Climate Impact Report – 11/12

November 12, 2024

Key Facts Of The Day 11/12

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

A pair of potent storm systems known as atmospheric rivers are spreading rounds of rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest and Northern California over the next several days.
- As rainfall continues, river and urban flooding risks increase, along with storm intensity, by the middle of the week.
The National Weather Service confirmed that a weekend storm system that blew across Michigan caused a second tornado.
On Monday, strong winds kicked up massive dust clouds across Central California, creating dangerous travel conditions for drivers and leaving thousands without power.

Wildfires

As of Tuesday, 7 large active wildfires have burned 290,071 acres across CA, MA, NY, NC, PA, and WV. This year to date, 49,677 wildfires have burned 8,150,741 acres across the country.
In California, 1 fire has burned 20,630 acres as of Tuesday.
- The Mountain Fire in Ventura County prompted thousands of residents to flee their homes.
- Agricultural officials assessing the impact of the wildfires on farmland planted with avocados, citrus and berries estimate the damage at over $6 million.
In Massachusetts, 1 fire has burned 309 acres as of Tuesday.
In New York, 1 fire has burned 600 acres as of Tuesday.
In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 300 acres as of Tuesday.
In Pennsylvania, 2 fires have burned 418 acres as of Tuesday.
In West Virginia, 1 fire has burned 210 acres as of Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued red flag warnings for millions of people in southeastern New York, areas along the New Jersey/New York border, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut.
Fires on the East Coast led to air quality warnings in the neighboring states of New York and New Jersey.
Since October 1, 2024, nearly 600 wildfires have burned nearly 7,000 acres in New Jersey and New York.
- New York City alone has seen 120 brush fires in the last 10 days.
On Monday, fire crews battled small wildfires across the Northeast U.S., including a blaze in New York and New Jersey that killed an 18-year-old park ranger over the weekend and postponed Veterans Day plans.
Nevada authorities ordered the evacuation of hundreds of homes southwest of Reno and closed the main highway to Lake Tahoe after a wind-whipped wildfire erupted Monday and spread quickly through mountainside vegetation.

Extreme Heat

According to a November 2024 report, climate-related extreme weather events cost the global economy more than $2 trillion over the past decade, and the U.S. was the worst-affected nation.
- Puerto Rico, which has yet to fully recover from 2017’s devastating Hurricane Maria, was the fifth worst-affected nation per capita.
A November 2024 study found that exposure to extreme heat may double or triple the risk of irregular heart rhythms in people with implanted defibrillators.
Fueled by climate change, multiple counties in the Hudson Valley, a corridor known for its agricultural productivity that stretches from just north of New York City to Albany, are currently under a drought watch and face a heightened wildfire risk.