Extreme weather news and discussion

[weatheriscool]

Massive flooding in eastern Kentucky engulfs homes, leaves several dead
Source: Washington Post

A new round of catastrophic flooding has struck the central United States, this time in the Appalachian foothills of eastern Kentucky, swamping communities and leaving several people missing or trapped, with at least three people dead.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) called the event “one of the worst, most devastating flooding events in Kentucky’s history” Thursday morning and said “we expect double digit deaths” at a news conference midday. “I do believe it will end up being one of the most significant deadly floods that we have had in Kentucky in at least a very long time,” he said.

Images shared on social media show houses submerged to their roofs, cars swept away, and serious damage to roadways and other infrastructure.Beshear said that people were still waiting to be rescued midday while police searched for missing people. “This isn’t just a disaster, it’s an ongoing natural disaster,” Beshear said. “We are in the midst of it. and for some place it will continue through tonight.” An additional two to three inches of rain forecast for the impacted area Thursday night, Beshear said.

Flooding was reported in numerous counties in southeastern Kentucky early Thursday, including Breathitt, Floyd, Perry, Knott, Leslie, Pike and Magoffin. Scott Sandlin, answering phones for Perry County Emergency Management, confirmed one death, but he didn’t have any details about the victim or circumstances. “Our county has been devastated. We’ve just washed away," Scott said. "It’s been the highest level of water I’ve ever seen.”

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate- ... on-hazard/

[weatheriscool]

Weekend updates from Eastern Kentucky: Death toll rises past 20 amid flood recovery efforts
Source: Louisville Courier-Journal

Families, rescue crews and others in Eastern Kentucky are still picking up the pieces this weekend after flooding ripped through the region earlier this week.

The death toll currently sits at 25, according to a Saturday morning update from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, and that figure is expected to rise as water recedes and more information becomes available. Four of the confirmed deaths were children, Beshear said – it had previously been believed that six children had died, Beshear said, but two of those individuals were later determined to have been adults.

Beshear is set to speak Saturday at noon. In the meantime, The Courier Journal has several reporters and photographers in the region this weekend – here's a look at what they're seeing.

Read more: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/n ... 387121007/

[weatheriscool]

Wildfires in West explode in size amid hot, windy conditions
Source: AP

By JULIE WATSON and REBECCA BOONE

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Wildfires in California and Montana exploded in size overnight amid windy, hot conditions and were quickly encroaching on neighborhoods, forcing evacuation orders for over 100 homes Saturday, while an Idaho blaze was spreading.

In California’s Klamath National Forest, the fast-moving McKinney fire, which started Friday, went from charring just over 1 square mile (1 square kilometer) to scorching as much as 62 square miles (160 square kilometers) by Saturday in a largely rural area near the Oregon state line, according to fire officials. The fire burned down at least a dozen residences and wildlife was seen fleeing the area to avoid the flames.

“It’s continuing to grow with erratic winds and thunderstorms in the area and we’re in triple digit temperatures,” said Caroline Quintanilla, a spokeswoman at Klamath National Forest.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Saturday as the fire intensified. The proclamation allows Newsom more flexibility to make emergency response and recovery effort decisions and access federal aid.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-ca ... 5b2ffe532c

[weatheriscool]

France's 2nd heat wave of the year leaves Paris sweltering
Source: AP

PARIS (AP) — Paris’ regional authorities warned residents to be vigilant Wednesday, with temperatures soaring to 36 degrees Celsius (97 Fahrenheit). In a tweet, the Ile-de-France prefecture also asked residents to moderate their water consumption amid a “major dry spell.”

Elsewhere in France, some 27 departments have now been placed on “orange alert” with a heat wave spreading mainly to the east of mainland France. Temperatures are set to hit up to 40 C (104 F) in some places in the south. The heat will reach its peak Wednesday, and begin to decline Thursday.

This August heat wave episode should be shorter than that of July, according to the French weather agency.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/health-franc ... e41ef83a99

[weatheriscool]

France Forms Crisis Unit to Face Worst Drought on Record
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -on-record
Samy Adghirni
August 5, 2022 at 3:36 AM PDTUpdated onAugust 5, 2022 at 4:21 AM PDT

The French government activated a crisis unit to deal with the worst drought on record, and warned conditions could get worse.

The inter-ministerial task force will coordinate water supply to areas most affected and track the drought’s impact on energy production and agriculture, the office of Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said Friday. Borne’s office also urged people to conserve water and said restrictions will continue to be put in place where necessary to prioritize health needs, security and drinking water supply.

[weatheriscool]

Flash floods strand 1K people in Death Valley National Park
Source: AP

DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, Calif. (AP) — Flash flooding at Death Valley National Park triggered by heavy rainfall on Friday buried cars, forced officials to close all roads in and out the park and stranded about 1,000 people, officials said

The park near the California-Nevada state line received at least 1.7 inches (4.3 centimeters) of rain at the Furnace Creek area, which park officials in a statement said represented “nearly an entire year’s worth of rain in one morning.” The park’s average annual rainfall is 1.9 inches (4.8 centimeters).

About 60 vehicles were buried in debris and about 500 visitors and 500 park workers were stranded, park officials said. There were no immediate reports of injuries and the California Department of Transportation estimated it would take four to six hours to open a road that would allow park visitors to leave.

It was the second major flooding event at the park this week. Some roads were closed Monday after they were inundated with mud and debris from flash floods that also hit western Nevada and northern Arizona hard.

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... r-AA10mzmH

[weatheriscool]

Biden surveys flood damage in Kentucky, pledges more US help
Source: AP

By SEUNG MIN KIM, CHRIS MEGERIAN and BRUCE SCHREINER

LOST CREEK, Ky. (AP) — President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday witnessed the damage from deadly and devastating storms that have resulted in the worst flooding in Kentucky’s history, as they visited the state to meet with families and first responders.

At least 37 people have died since last month’s deluge, which dropped 8 to 10-1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours. Gov. Andy Beshear told Biden that authorities expect to add at least one other death to the total. The National Weather Service said Sunday that flooding remains a threat, warning of more thunderstorms through Thursday.

The president said the nation has an obligation to help all its people, declaring the federal government would provide support until residents were back on their feet. Behind him as he spoke was a single-story house that the storm had dislodged and then left littered on the ground, tilted sideways.

“We have the capacity to do this — it’s not like it’s beyond our control,” Biden said. “We’re staying until everybody’s back to where they were.”

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/floods-torna ... 5edebdae9d

[weatheriscool]

France in midst of 4th heat wave amid historic drought
Source: AP

PARIS (AP) — France was in the midst of its fourth heat wave of the year Monday as the country faces what the government warned is its worst drought on record.

National weather agency Meteo France said the heat wave began in the south and is expected to spread across the country and last until the weekend.

Overall, the southern half of France expects daytime temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) ad won’t drop at night below 20 C (68 F).

The high temperatures aren’t helping firefighters battling a wildfire in the Chartreuse Mountains near the Alps in eastern France, where authorities have evacuated around 140 people.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/france-droug ... f9b74f33e3

[caltrek]

Drought Increases Microbe-laden Dust Landing in Sierras
August 9, 2022

Introduction:

(EurekAlert) Dust from all over the world is landing in the Sierra Nevada mountains carrying microbes that are toxic to both plants and humans.

Research from UC Riverside shows higher concentrations of the dust are landing at lower elevations, where people are more likely to be hiking.

“Pathogenic dust is becoming more of a threat as the Earth gets drier and more parched. As it turns out, you can’t go climb a mountain to get away from it all,” said UCR microbial ecologist Mia Maltz, who led the study.

The researchers detail the types of fungi and bacteria landing from low to high elevations in the mountains in a new Frontiers in Microbiology paper. “Some of these microbes can cause crop failures and human respiratory disease,” said Maltz.

At the lower elevations, the researchers found more powdery mildews and sooty molds, which can lead to forest blight and crop losses. They also found fungi like Cryptococcus, a sticky yeast, and the plant pathogen Alternaria, both of which can be inhaled or form infections in human lungs.

Read more here: https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/961264

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

France's longest river (the Loire) is at its lowest recorded level:

[weatheriscool]

New water cuts coming for Southwest as Colorado River falls into Tier 2 shortage
Source: CNN

(CNN)An extraordinary drought in the West is drying up the Colorado River and draining the nation's largest reservoirs -- Lake Mead and Lake Powell. And amid the overuse of the river and the aridification of the region, the federal government is implementing new mandatory water cuts and asking states to devise a plan to save the river basin. The federal government announced Tuesday the Colorado River will operate in a Tier 2 shortage condition for the first time starting in January as the West's historic drought has taken a severe toll on Lake Mead.

According to a new projection from the Department of Interior, Lake Mead's water level will be below 1,050 feet above sea level come January -- the threshold required to declare a Tier 2 shortage starting in 2023. The Tier 2 shortage means Arizona, Nevada and Mexico will have to further reduce their Colorado River use beginning in January. California will not yet have cuts made to the water they receive from the Colorado River. Of the impacted states, Arizona will face the largest cuts -- 592,000 acre-feet -- or approximately 21% of the state's yearly allotment of river water.

"Every sector in every state has a responsibility to ensure that water is used with maximum efficiency. In order to avoid a catastrophic collapse of the Colorado River System and a future of uncertainty and conflict, water use in the Basin must be reduced," Interior's assistant secretary for water and science Tanya Trujillo said in a statement. It was just a year ago that the Department of Interior declared the first shortage on the Colorado River -- a Tier 1.

But the past 12 months did not bring enough rain and snow. Lake Mead's level has been around 1,040 feet this summer, just 27% of its full capacity. The growing concern is that the mandatory cuts announced today -- part of a system that was updated as recently as 2019 -- aren't enough to save the river in the face of a historic, climate change-driven drought. States, water managers and tribes are now back at the negotiating table to figure out how to solve the West's water crisis.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/16/us/color ... index.html

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Europe storms: Children among dead in France, Austria and Italy
Source: BBC News

Powerful storms have battered areas of central and southern Europe, killing at least 12 people including three children.

The deaths, most from falling trees, were reported in Italy and Austria, and on the French island of Corsica.

Heavy rain and winds wrecked campsites on the island, while in Venice, Italy, masonry was blown off the belltower of St Mark's Basilica.

The storms follow weeks of heatwave and drought across much of the continent

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62598573

[caltrek]

Yangtze Shrinks as China’s Drought Disrupts Industry
August 19, 2022

Introduction:

(Courthouse News) CHONGQING, China (AP) — Ships crept down the middle of the Yangtze on Friday after China's driest summer in six decades left one of the mightiest rivers barely half its normal width and set off a scramble to contain the damage to a weak economy in a politically sensitive year.

Factories in Sichuan province and the adjacent metropolis of Chongqing in the southwest were ordered to shut down after reservoirs that supply hydropower fell to half their normal levels and demand for air conditioning surged in scorching temperatures.

River ferries in Chongqing that usually are packed with sightseers were empty and tied to piers beside mudflats that stretched as much as 50 meters (50 yards) from the normal shoreline to the depleted river's edge. Smaller ships sailed down the middle of the Yangtze, one of China's biggest trade channels, but no large cargo ships could be seen.

Normally bustling streets were empty after temperatures hit 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit) in Chongqing on Thursday. State media said that was the hottest in China outside the desert region of Xinjiang in the northwest since official records began in 1961.

Read more here: https://www.courthousenews.com/yangtze ... industry/

[wjfox]

[weatheriscool]

Floodwaters overtake trucks and cars in downtown Dallas as flash flooding threat persists
Source: CNN

Flooding overwhelmed cars and trucks early Monday on interstates in downtown Dallas as flash flooding continues to threaten into the morning rush hour.

Though the heaviest rain has moved out, flash flooding is due to continue for a few more hours as broader flood watches Monday cover over 13 million people from northeastern Texas into northern Louisiana and far southern Arkansas from the same system that unleashed heavy rain and flash floods this weekend in parts of the Southwest.

Fast-rising water trapped vehicles around 3 a.m. CT (4 a.m. ET) on Interstate 30 in Dallas, said Cassondra Anna Mae Stewart, who took video of the dark, watery scene.

“I was able to back up on a ramp to get off the highway,” she said. “I took an alternate route home … although most streets are flooded down there as well.”

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topst ... r-AA10Vi3q

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

Flooding hits Dallas-Fort Worth as some areas receive more than 13 inches of rain

Aug. 22, 2022

Thunderstorms hit the Dallas-Fort Worth area Sunday night into Monday and dropped massive amounts of rain in the span of 18 hours, inundating streets, flooding homes and forcing some drivers to abandon their vehicles in high water.

Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has declared a state of disaster in the region based on preliminary damage assessments, allowing the area to use available state resources to respond. Jenkins has also requested federal assistance.

Gov. Greg Abbott also directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to increase the readiness level of the state’s emergency operations center to support communities impacted by the flooding.

The rainfall in some areas qualifies as a 1-in-1,000-year flood, which means that in any given year it has a 0.1% chance of happening. Such events could become more frequent in the coming decades as the effects of climate change worsen. Climate scientists have found that warming temperatures increases the frequency of bouts of extreme precipitation.

The east side of Dallas received 13 to 15 inches of rainfall over the past 24 hours, according to a reading from Dallas Water Utilities.

https://www.texastribune.org/2022/08/22 ... ort-worth/