Climate Impact Report – 1/14

Key Facts Of The Day 1/14

Storms And Flooding

• A winter storm will track over the eastern U.S. ahead of the next blast of Arctic air.
  • Rain is likely to affect areas from the upper Texas coast through the Carolinas, much of Virginia and the coastal mid-Atlantic region.
  • Some of the rain that falls in the Southeast can be accompanied by thunder and lightning and be heavy enough to lead to localized urban flooding.
  • Snow or a wintry mix will hit Oklahoma and eastern Kansas to Maine.

Wildfires

• In California, 4 fires have burned 38,685 acres as of Tuesday.
  • As of Tuesday, the Palisades Fire has burned 23,713 acres and is 17% contained.
    • The Palisades fire is the most destructive ever to hit Los Angeles County.
    • The Palisades fire is expected to be the costliest wildfire in U.S. history.
  • As of Tuesday, the Eaton Fire has burned 14,117 acres and is 35% contained. 
  • As of Tuesday, the Hurst Fire has burned 799 acres and is 99% contained.
  • As of Tuesday, the Auto Fire has burned 56 acres and is 0% contained.
  • Fires across the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures and scorched more than 60 square miles. 
  • High winds returned to Los Angeles on Monday night and will peak on Tuesday, the “most dangerous” day of the week for the city still battling severe and deadly fires.
    • The possibility of 70-mph wind gusts Tuesday in areas already devastated by wildfires could ground aircraft that drop water and retardant on the flames.
  • Palisades Charter High School, which was severely damaged by Los Angeles County’s largest wildfire, is asking the public for help finding a temporary location while it rebuilds.
  • The California wildfires have also burned through communities of racial and economic diversity.
    • Recovery and rebuilding may be out of reach for many, and the pressures of gentrification could be renewed.
  • Finding affordable housing will be difficult for those displaced by the LA wildfires.
  • The National Weather Service in Los Angeles has issued an air quality alert covering cities including Burbank, Glendale, Universal City, Santa Monica, Torrance, Long Beach, Inglewood, Downey, Norwalk, Beverly Hills and West Hollywood.
  • More than 1,850 National Guard troops from Nevada and Wyoming, in addition to California, have been activated to help with the California wildfires.
  • President Biden announced $770 one-time payments for victims of the California wildfires as part of the efforts to provide federal support amid the raging fires.

Extreme Heat

• Increasing drought conditions have turned the West’s ‘fire seasons’ into ‘fire years.’