Climate Impact Report – 10/23

October 23, 2024

Key Facts Of The Day 10/23

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasted a one in three chance that northeast Ohio will see wetter-than-average precipitation this winter.
As of Wednesday morning, Hurricane Kristy had strengthened into a Category 2 storm in the Pacific while remaining away from land.
On Tuesday, Oscar disintegrated into tropical remnants after making landfall in Cuba as a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday. The island is recovering from flooding and power outages.
Florida has seen a surge of flesh-eating bacteria cases in recent weeks after parts of the state were inundated with heavy rain and flooding due to back-to-back hurricanes.
In Collier County, Florida, property damage from Hurricane Milton is estimated at $280 million.

As of Wednesday, 21 large active wildfires have burned 518,674 acres across CA, ID, MI, MN, MS, MT, OK, OR, SD, UT, and WY. This year to date, 44,571 wildfires have burned 7,944,344 acres across the country.
In California, 3 fires have burned 50,067 acres as of Wednesday.
In Idaho, 5 fires have burned 331,421 acres as of Wednesday.
In Michigan, 1 fire has burned 150 acres as of Wednesday.
In Minnesota, 2 fires have burned 1,167 acres as of Wednesday.
In Mississippi, 1 fire has burned 1,333 acres as of Wednesday.
In Montana, 2 fires have burned 790 acres as of Wednesday.
In Oklahoma, 2 fires have burned 512 acres as of Wednesday.
In Oregon, 1 fire has burned 3,060 acres as of Wednesday.
In South Dakota, 1 fire has burned 732 acres as of Wednesday.
In Utah, 2 fires have burned 33,198 acres as of Wednesday.
In Wyoming, 2 fires have burned 96,244 acres as of Wednesday.

An October 2024 study found that record-breaking temperatures exacerbate health issues as they pose critical risks to the global food supply, particularly endangering fresh produce.
Extreme temperature swings, severe heat, and drought are impacting the built environment.
- Longer, more severe heat waves degrade roofs and strain air conditioning and HVAC systems.
- Wild temperature swings bring thermal cycling that expands and contracts concrete and masonry walls, hastening cracks and water intrusion.
- Asphalt shingles, the most common covering on residential homes in the US, warp under a hot sun, while pavement buckles, steel rails kink, and siding suffer “solar distortion.”
- Foundations can shift in drought or high temperatures, leading to cracked walls, burst pipes, and serious structural problems.