Facts Of The Day 9/23

Extreme Heat

• Climate change-fueled drought in California has stressed trees, which has made them vulnerable to parasites leading to more power outages as weakened trees are more likely to fall or see their branches fall off.

• An Iowa farmer will be able to harvest 340 bushels of corn per acre this year, besting pre-harvest estimates by 50% due to his experimentation in plant diversity and livestock, including planting different crops and using solar panels.

• An analysis found that 92.2% of households in the United States with incomes of $100,000 or more have access to some form of air conditioning, compared with 88.9% of households with incomes of less than $30,000.

• As of Wednesday, 98.7% of Montana is experiencing severe drought, which has forced irrigators to halt or cut back on watering crops, causing a lack of vegetation for foraging and keeping cold-water fish out of warmer bodies of water.

• Migrants in the temporary camps in Del Rio bridge in Texas are coping with extreme conditions including extreme heat, crowding, and squalor.

• Climate change has already fueled an increase in migration from countries such as Guatemala to the United States due to extreme weather events such as drought, heatwaves, and hurricanes.

• Florida officials warned beachgoers that red tide has been detected on Thursday at the James Lee Beach in Destin.

• An analysis found that 22.4% of households in the United States with incomes of $100,000 or more reported having a generator, compared to the 14.1% of households making less than $30,000.

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, there are currently 67 large active wildfires that have burned 3,161,998 acres across CA, CO, ID, MN, MT, NV, WA, OR, UT, WA, and WY. This year to date, 45,407 wildfires have burned 5,988,174 acres across the country.

• Wildfire control projects have been destroyed by fires before they can even make any progress.

• The U.S Forest Service has been criticized for canceling a program that would clear brush from areas of northern Arizona including Coconino, Kaibab, Apache-Sitgreaves, and Tonto National Forests.

• A man has donated almost 100 recreational vehicles to wildfire survivors to give them housing after the loss of their homes and may expand the effort to hurricane zones.

• California winemakers said on Wednesday that the industry could collapse without wildfire aid, with one vineyard owner estimating that her production will be down by at least 2,000 cases this year.

• In California, 9 fires have burned 1,893,193 as of Wednesday.

  • The Caldor Fire burned 219,578 acres and was 76% contained as of Wednesday.

  • The Dixie Fire burned 963,276 acres and was 94% contained as of Wednesday.

  • The KNP Complex Fire burned 26,611 acres and was 0% contained as of Wednesday.

    • On Wednesday, Eshom and Hartland Camp, some 80 miles north of Camp Nelson in Tulare County, California were warned to evacuate.

• In Colorado, 1 fire has burned a total of 3,792 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Idaho, 21 fires have burned a total of 252,649 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Minnesota, 1 fire has burned a total of 26,797 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Montana, 12 fires have burned a total of 275,186 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Nevada, 2 fires have burned a total of 89,637 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Oregon, 7 fires have burned a total of 294,166 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Texas, 1 fire has burned a total of 950 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Utah, 1 fire has burned a total of 1,466 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Washington, 7 fires have burned a total of 307,103 acres as of Wednesday.

• In Wyoming, 4 fires have burned a total of 16,270 acres as of Wednesday.

Hurricanes

• Some parts of Metro Detroit, Michigan were drenched with almost 5 inches of rain on Wednesday.

  • By nightfall on Wednesday, Farmington Hills, Armada, and Port Huron saw more than 5 inches of rain with Mount Clemens getting about 4.25 inches.

  • Ann Arbor, Monroe, Livonia, Garden City, Romulus, Ypsilanti, Shelby Township, Southgate, and Marine City all received at least 3 inches of rain.

  • West Bloomfield Township received 2.44 inches of rain, while  Clarkston got 2.26 inches, White Lake Township got 2.08, Adrian saw 1.89 inches and St. Clair Shores received 1.07 inches of rain.

  • The Middle Rouge River near Dearborn Heights and Rouge River in Detroit; the Clinton River in Macomb County; and Huron River near Hamburg affecting Livingston County were all issued flood warnings on Wednesday, with rivers expected to rise near or above flood stage by Wednesday evening.

  • The Clinton River near Clinton Township reached 17.08 feet on Wednesday, surpassing the flood stage of 16 feet and caused parts of the Garfield and Millar roads to close.

  • Parts of the I-94 were flooded Wednesday, including some lanes near the Lodge Freeway in Detroit, the shoulder of I-94 near Van Dyke as well as the westbound ramp to the Lodge with the water clearing by evening.

  • At least 97,500 people throughout Michigan lost power as of Wednesday night.

  • Trees were downed by the storm in Ann Arbor and Northville Township, although there were no reports of damage or injuries.

  • At least 50 schools across Michigan were closed as of Thursday due to no electricity due to Wednesday’s rain and winds.

• The Washington, DC region saw 1 to 3 inches of rain on Wednesday, with parts of Frederick County in Maryland seeing more than 4 inches.

  • Water rescues were performed in Frederick and Montgomery counties in Maryland

  • Interstate 66 saw some high-standing water during Thursday’s morning commute.

  • Smaller streams such as Rock Creek and Difficult Run and urban areas experienced some flooding, which was expected to recede late Thursday morning.

  • Washington, DC, and parts of Anne Arundel, Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, and Baltimore counties remain under flood warnings until 2 PM local time.

  • Parts of Fairfax and Arlington counties as well as the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church in Virginia are also under flood warnings as of Thursday morning.

  • The Anne Arundel County shoreline is under a coastal flood warning with inundation up to 2 feet in parts of the Naval Academy campus, businesses on Dock Street, and the City Dock in Annapolis, Maryland.

• Tropical Storm Sam is forecast to form sometime on Thursday with the potential to become a major hurricane with winds of 111 MPH by late Monday.

  • As of Thursday, the storm that could become Sam is currently known as Tropical Depression Eighteen and was moving west at 15 MPH with winds of 35 MPH, about 1,800 miles east-southeast of where the Atlantic Ocean meets the far eastern Caribbean Sea.

  • The storm is forecast to move west-northwest by Friday and gain strength over the weekend.

  • If it reaches the maximum sustained winds of 115 MPH as expected, it will be a Category 3 hurricane, and the 4th major hurricane for 2021.

  • Current projections show the storm moving west to west-northwest toward the far eastern Caribbean.

• As of Thursday morning, Tropical Storm Peter was located about 260 miles north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico with winds of 30 MPH and moving north-northwest at 5 MPH.

  • Over the next couple of days, Peter may create swells that affect the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Hispaniola, and portions of the Bahamas as it continues to weaken.

• As of Thursday morning, Post-Tropical Cyclone Rose  Rose was located 1,300 miles west-northwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with winds measuring 35 MPH and moving northwest at 10 MPH.

  • Rose is expected to turn northward on Thursday and then a northeast or eastern shift by Friday as the storm dies out.

• After Hurricane Ida destroyed or inflicted major damage to at least 8,000 statewide in Louisiana, the Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes continue to struggle with a continuing lack of electricity and enough housing.

• As of Thursday, the number of nursing home residents who died after Hurricane Ida forced their evacuation to an unsanitary warehouse in Louisiana Tangipahoa Parish has risen to 12 people.

• East Baton Rouge, Louisiana expects it will complete the clean-up of at least 440,000 cubic yards of debris left by Hurricane Ida by Thanksgiving.

• Utility company Entergy estimates that the overall cost of Hurricane Ida to the company is between $2.1 and $2.6 billion, with Energy New Orleans bearing a share between $120 and $150 million of that total.

• An analysis found that 27% of homeowners owned flood insurance in 2020, which is more than twice the amount of the 13% of homeowners who said they had flood insurance in 2018.

Climate Studies