforts to help their communities with extreme heat, most do not have dedicated personnel or established mandates to address high temperatures.

  • • A 2020 study found that 94 of 108 communities linked to red-lining, a practice of denying home loans or insurance to communities of color, showed a pattern of higher temperatures by as much as 12.6 degrees.

    • Extreme heat kills more people in the United States than any other form of extreme weather.

Wildfires

• • There are currently 83 large wildfires that have burned 1,366,587 acres across AZ, CA, CO, ID, MN, MT, NV UT, WA and WY.

  • 13 new large fires were reported across Arizona, Idaho, Montana and Washington and 9 large fires were reported contained on Wednesday.

  • Wildfires may spread microorganisms, some of which may be infectious and harmful to humans by causing respiratory issues.

  • One new fire sparked in Arizona on Thursday – the Paradise Park Fire burned 262 acres and was 0% contained. Four fires were contained –  Bear Fire burned at 1,948 acres, the Firebox Fire burned 1,063 acres, the Middle Fire burned 2,792 acres and the Ocotillo Fire burned 1,115 acres.

  • Two members of California’s Congressional delegation have introduced a bill that would authorize $20 million for the EPA to study the impacts of wildfire smoke.

  • Seven new wildfire was reported in Idaho on Thursday – the Army Mule Fire burned 600 acres and was 0% contained, the Bald Mountain Fire burned 108 acres and was 0% contained, the Iron Fire burned 132 acres and was 50% contained, the Larkins Complex Fire burned 1,581 acres and was 0% contained, the Monroe Lake Fire burned 146 acres and was 0% contained, the Tango Fire burned 102 acres and was 0% contained, and the Vinegar Fire burned 323 acres and was 0% contained.

  • Montana Governor Greg Gianaforte activated the National Guard to assist with wildfires in the state.

  • One new fire sparked in Montana on Thursday – the Devils Creek Fire burned 375 acres and was 10% contained. One fire was contained on Thursday – the Long Spur Fire burned 1,340.

  • Oregon’s U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden introduced three new bills aimed at helping the public, businesses and agricultural operators combat and recover from wildfires.

  • In Oregon, the Bootleg Fire burned 399,359 acres and was 38% contained as of Thursday afternoon. Nine firefighters battling the Bootleg Fire have been diagnosed with COVID-19 despite actions by officials to minimize transmission.

  • Two new fires sparked in Washington on Thursday – the Sherwood Fire burned 375 acres and was 30% contained and the Steptoe Canyon Fire burned 2,000 acres and was 0% contained .

  • Two fires were contained in Wyoming on Thursday – Dry Fork Fire burned 3,207 acres and the Saw Mill Fire burned 1,308 acres.

Hurricanes

• An area of low pressure is expected to form off the northern coast of Florida and the Georgia Atlantic coast is forecast to bring showers and thunderstorms to the region. The warm Gulf waters off the coast of Florida could help the low pressure area become a more organized tropical storm. The low pressure area is expected to drift out to sea by next week, and is expected to bring three or more inches of rain to the area by the end of the weekend.

New Reports And Data

• A July 2021 study found that re-using 10% of plastic products could reduce annual ocean waste by half.
• A July 2021 study found that three different types of coral-building species in some parts of the Atlantic could disappear by 2100 without further action.
• A July 2021 study found that climate change could reduce the spread of dengue fever as mosquitoes infected with the virus become more sensitive to warmer temperatures.