Facts Of The Day 7/7

Extreme Heat

• June 2021 was North America’s hottest June on record.

  • June 2021’s average temperature in North America was more than 2 degrees higher than the average from 1991-2020.

• Due to consecutive dry years and extreme temperatures in Arizona, the saguaro cacti are moving to higher elevations.

• The Western United States is set to see another heat wave, with heat warnings and advisories for areas including parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Oregon and Idaho.

  • More than 25 million people, many of whom live in California’s Central Valley, will see triple digit temperatures this week.

• Parts of the Northeast are under heat advisories including Philadelphia, New York and Boston and covers  40 million people in the region.

• Oregon Governor Kate Brown directed the state’s Occupational Safety and Health department to protect workers from heat by requiring employers to provide shade, rest time, and cool water for workers.

• Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the state’s Public Utility Commission to find ways to shore up the power grid and to incentivize the building of natural gas, coal and nuclear power.

Wildfires

• Latino residents in Western states are the most vulnerable to wildfires according to census, insurance and wildfire data.

• In Arizona, the Tiger Fire, located 11 miles southeast of Crown King, has burned 11,897  acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday evening. The Horsethief Basin area remained under evacuation orders as of Tuesday evening.

• California’s 2021 wildfires have already outpaced its 2020’s wildfire season.

• California’s veterinary clinics have seen an influx of animals suffering burns and other injuries from wildfires.

• In California, the Beckwourth Complex Fire, located in Plumas County, has burned 1,160 acres with 47% containment as of Tuesday night. Beckwourth Genesee Road to Harrison Ranch Road were ordered to evacuate on Tuesday.

• In California, the Salt Fire, located north of Redding, burned almost 12,430 acres with 20% contained as of Tuesday night . July 15th is the current estimated target date for containment.

• In California, the Tumbleweed Fire, near Gorman, California, has burned 1,000 acres and was 65% contained Tuesday night. The area around the Hungry Valley Recreation Area remained under evacuation orders as of Tuesday.

• Ash and debris from last year’s wildfires is affecting the water supply in Greely, Colorado.

• Forest restoration efforts in Northern Colorado may help protect local communities from megafires from overgrown forests.

• In Colorado, the Sylvan Lake Fire in Sylvan Lake State Park burned more than 3,792 acres with 68% contained as of Tuesday night. Sylvan Lake State Park remained closed as of Tuesday.

• In Idaho, the Dixie Fire, located 65 miles southwest of Darby, has burned more than 7,000 acres and had unknown containment as of Tuesday. The Dixie and Comstock areas were evacuated Tuesday. The fire has sent smoke to Bitterroot, Montana.

• In Oregon, the Jack Fire, located in Douglas county, has burned 1,500 acres and was 90% contained as of Tuesday evening. Evacuations were ordered for the area from mile marker 43 to Eagle Rock Campground.

• Washington Governor Jay Inslee ordered a state of emergency due to the growing risk of wildfires, which included a ban on most outdoor and agricultural burning.

Hurricanes

• Tropical Storm Elsa is projected to make landfall along North Florida’s Gulf Coast on late Wednesday morning or afternoon.

  • Elsa has killed three people, one in St. Lucia and two in the Dominican Republic.

  • Much of central Florida is under a tornado watch as Elsa is expected to bring rain bands and severe thunderstorms.

  • As of Wednesday morning, Elsa is located 35  miles west of Cedar Key and 115 miles northwest of Tampa, and is moving north  at 14 MPH. It is expected to move near or over portions of the West Coast of Florida before making landfall along the Gulf Coast.

  • Elsa had been upgraded to a hurricane on Tuesday before weakening again.

  • Governor Ron DeSantis extended an emergency declaration to include 33 counties.

  • More than 10,000 homes across the state were reported to be without electricity as of 7:30AM local time.

• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for many coastal and southern parts of Georgia, covering 92 counties.

  • Elsa is projected to bring tropical storm conditions with sustained winds of 40 mph to 50 MPH in parts of southeast Georgia.

  • Tropical storm winds may reach as far as Savannah, Georgia and are expected to arrive sometime on Wednesday.

  • Georgia coast and most of the South Carolina coast are under a tropical storm watch.

  • Elsa could bring rain amounts of 3 to 6 inches (8 to 15 centimeters) of rainfall with isolated areas up to 8 inches to Georgia and South Carolina.

Climate Studies

• A report published in July 2021 found climate change is causing male dragonflies to lose their wing color.

• A report published in July 2021 found that battery-grade graphite production can create climate change impacts as much as 10 times higher than published values.