Climate Impact Report – 7/12

Key Facts Of The Day 7/12

Hurricanes

• The warm waters around Florida could create an environment that allows a tropical system to rapidly intensify more easily.
• As of Wednesday morning, flood warnings affecting over 2 million people across parts of New England and Oklahoma remain.
  • The bodies of two children were recovered from Lake Overholser, a reservoir in Oklahoma City, after authorities said they were swept up Monday evening in strong currents following heavy rainfall in the city over the weekend.
• Deadly flooding inundated parts of the Northeast, trapping people in their homes and killing at least one woman swept away by the fast-moving water.
  • On Sunday, more than 7.5 inches of rain fell at West Point, New York, in just six hours — a 1,000-year rainfall event for the area.
  • Climate change is supercharging these extreme weather events.
• On Monday, rivers in Vermont rose quickly in torrential rain to levels not seen since Hurricane Irene in 2011.
  • The current flooding claimed thousands of homes and businesses.
  • A boil water notice remains in place for the city of Montpelier after officials warned the extreme flooding could contaminate the drinking water supply.
  • Montpelier and surrounding communities saw record-breaking flooding in two days.

Wildfires

• As of July 10, 24 large active wildfires have burned 149,471 acres across AZ, CA, CO, ID, MI, NM, OR, UT, and WI.
• As of July 10, 25,630 wildfires have burned 25,630 acres across the country.
• In Arizona, 8 fires have burned 67,512 acres as of July 10.
• In California, 2 fires have burned 1,873 acres as of July 10.
• In Colorado, 2 fires have burned 3,797 acres as of July 10.
• In New Mexico, 4 fires have burned 69,366 acres as of July 10.

Extreme Heat

• The National Weather Service issued heat alerts for more than 86 million people from Florida to California, with the hottest temperatures expected in the southwest.
  • Phoenix, Arizona, has logged 11 consecutive days at or above 110 degrees.
    • In addition to setting records, there remains an outside chance that parts of the Phoenix area can reach 120 degrees.
    • The National Weather Service in Phoenix is warning of “Major to Extreme Heat Risk.”
    • Vulnerable populations will be susceptible to increased heat-related illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Heat stroke can lead to death.
  • California’s Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, may reach between 125 degrees Fahrenheit to 130 degrees Fahrenheit this week or next.
  • Miami, Florida, has seen 30 straight days with a heat index at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit and five consecutive days at or above 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Various counties in Texas have issued outdoor burn bans this week as the state grapples with a record-breaking heatwave.
• The Gulf of Mexico has unusually high sea surface temperatures, including water temperatures in the low 90s around South Florida.
  • At multiple observation sites, water temperatures in the Florida Keys are high, between 95 degrees Fahrenheit and 97 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Marine heat waves can be dangerous to coral reefs, which have a narrow temperature range and can be subject to bleaching if exposed to warm waters.
  • The warm waters around Florida could create an environment that allows a tropical system to rapidly intensify more easily.

New Reports and Data

• A July 2023 study found that carbon taxes focusing on luxury consumption are more just than those taxing all emissions equally.
• A July 2023 study found that heat waves in Europe last year killed 61,000 people.