Hurricanes

• 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.
    • A tornado in East Brewer, Alabama on Saturday, had top winds of 127 MPH and stayed on the ground for 22 miles.
      • At least 20 people injured, two seriously
      • The damage path was at least 650 yard wide.
  • Another storm in Florala, Alabama, measured at 80 mph and had a path that stretched 0.6 on Saturday.
  • Three small tornadoes were confirmed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast between midnight and dawn Saturday. 
    • A storm in Long Beach had winds topping 75 MPH on its 1.15-mile track.
    • A third twister east of Hurley on the Alabama state line caused minor damage to one home.
  • In southwest Georgia, a confirmed tornado stretched for 30 miles from north of Blakeley to north of Cuthbert with 100 MPH winds.
  • On Sunday, a weak tornado touched down near Somerset, North Carolina with top winds estimated at 75 mph and caused 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.
  • The thunderstorms were expected to bring heavy downpours, lightning, and wind gusts over 60 MPH.
• A tropical wave several miles east of the Windward Islands is unlikely to develop any further as of Wednesday morning.
• No other storms are expected to develop within 48 hours in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea or Atlantic as of Wednesday morning

Wildfires

National

• 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.

AZ

Number Of Active Fires: 14

• The Rafael Fire, located 16 miles southwest of Flagstaff, has burned 24,000 acres and was 0% contained as of Tuesday morning.
  • Should the fire continue to grow, officials are looking at protection for structures including the East Pocket Lookout and Turkey Butte Lookout.
• The Telegraph Fire, near Globe, has burned 180,865 acres and was 87% contained as of Wednesday morning. 
  • Areas ordered for evacuation included Dripping Springs, Wind Spirit, Hagen Ranch, Slash S Ranch and Government Springs as of Wednesday morning.
• The Backbone Fire, located near Strawberry has burned 32,757 acres with unknown containment as of Wednesday morning.

CA 

Number Of Active Fires: 7

• 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 cause of the fire was the ejection of hot catalytic converter parts from the exhaust system of a passing vehicle.
  • The fire has destroyed two structures as of Tuesday morning.
• 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. 

CO

Number Of Active Fires: 5

• 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.
• The Oil Springs Fire in Rio Blanco County burned through 7,395 acres and had unknown containment as of Tuesday evening.
• The West Fire in Moffat County burned through 3,100 acres and had unknown containment as of Tuesday evening.
  • Lightning on Bureau of Land Management land is suspected to be the cause of the blaze.

FL

Number Of Active Fires: 1

MT

Number Of Active Fires: 4

• The Robertson Draw Fire, near Red Lodge, grew to 29,601 acres burned and was 53% contained as of Tuesday morning.
  • All the Custer Gallatin National Forest System lands south of Point of Rocks in the Rock Creek drainage were still closed as of Tuesday morning.
• The Deep Creek Fire, burning southwest of Helena, burned 4,648 acres and was 75% contained as of Tuesday afternoon.
  • The fire has cost more than $3.5 million so far to fight.

NV

Number Of Active Fires: 1

NM

Number Of Active Fires: 4

OR

Number Of Active Fires: 2

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

UT

Number Of Active Fires: 6

• Salt Lake City, UT, has banned personal fireworks and open fires due to drought extreme fire danger.
• The Flatt Fire, located near Beryl, has burned 14,379 acres and was 57% contained as of Monday evening.
  • Evacuation orders remain in place as of Monday evening for nearby communities.
  • One structure was lost as of Monday evening.
• The Pack Creek Fire, located south of Moab, has burned 8,952 acres and is 66% contained as of Monday evening.
  • It has cost $7.8 million so far to fight as of Tuesday evening.

Extreme Heat

• California is using technology, including clean energy microgrids and self-generation back-up power systems, to avoid rolling blackouts and ensure power grid reliability.
• 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.
• The Salt Lake City Airport recorded its seventh 100+ degree day on Tuesday.

New Reports and Data

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