Climate Impact Report – 9/3

September 3, 2024

Key Facts Of The Day 9/3

The National Hurricane Center is tracking three tropical disturbances with low to medium chances of developing after Labor Day weekend.
Forecasters expect rain and flooding to hit the Northeast over the weekend.
A weather pattern bringing frequent downpours is expected to continue through much of the week in the South.

As of Tuesday, 51 large active wildfires have burned 1,777,297 acres across AL, AZ, CA, ID, MT, NV, OR, WA, and WY. This year to date, 34,126 wildfires have burned 6,459,301 acres across the country.
In Arizona, 4 fires have burned 6,963 acres as of Tuesday.
In California, 5 fires have burned 455,526 acres as of Tuesday.
- As of Tuesday, the Park Fire has burned 429,603 acres and was 98% contained.
- As of Tuesday, the Bear Fire has burned 800 acres and was 0% contained.
  - Hundreds of people were under evacuation orders in Sierra County after a wildfire erupted on Monday in Northern California’s Tahoe National Forest.
In Nevada, 1 fire has burned 7,375 acres as of Tuesday.
In Oregon, 15 fires have burned 347,204 acres as of Tuesday.
In Washington, 4 fires have burned 53,985 acres as of Tuesday.

Extreme heat worsens chronic health conditions in millions of Americans.
- While no part of the U.S. is spared from rising heat or the prevalence of underlying illnesses, the two often merge dangerously in the South and Southeast.
- In states such as Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Georgia, and South Carolina, chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease are among the highest in the U.S. Those diseases make it harder for bodies to cool themselves effectively during heat waves.
Bridges designed and built decades ago with materials not intended to withstand sharp temperature swings are now deteriorating rapidly due to extreme heat and flooding.
As summer temperatures have soared nationwide, so have electric bills as air conditioners work overtime.
Phoenix, Arizona, just had its hottest summer ever on record.
- The average temperature in Phoenix for June, July, and August was 98.9 degrees Fahrenheit, nearly two degrees warmer than the previous record set last year.
- Phoenix has had its hottest five summers in the last 11 years.
Summer 2024 was the hottest summer on record in Las Vegas, Nevada, with the average temperature reaching 96.2 and breaking the 93.7 record set in 2018.