Climate Impact Report – 6/16

June 16, 2025

Key Facts Of The Day 6/16

As of Saturday, flash floods that began in San Antonio, Texas, had caused 13 storm-related deaths.
- The San Antonio Fire Department reported responding to more than 80 water rescues and investigations since the flooding began last Thursday.
- On Thursday, the San Antonio International Airport reported its second-highest one-day rainfall total for June after receiving 6.11 inches of rain. Thursday also marked the airport’s 10th wettest day on record.
As of Monday morning, at least six storm-related deaths and two missing people were reported after Ohio County, West Virginia, experienced severe flash flooding.
- On Saturday night, rainstorms in Ohio County created deadly flash flooding conditions after areas received up to four inches of rain in a 30-minute period.
- At least five people, including a toddler, died from the storm as flash floods destroyed homes and roads.
- On Sunday, West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency in Ohio County and Marion County in response to the flash floods.
- Slow-moving storms were expected to continue to bring heavy rain and flash floods to parts of southeast Ohio and West Virginia through Monday evening.

As of Sunday, the Rowena Fire had burned 3,636 acres and was 24% contained.
- At least 56 homes and 91 additional structures had been destroyed by the Rowena Fire.
As of Monday, the Mines Sprung Wildfire had burned 5,750 acres and was 80% contained.
- The fire erupted in New Jersey’s Wharton State Forest on Friday.

Starting Monday, the central United States is forecast to experience record-breaking heat, with temperatures expected to reach 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above historical averages.
- Several cities are expected to see record-breaking temperatures, including Denver, Colorado, which is forecast to reach 103 degrees, Omaha, Nebraska, St. Louis, Missouri, Chicago, Illinois, and Minneapolis, Minnesota.
- The high temperatures are also expected to increase the risk of heat-related illness and create an elevated fire risk in affected areas.
On Monday, Alaska issued its first heat advisory in recorded history.
- The advisory resulted from a new system implemented by the National Weather Service on June 1, 2025, that permits the state to issue heat advisories for the first time.
A recent study found that climate change may be putting millions more people at risk from infection-causing fungi.
Researchers have found that climate change is significantly contributing to the rise of tick populations and their activity throughout the year.
- Studies have shown that human-induced climate change and rising temperatures allow ticks and the animals they travel on to be more likely to survive winters and to travel to new territories.
As global temperatures increase, tick populations are able to emerge earlier in the spring and stay active later in the fall.