Climate Impact Report – 7/16

Key Facts Of The Day 7/16

Central Texas Flooding

• As of Wednesday, the death toll from the catastrophic Central Texas flooding rose to 134 confirmed deaths, and 101 people remained missing.

Storms and Flooding

• On Wednesday morning, a tropical system brought heavy rainfall and thunderstorms to the Florida Panhandle and has a chance of becoming a tropical depression by Thursday.
  • On Tuesday, the tropical system brought 2.25 inches of rain to Daytona Beach, breaking a daily record. 
  • On Wednesday, a level one of four risk of flooding rain was in place along the Gulf Coast from Florida to Louisiana. 
  • Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are expected to bring additional rainfall of one to three inches by Wednesday evening. 
  • Storm surge of one to three feet is forecast for eastern Louisiana, including Lake Pontchartrain, stretching into coastal Alabama and Mississippi.
  • A level two of four threat for flooding rain is in place Thursday for southern Louisiana, including New Orleans, and parts of coastal Alabama and Mississippi. 
  • Parts of Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, are under a level three of four threat of flooding rain on Friday. 
  • According to the National Hurricane Center, the tropical system has a 40% chance of becoming a Tropical Depression in the next seven days.
    • If the system reached Tropical Depression status, it would become Tropical Storm Dexter, the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, a mark typically reached around mid-August.
• Starting Wednesday, repeated downpours are expected to bring one to two inches of rain across parts of the Northeast, including the metro areas of New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Columbus, Ohio.
  • The heaviest rainfall is expected south of New England and in northern New York, where some areas could see up to four inches of rain. 
  • Affected areas are expected to see a risk of flash flooding, especially in urban areas and along small streams. 
• Through Thursday, heavy rainfall is also forecasted to create a risk of flash flooding from southern Nebraska to western Michigan, including the metro areas of Chicago, Milwaukee, and Des Moines. 

Wildfires

• As of Wednesday, 108 large active wildfires have burned 1,104,517 acres across AK, AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, SD, UT, and WA. This year to date, 40,431 wildfires have burned 2,647,028 acres across the country.
  • In Alaska, 65 fires have burned 732,745 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Arizona, 3 fires have burned 61,478 acres as of Wednesday.
    • As of Tuesday, the Dragon Bravo Fire had burned 9,289 acres and was 0% contained. 
    • As of Tuesday, the White Sage Fire had burned 52,989 acres and was 4% contained. 
  • In California, 6 fires have burned 106,050 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Colorado, 4 fires have burned 14,914 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Idaho, 4 fires have burned 2,703 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Montana, 1 fire has burned 124 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Nevada, 4 fires have burned 44,495 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In New Mexico, 3 fires have burned 40,321 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Oregon, 7 fires have burned 47,054 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In South Dakota, 1 fire has burned 1,100 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Utah, 4 fires have burned 35,110 acres as of Wednesday. 
  • In Washington, 6 fires have burned 18,423 acres as of Wednesday.

Extreme Heat

• On Wednesday, a Moderate to Major Heat Risk was in place across the eastern U.S., west to the Lower Mississippi Valley, creating an elevated risk for heat-related illness. 
• A recent study found that a megadrought that has been impacting the American Southwest for nearly 25 years may continue through the end of the century. 
  • Researchers found that the megadrought is a result of a pattern of warming Pacific Ocean temperatures that have been “stuck” due to global warming. As human-induced global warming continues, the drought is expected to continue through 2050 and possibly 2100 and beyond.