Climate Impact Report – 9/10

Key Facts Of The Day 9/10

Hurricanes and Tropical Storms

• As of Tuesday morning, a hurricane warning is in effect for parts of the Louisiana coast as Tropical Storm Francine approaches. 
  • As of 3 a.m. ET, the storm was located 120 miles south-south-east of the mouth of the Rio Grande and 415 miles south of Louisiana, with sustained winds of 65 mph.
  • The storm is expected to strengthen into a Category 2 hurricane on Tuesday and make landfall in Louisiana on Wednesday.
  • The storm could bring 10 feet of storm surge and up to 12 inches of rain, triggering flash floods in Louisiana, Texas, and Mississippi. 
  • Several towns along the Louisiana coast have issued evacuation orders.
  • Oil and gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico are evacuating their staff from offshore platforms.

Wildfires

• As of Tuesday, 71 large active wildfires have burned 2,247,356 acres across AL, AZ, CA, ID, MO, MT, NV, OK, OR, WA, and WY. This year, to date, 36,040 wildfires have burned 6,918,822 acres across the country.
• In Arizona, 4 fires have burned 8,812 acres as of Tuesday. 
• In California, 9 fires have burned 504,953 acres as of Tuesday.
  • As of Tuesday, the Line Fire has burned 26,426 acres and is 5% contained.
    • California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in San Bernardino County, announcing that the state had secured federal assistance to suppress the fire that exploded over the weekend.
• In Nevada, 2 fires have burned 13,325 acres as of Tuesday.
  • As of Tuesday, the Davis Fire in Nevada has burned 5,000 acres and was 0% contained. 
• In Oregon, 24 fires have burned 616,322 acres as of Tuesday.
  • As of Tuesday, the Little Lava Fire has burned 1,000 acres and was 0% contained.
    • Late Monday, the Sheriff’s Office expanded the evacuation areas due to significant growth in the fire.
  • As of Tuesday, the Shoe Fly Fire has burned 26,463 acres and was 32% contained.
    • The Shoe Fly Fire was first reported on Sept. 2., and the evacuation orders for residents in the area remained in place.
• Powerful wildfires raging across parts of the western United States — including California, Nevada, and Oregon — have forced thousands of residents to evacuate, temporarily closed schools, and caused power outages.

Extreme Heat 

• The National Weather Service extended excessive heat warnings in California, as triple-digit temperatures are now expected to continue through Tuesday.
• A new report by the World Bank found that since 2022, more than 400 million students across the globe have missed school because of extreme weather linked to the climate crisis.
• A new report found that a 10-year-old in 2024 will experience 36 times more heat waves over the span of their life compared to a 10-year-old in 1970.
• New research from the Global Carbon Project found that methane emissions—a potent greenhouse gas—are rising at the fastest rate in recorded history, making it nearly impossible for the world to meet its climate goals.