Facts Of The Day 6/23

Hurricanes

• A tropical wave several miles east of the Windward Islands is unlikely to develop any further as of Wednesday morning.

• Tropical Storm Claudette produced at least seven confirmed tornadoes over the weekend.

  • There were three tornadoes in Mississippi, two in Alabama, and one each in Georgia and North Carolina all on Saturday or Sunday.

  • Three small tornadoes were confirmed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast between midnight and dawn Saturday.

  • On Sunday, a weak tornado touched down near Somerset, North Carolina with top winds estimated at 75 mph, causing mostly tree damage along its 2.5-mile path.

  • Claudette caused strong winds ranging from 60 to 80 MPH in Pensacola, Florida, with Pensacola International Airport recording a wind gust of 81 MPH.

• All 21 New Jersey counties were under a severe thunderstorm watch as of Monday evening as Tropical Storm Claudette passes the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

Wildfires

• There are currently 44 large wildfires active across AZ, CA, CO, FL, MT, NV, NM, and UT. Nationally, 519,761 acres have burned so far this year.

• President Joe Biden is set to meet with Western governors next week regarding heat, drought and wildfire preparations in the West.

• 7 fires continued to burn in California on Tuesday.

  • The Cow Fire in Shasta County has burned through 761 acres and was 65% contained as of Tuesday night.

  • The Inyo Creek Fire in the Inyo National Forest has burned through about 410 acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning.

  • The Willow Fire in Monterey County has burned through 3,000 acres and was 0% contained as of Monday evening.

• In Arizona, the Rafael Fire, located 16 miles southwest of Flagstaff, has burned 24,000 acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning.

• In Arizona, Telegraph Fire, near Globe, has burned 180,865 acres and is 87% contained as of Wednesday morning.

• In Arizona, the Backbone Fire, located near Strawberry, has burned 32,757 acres with unknown containment as of Wednesday morning

• In Colorado, the Sylvan Lake Fire in Sylvan Lake State Park grew to more than 3,359 acres with unknown containment by Tuesday night. The fire threatens an Xcel power line and the watersheds for the towns of Eagle and Gypsum.

• In Colorado, the Oil Springs Fire in Rio Blanco County burned through 7,395 acres and had unknown containment as of Tuesday evening.

• In Colorado, West Fire in Moffat County burned through 3,100 acres and had unknown containment as of Tuesday evening.

• In Montana, the Robertson Draw Fire, near Red Lodge, grew to 29,601 acres burned and was 53% contained as of Tuesday morning.

• In Montana, the Deep Creek Fire, burning southwest of Helena, burned 4,648 acres and was 75% contained as of Tuesday afternoon. Fighting the fire has cost more than $3.5 million so far.

• In Oregon, the Warm Springs Fire has burned 6,200 acres and was 10% contained as of Monday night. 250 structures and homes are threatened by the fire.

• In Oregon, the Cutoff Fire, located in Klamath County, has burned 1,150 acres and was 23% contained as of Tuesday night. Out of 125 structures threatened by the fire, 20 outbuildings and two homes have been destroyed as of Tuesday night.

• In Utah, the Flatt Fire, located near Beryl, has burned 14,379 acres and was 57% contained as of Monday evening. Evacuation orders remained in place as of Monday evening for surrounding communities.

• In Utah, the Pack Creek Fire has burned 8,952 acres and was 66% contained as of Monday evening. It has cost $7.8 million so far to fight.

Extreme Heat

• California is using technology, including clean energy microgrids and self-generation back-up power systems, to avoid rolling blackouts.

• An excessive heat watch has been issued for parts of Oregon and Washington state this weekend.

• North Texas saw its worst day of ozone pollution in 14 years last week on Wednesday.

• The Salt Lake City Airport recorded its seventh 100+ degree day on Tuesday.

Climate Studies

• A study published in June 2021  found that climate change and urban sprawl has been driving up both the economic and human cost of wildfires in California.