Climate Impact Report – 2/7
February 7, 2024
tags
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475
MudslidesThe storm in California unleashed at least 475 mudslides in the Los Angeles area after dumping more than a foot of rain in some areas.
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600
CompaniesSix months after the Maui wildfire, about 600 small businesses — half the number registered in Lahaina before the fires — are still not operational.
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Record
BrokenJanuary 2024 is likely to set a record for the warmest January.
Key Facts Of The Day 2/7
Storms and Flooding
- The atmospheric river storms that hit California and unleashed historic downpours that caused hundreds of landslides were expected to move out of the region after one final drenching Wednesday.
- After dumping more than a foot of rain in some areas, the storm unleashed at least 475 mudslides in the Los Angeles area.
- A pregnant woman was rescued Tuesday morning from a quickly filling storm drain in Anaheim.
- L.A. Fire Chief Kristin Crowley said at least three dozen buildings required inspection because of mudslide damage and hillside slope failures. Seven had been marked unsafe for occupancy.
- As of Wednesday, parts of northern Arizona stretching southeast toward New Mexico were under a winter storm warning.
- The National Weather Service in Flagstaff said more than a foot (30 centimeters) of snow was possible in the upper elevations around the Grand Canyon by Wednesday evening.
Wildfires
- Six months after the Maui wildfire, about 600 small businesses — half the number registered in Lahaina before the fires — are still not operational.
- Amid the Chile wildfires, scientists said climate change increases heat waves and droughts, making regions more vulnerable to ignitions.
Extreme Heat
- California’s recent storms will not completely alleviate drought conditions.
- Rather than filling up reservoirs or sinking slowly into the soil, the floodwaters surge across landscapes and communities before washing out to sea.
- Even as dry periods become longer and more severe, climate change is making precipitation events warmer, wetter, and more intense – making it more difficult to capture rainfall as a buffer against drought.
- January 2024 is likely to set a record for the warmest January.
- A February 2024 study suggested that humans have raised global temperatures by a total of about 1.7 degrees Celsius, or 3.1 Fahrenheit, not 1.2 degrees Celsius, the most commonly used value.