Climate Impact Report – 4/2

Key Facts Of The Day 4/2

Storms and Flooding

• Millions of people in the eastern half of the U.S. face severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind gusts, dangerous hail, and destructive tornadoes.
  • On Tuesday, dangerous storms were already ongoing in the morning in the Ohio Valley, and numerous tornado and severe thunderstorm warnings were issued.
  • More than 75 million people are at risk for severe thunderstorms from the Gulf Coast to Great Lakes.
  • Over 17 million people from Illinois to Maryland also face a flood threat from the storms, with flood watches lasting into the evening and rainfall totals of up to 5 inches possible.
  • Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana are the most at risk for tornadoes.
  • Ohio hasn’t been warned of a substantial tornado threat in over 10 years.

Wildfires

• As of last Friday, 10 large active wildfires have burned 22,372 acres across GA, KY, OK, VA, and WA. This year to date, 5,260 wildfires have burned 1,659,645 acres across the country.
  • In Georgia, 1 fire has burned 175 acres as of last Friday.
  • In Kentucky, 1 fire has burned 269 acres as of last Friday.
  • In Oklahoma, 1 fire has burned 180 acres as of last Friday.
  • In Virginia, 3 fires have burned 17,571 acres as of last Friday.
  • In West Virginia, 4 fires have burned 4,177 acres as of last Friday.
• In Virginia, a firefighter died after collapsing while helping put out a wildfire.

Extreme Heat

• Heat islands in Dallas, Texas, were, on average, 10 degrees hotter than other neighborhoods in the city.
  • Neighborhoods considered heat islands include the Bishop Arts District, Medical District, West Dallas, Love Field, Uptown, Oak Lawn, downtown, Deep Ellum, the Design District, and Market Center.
• A March 2024 study found that the allergy season has grown longer in 164 cities since 1970.
  • On average, these cities saw the season lengthen by 19 days.
• The USDA has designated 17 Georgia counties as primary natural disaster areas due to severe drought conditions.