Climate Impact Report – 7/22

Key Facts Of The Day 7/22

Storms and Flooding

• On Tuesday, more than 65 million Americans were under flash flood warnings.
  • Scattered severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, and large hail were forecast in the northern Plains and upper Mississippi Valley. 
  • The excessive rainfall was expected to create flooding across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and the Southeast. 
  • Areas in the Southeast with higher terrain and burn scar areas will be most susceptible to flash flooding.  
  • On Monday, one woman died during a flash flooding event in Oakland Park, Kansas.

Wildfires

• As of Tuesday, the Cram Fire had burned 95,736 acres and was 73% contained.
  • The Cram Fire is the largest U.S. wildfire so far this year.
  • As of Tuesday, evacuation orders and warnings remained in place across at least three counties, but fire officials expect that cooler weather, potential rain, and high humidity may create moderate fire behavior and slow the fire’s spread. 
• A recent study found that climate change is making extreme forest fire years more common.
  • Researchers found that between 2023 and 2024, the areas of forest canopy lost due to wildfires were at least two times greater than the annual average of the past twenty years. 
• A new report estimates that the Palisades and Eaton wildfires, which devastated Los Angeles County in January 2025, caused $37 billion and $28 billion in economic losses, respectively.
  • Together, the two LA County Fires caused more than twice as much economic damage as the 2018 Camp Fire, which had previously held the record for the costliest fire in U.S. history. 
• As of Tuesday, a report found that more than a quarter of the U.S. Forest Service’s firefighting positions were vacant, despite being in the peak of the wildfire season. 

Extreme Heat

• On Tuesday, a large heat dome was expanding across the Central Plains, Midwest, and Deep South, putting nearly 60 million people under heat-related warnings, watches, and advisories.
  • By the end of the week, an estimated 200 million people were expected to see triple-digit feels-like temperatures. 
  • The record-breaking heat and high humidity levels will increase the risk of heat-related illnesses in affected areas, especially for outdoor workers.    
• A new report found that climate change-induced extreme weather is driving up the cost of basic food items globally. 
  • Researchers looked at 16 examples of increased food prices from extreme heat, drought, or heavy precipitation between 2022 and 2024 across 18 counties. The study included California and Arizona, where the price of vegetables rose 80% from November 2021 to November 2022 due to extreme heat and water shortages over the summer of 2022.