Climate Impact Report – 7/8

Quick Facts

47

current active large wildfires across AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, UT and WA

515,449

acres have burned in the U.S. so far this year

107

people dead in Oregon’s late June heatwave

Facts Of The Day 7/8

Extreme Heat

  • An analysis found that climate change was the cause of the extreme heat wave that recently affected the Pacific Northwest.

  • Oregon’s death toll from the late June heatwave has reached 107 people with victims aged 37 to 107.

  • The Texas power grid has already seen 1,280 unplanned summer outages.

    • 1,100 power outages happened in June and 90 happened in May.

    • Several unplanned outages happened the week of June 14th, with power usage going up to a near record of 69,000 MW.

  • Anglers have been told to avoid fishing along a 120-mile stretch of the Colorado River due to the extreme drought.

  • Wildfires and extreme heat place disabled people especially at risk in relation to factors such as transportation, mobility, access to electricity and air conditioning.

Wildfires

  • There are currently 47 large wildfires active across AZ, CA, CO, FL, ID, MT, NM, UT and WA. Nationally, 515,449 acres have burned so far this year.

  • Wildfires are an increasing risk in areas where the danger had been previously minimal.

  • Smoke from the Pacific Northwest wildfires has created a haze over most of Pennsylvania and South Jersey.

  • Wildfires cause long-lasting health impacts for firefighters including harder arteries and a decline in fitness after a single fire season.

  • Programs that allow grazing animals to rotate through properties and eat grasses and shrubs may reduce wildfire risk.

  • California saw 4,599 fires that scorched 114.8 square miles between Jan. 1 and July 4. During the same period last year the state had 3,847 fires that burned 48.6 square miles.

  • Excessive heat warnings and excessive heat watches have been issued for most of the Northwestern Nevada and Northwestern California regions.

  • In California, the Beckwourth Complex Fire has burned 3,000 acres had  34% containment as of Wednesday morning. Nearby areas remained under evacuation orders on Wednesday.

  • In California, the Tennant Fire has burned 10,614 acres and was 71% contained Wednesday night. The Tennant Fire spawned a fire tornado which occur in extreme conditions when ground-level winds come into contact with a fire and whip it into the air.

  • In California, the Lava Fire has burned about 25,000 acres and was 72% contained Wednesday afternoon. A helicopter battling the Lava Fire reportedly crashed in Lake Shastina.

  • Colorado’s Congressional delegation has proposed multiple pieces of legislation on issues to combat droughts and wildfires including wildfire management and the creation of a Climate Conservation Corps.

  • Hot and dry weather conditions are expected in Colorado this week, increasing concerns about wildfire conditions.

  • Several fires in North and North-Central Idaho were sparked by lightning strikes.

  • Thunderstorms also may have sparked fires in the Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forest.

  • In Idaho, the Dixie Fire has burned more than 7,000 acres and had unknown containment as of Wednesday morning. The Dixie and Comstock areas remained under evacuation orders as of Wednesday morning.

  • In Idaho, the Pine Creek Fire has burned more than 200 acres and had unknown containment as of Thursday morning. 20 to 30 homes are threatened as of Thursday morning.

  • In Montana, Lolo National Forest saw over 800 lightning strikes on Wednesday which resulted in multiple fires.

  • Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued the Emergency Conflagration Act to bring additional help for wildfires on Tuesday.

  • In Oregon, the Jack Fire has burned 2,395 acres and had unknown containment as of Wednesday evening. Areas east of Roseburg were evacuated on Tuesday.

Hurricanes

  • Tropical Storm Elsa made landfall in Taylor County along the North Florida Gulf Coast at around 11am local time on Wednesday with an estimated maximum wind speed of 65 MPH.

    • Elsa killed at least one person in Florida and injured at least 10 in Georgia by a possible tornado that touched down at a Navy base campground.

    • As Elsa moved ashore, winds registering at 72 MPH were recorded at Horseshoe Beach.

    • Elsa was located about 150 miles southwest of Raleigh, North Carolina as of Thursday morning.

    • Myrtle Beach, South Carolina saw winds of 41 MPH and a gust of 54 MPH Thursday morning.

    • Areas from South Carolina to Massachusetts are under tropical storm warnings and tropical conditions of winds 39+ MPH will spread along much of the East Coast through Friday.

    • Elsa is projected to track through the Southeast from South Carolina to southeast Virginia through Thursday night, and then move through the Northeast on Friday.

    • On Wednesday, a brief EF0 tornado downed a tree onto a home in Columbia, Florida. Later in the afternoon, a tornado tore through the southside of Jacksonville, downing trees and power lines.

    • 45,000 homes and businesses were without power in South Carolina and Georgia early Thursday.

    • Elsa has placed more than 30 million people under a tropical storm warning as of Thursday morning.

    • New York City issued a flash flood warning starting at midnight Thursday and lasting until noon Friday due to Elsa.

    • The coastal parts of Massachusetts, as well as parts of Connecticut and Rhode Island, have a tropical storm warning in effect through Friday evening due to heavy rains from Elsa.

Climate Studies

  • A report published in July 2021 found that five million people die every year due to extreme temperatures brought on by climate change.

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