Climate Impact Report – 2/3

Key Facts Of The Day 2/3

Storms and Flooding

• On Monday, the National Weather Service issued winter storm warnings for six states – California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, and Washington. Affected areas were forecasted to see between 6 and 18 inches of snow and experience dangerous travel conditions. 
• A midweek storm moving from the Mississippi Valley to the East Coast is expected to impact millions of Americans with wind gusts of up to 70 mph, severe thunderstorms, and dangerous icing. 
• An atmospheric river originating near Hawaii, known as a “Pineapple Express,” is forecasted to bring over a month’s worth of rain and snow to portions of the West this week.
  • Affected areas are expected to see major flooding, avalanches, strong winds, and travel delays.
  • The storm is expected to hit Los Angeles County on Tuesday. Officials warned that while the rain may help conclude Southern California’s fire weather season, potentially intense rainfall could hit recently burned areas and pose a risk for significant mudslides or debris flow. 

Wildfires

• In California, 331 fires have burned 57,637 acres as of Monday. 
  • As of Monday, the Palisades Fire has burned 23,448 acres and is 100% contained.
• In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 644 acres as of Sunday.
  • As of Sunday, the Crooked Fire has burned 644 acres and is 65% contained.
  • On Sunday, approximately 100 personnel from multiple agencies were on the ground to respond to the fire.  
  • On Wednesday, officials ordered evacuations as a major brush fire broke out in a rural area in McDowell County, North Carolina. 
  • The wildfire strikes an inland region of North Carolina that is still recovering from the damage wrought by Hurricane Helene in September.

Extreme Heat

• Researchers predict that climate change is expected to cause a $1.47 trillion decline in U.S. home values by 2055.
  • The study found that rising home insurance costs and homeowners seeking to avoid neighborhoods at risk of climate change impacts are the primary causes of the declines. 
• A new study found that climate change-induced warming is contributing to a global rise in urban rat infestations.