Climate Impact Report – 6/25

June 25, 2024

Key Facts Of The Day 6/25

Flooding in the Midwestern U.S. killed at least two people, collapsed a railroad bridge, and sent water surging around a dam Monday after days of heavy rains that have forced hundreds of people to evacuate or be rescued from rising waters.
As of Tuesday evening, about 31 million people are at risk of severe weather, with as much as 2 inches of rain per hour possible in parts of Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota.
The National Weather Service warned that potential storms on Tuesday morning could bring hail bigger than 2 inches, winds of more than 60 mph, and a few tornadoes.
The flooding has set records at various points along the Des Moines River Basin: the surge at Estherville, Iowa, was 17.14 feet.
More than 20 river locations are experiencing major flooding, with 29 forecasted to go into major flooding.

As of Monday, 34 large active wildfires have burned 174,507 acres across AK, AZ, CA, CO, FL, NM, NC, OR, UT, and WA. This year to date, 19,834 wildfires have burned 2,213,017 acres across the country.
In Alaska, 15 fires have burned 73,799 acres as of Monday.
In Arizona, 2 fires have burned 4,164 acres as of Monday.
In California, 4 fires have burned 41,316 acres as of Monday.
In Colorado, 1 fire has burned 701 acres as of Monday.
In Florida, 1 fire has burned 833 acres as of Monday.
In New Mexico, 4 fires have burned 39,303 acres as of Monday.
In North Carolina, 1 fire has burned 545 acres as of Monday.
In Oregon, 2 fires have burned 3,256 acres as of Monday.
In Utah, 2 fires have burned 2,986 acres as of Monday.
In Washington, 2 fires have burned 7,604 acres as of Monday.
A new study found that 2023 was the most extreme for wildfires.
A new study found that both the frequency and intensity of extreme wildfires have more than doubled in the last two decades.

Regions in the Southeast and Southern Plains are expected to remain hot this week—possibly at dangerous levels—with potential highs in the low 100s.
Parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida are forecast to face extreme risks from heat on Tuesday.
Heat-related illnesses spiked in parts of New England, the Midwest, and the Mid-Atlantic last week.
In Philadelphia, the heatline — which directs people struggling to handle the heat to cooling centers and medical attention, if necessary — received more emergency calls than usual.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 2024 is on track to be among the five hottest years on record, and there’s a 50 percent chance it will be the warmest ever.