Facts Of The Day 9/2

Extreme Heat

• Heat waves and drought have caused declines in this year’s corn, soybean, almond, honey, citrus and avocado crops in the United States.

• Drought has forced some farmers in Nevada to switch from alfalfa, a traditional food for livestock, to teff.

• As the drought continues in Western states, this year’s almond crop is expected to be about 2.8 billion meat pounds, which is a decline from 2020’s record of 3.1 billion pounds.

• Maryland Governor Larry Hogan directed superintendents and state school agencies to report on the use of state’s funds for heating, air conditioning and ventilation projects after schools were let out early on Wednesday due to hot weather.

• Hillsborough High in Tampa, Florida, has begun using a wet bulb globe thermometer to monitor conditions for temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover for safety during football practice.

• Bismarck, North Dakota saw numerous records in summer 2021:

  • Bismarck, North Dakota had the most days of 100 degrees or more at 15.

  • Bismarck, North Dakota had the most days of 90 degrees or more at 46.

  • Bismarck, North Dakota tied its 1936 record for most consecutive days at 90 degrees or more at 18.

• Multiple weather stations in Colorado recorded the hottest summers of all time:

  • Yampa in Routt County had an average temperature of 63.3 degrees

  • Hayden in Routt County had an average temperature of 69.1 degrees

  • Altenbern in Garfield County had an average temperature of 71.2 degrees.

• Although red tide has declined in Florida waters, it could still be detected in Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee, Sarasota, Hernando and Pasco counties.

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, there are currently 84 large active wildfires that have burned 2,713,387 acres across CA, CO, ID, MN, MT, NV, WA, OR, UT, WA, and WY. This year to date, 43,017 wildfires have burned 4,946,000 acres across the country.

• Extreme weather events including wildfires, hurricanes, and floods are pushing small towns in the United States to the brink of financial ruin.

• Wildfires in California have forced high schools, coaches, and others to be creative when trying to play during a football season that increasingly overlaps with wildfire season.

Hurricanes

• At least 14 people died in the New York metro area in the aftermath of Ida.

  • The dead include 4 women, 3 men, and a 2-year old toddler in separate incidents in New York City.

  • The New York office of the National Weather Service issued its first flash flood emergencies in the region on Wednesday.

  • By late Wednesday, New York’s FDR Drive, and the Bronx River Parkway were flooded.

  • Subway service was halted on Wednesday after stations and tracks became flooded.

  • Central Park received 3.15 inches of rain in one night, blowing away the 1.94 inches that fell in Central Park.

    • The daily rainfall total on Wednesday in Central Park was 7.13 inches, smashing its previous record of 3.84 inches set in 1927.

  • On Wednesday night, a tornado warning was issued for the Bronx and parts of Westchester.

  • Dozens of matches at the U.S. Open were postponed due to severe weather from Ida.

• One person died in New Jersey, after being submerged in their car in Ida’s aftermath.

  • Governor Phil Murphy declared a state of emergency for all 21 counties at 10 PM.

  • More than 32,000 in New Jersey were without power as of Thursday morning.

  • Winds caused the roof of a Post Office building in New Jersey to collapse with people inside, although there were no immediate reports of injuries or the number of people.

  • Flooding forced the Garden State Parkway in East Orange to close Wednesday night and remains closed as of Thursday morning.

  • Newark Airport suspended all flights at about 10:30 PM local time on Wednesday and resumed a limited number of flights after midnight.

  • Schools in Clifton, New Jersey are closed on Thursday, the first scheduled day of school.

  • Seton Hall University canceled classes for Thursday due to flooding.

  • Bergen, Passaic, Essex, and Hudson counties were under flash flood warnings that were scheduled to end at 7:45 PM local time on Wednesday and were extended throughout the night until 3 AM Thursday.

  • The NJ Transit line suspended service except for the Atlantic City line on Wednesday night and remained suspended as of Thursday morning.

  • Rainfalls totals in New Jersey as of 10 PM local time on Wednesday:

    • 7.75 inches in Hillsborough, Somerset County

    • 7.39 inches in Hopewell, Mercer County

    • 7.05 inches in Ringoes, Hunterdon County

    • 6.78 inches in Readington, Hunterdon County

    • 6.63 inches in Basking Ridge, Somerset County

    • 6.58 inches in Bridgewater, Somerset County

    • 6.20 inches in Lyndhurst, Bergen County

    • 6.15 inches in Pittstown, Hunterdon County

    • 6.05 inches in Kingwood, Hunterdon County

    • 5.87 inches in Stewartsville, Warren County

    • 5.61 inches in New Brunswick, Middlesex County

    • 5.10 inches in East Brunswick, Middlesex County

• Flood warnings remain in effect for Northern Maryland after heavy rains from Ida drenched the state on Wednesday.

  • A 19-year-old man was found dead in a flooded Rockville complex on Wednesday morning.

  • A tornado ripped through Anne Arundel County at about 2:15 PM local time, which destroyed homes and downed power lines.

  • Charles County may have also seen a tornado on Wednesday.

  • Baltimore, Maryland, saw 2 to 3 inches of rain while Allegany, Frederick, and Cecil counties received as much as 6 inches.

  • Flood warnings remain in place for Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, and Washington counties until 8:30 AM and 12:30 PM on Thursday.

  • Poor road conditions and anticipation of more floods will keep Cecil County Public Schools closed on Thursday.

  • The Brunswick Line of the MARC train will operate with reduced service, while the Penn and Camden Lines are operating on a full schedule, with the exception of the 6:40 AM Penn Line Train 413 which was canceled due to mechanical issues.

  • Parts of West Street from Chinquapin Round Road past Gibraltar Avenue in Annapolis remain closed as of Thursday morning.

  • About 3,500 people in Baltimore remain without power as of Thursday morning.

  • Multiple roads remain completely closed as of Thursday morning due to high waters, including Maryland 279 at Maryland 545; Maryland 7 at Catherine Street; and Maryland 222 between Ratledge Lane and Canal Road, Maryland 316 between Belle Hill Road and Maryland 279.

• At least 8 people have died in Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida as of Wednesday evening, with one death in Orleans Parish from carbon monoxide poisoning.

  • Initial estimates of Hurricane Ida’s destruction could exceed $50 billion as of Thursday. This would place Ida from the 5th to 7th costliest U.S. hurricane.

  • Louisiana officials have urged residents to stay away indefinitely as the region still faces weeks without basic services in the midst of excessive heat and humidity.

  • Almost a million customers remain without power, including in New Orleans, which saw about 11,500 customers in the city get power back.

  • 100% of the structures on Grand Isle were damaged by Ida, with about 40% completely destroyed.

  • More than 600,000 residents lack access to running water as of Wednesday.

  • Utility workers trying to restore power to Louisiana due to Ida must contend with flooded roadways, COVID-19, and working in a swamp.

  • A woman was shot dead by a deputy after threatening a crew trying to repair a water main and striking another deputy twice with her car.

• Mississippi still has about 32,000 people who do have electricity as of Thursday morning.

  • As of Thursday, Ida damaged 164 homes and destroyed 6 of those, and left 42 with major damage in Mississippi.

  • As of Thursday, Ida damaged 164 roadways and 53 bridges in Mississippi.

  • 3 shelters remain open in Mississippi as of Thursday, and state officials are consulting with federal agencies on what is needed as Louisiana residents have been told not to return home.

• The remnants of Ida are expected to bring rain to parts of Maine from Wednesday night and into Thursday.

  • Ida could bring gusty winds, heavy rain, and rough seas with rain being especially of concern to the southern part of the state.

  • York County and all of coastal Maine remain under a flash flood watch that began Wednesday night and into Thursday with 1-3 inches of rain forecast.

  • The Gulf of Maine is also under a gale warning, with coastal winds expected to reach 15 to 30 MPH on Wednesday evening and be 35 to 50 MPH. throughout Thursday.

  • Parts of central Maine and northern Washington County and eastern Aroostook County were under a hazardous weather outlook for Thursday.

• Hurricane Larry was upgraded from tropical storm status on Wednesday overnight and was located 2,400 miles east-southeast of Bermuda moving west at 19 MPH on Thursday morning.

  • Larry is expected to turn west-northwest and decrease in forward speed Friday and Friday night.

  • Larry could potentially threaten Bermuda next week and may have impacts for the Northeastern region of the United States if a cold front does not align with timing to swing Larry back out to sea.

Climate Studies