Summary
Here’s a recap of today’s developments:
Authorities in Vermont have confirmed that one person was killed during this week’s flooding. Stephen Davoll, 63, from Barre City, died on Wednesday as a result of a drowning accident in his home, the Vermont department of health said. Davoll is the first confirmed fatality in the state related to this week’s storms and flooding.
Vermont’s governor, Phil Scott, said he is seeking an additional major disaster declaration from the White House. If approved, the declaration could open up the state to receive additional federal disaster relief funds. Strong thunderstorms were expected to move into parts of the state by Thursday night, which could cause more flash flooding.
Extreme tropical downpours and severe thunderstorms will return to the US north-east from late this week into early next week, according to meteorologists. There will be a potential for life-threatening and highly disruptive flooding in areas recently affected by flooding, as well as in areas that have not seen flooding yet, AccuWeather meteorologists warned.
A heat dome over California is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures and heightened fire danger. All but California’s coastal regions will be facing extreme temperatures. In the agricultural Central Valley, the towns of Bakersfield, Fresno and Merced could see temperatures of up to 109F (43C) on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures for some parts of the valley could reach up to 117F.
Florida will see more sunshine than ever as it experiences record-breaking temperatures as the marine heatwave persists. South Florida will be most affected by the hot weather. The National Weather Service issued alerts for parts of the area into late Thursday.
The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. It also said isolated severe thunderstorms are expected to develop in parts of Oklahoma, with a risk for very large hail and damaging wind gusts.
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Colorado and Kansas, the National Weather Service said.
Last month was the hottest June globally on record on both land and sea, scientists have said. The average global surface (land and ocean) temperature in June was 1.89F above average, 0.23F warmer than the previous record set in June 2020, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its monthly global climate report.
Mild El Niño climatic conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean will strengthen throughout the year, with an outside chance of a record-breaking event that will further turbocharge already sweltering temperatures around the globe, scientists have forecast.
Swaths of the US are baking under record-breaking heat, yet some lawmakers are still attempting to block any spending to fight the climate crisis, advocates say.
Updated
First fatality confirmed in Vermont flooding
Authorities in Vermont have confirmed that one person was killed during this week’s flooding.
Stephen Davoll, 63, from Barre City, died on Wednesday as a result of a drowning accident in his home, the Vermont department of health said.
The state’s office of the chief medical examiner and the Barre police department investigated the death, the agency said.
Davoll is the first confirmed fatality in the state related to this week’s storms and flooding. More than 200 rescues and 100 evacuations have taken place this week as a result of the extreme weather.
Updated
A tornado watch has been issued for parts of Colorado and Kansas, the National Weather Service said.
Counties in southeast Colorado and southwest Kansas have been upgraded to a Tornado Watch to reflect an increased potential for a few tornadoes late this afternoon and into the evening. pic.twitter.com/kB68n7JePv
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) July 13, 2023
Updated
Environment Canada has confirmed that a tornado touched down in the Montreal area on Thursday as heavy storms persist throughout southern Quebec.
The weather agency said the tornado was spotted in Mirabel, Quebec, but no injuries or damage have been reported.
The initial tornado warning covered several areas, including Lachute, Vaudreuil-Dorion, Salaberry-de-Valleyfield and the region of Rawdon-Joliette.
Tornado warnings for Montreal and surrounding areas were lifted, although tornado watches and severe thunderstorm warnings are still in effect for those areas.
Flooding rains, damaging straight line winds and tornadoes along with widespread power outages due to forest fires way up north. It's been an afternoon in Montreal... https://t.co/8p7XO02OaF
— Anthony Farnell (@AnthonyFarnell) July 13, 2023
Updated
Extreme tropical downpours to bring 'life-threatening' flood risk in northeast
Extreme tropical downpours and severe thunderstorms will return to the US north-east from late this week into early next week, according to meteorologists.
There will be a potential for life-threatening and highly disruptive flooding in areas recently affected by flooding, as well as in areas that have not seen flooding yet, AccuWeather meteorologists warned.
Rainfall rates of up to three inches per hour could result in significant flash flooding and urban flooding, AccuWeather chief meteorologist Jon Porter said.
Whenever rain falls at a rate of 2-3 inches per hour, rain is falling too fast and too furious, and flash flooding will ensue – especially if that cloudburst occurs in an area with already saturated ground from previous heavy rain.
Ocean water temperatures are several degrees above average this summer, which could once again contribute to the dangerous flooding risks in the north-east.
Updated
Here are some of the latest images from the newswires showing the aftermath of the catastrophic flooding in Vermont.
Updated
Vermont governor formally submits request to President Biden for major disaster declaration
Days after devastating rainfall deluged Vermont and with more severe storms on the way, Phil Scott, the state’s governor, said he is seeking an additional major disaster declaration from the White House.
If approved, the declaration could open up the state to receive additional federal disaster relief funds.
“Vermonters have faced incredible loss as a result of this historic and catastrophic flooding event,” said Scott in a statement.
While we’re still focused primarily on the immediate response, as we transition to the recovery phase, federal assistance will be critical to support families, businesses and infrastructure. With support from Washington, and the inspiring resiliency of Vermonters, we will be able to rebuild and recover.
I have just formally submitted a request to @POTUS for a Major Disaster Declaration for Vermont.
— Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) July 13, 2023
Vermonters have faced incredible loss as a result of this historic and catastrophic flooding event. 1/ https://t.co/M0yHf26y12 pic.twitter.com/C5iHLkXGpu
Strong thunderstorms were expected to move into parts of the state by Thursday night, which could cause more flash flooding, Scott said at a news conference. Conditions could spawn a tornado, he said.
Updated
Things are quite literally heating up in the already hot state of Florida.
The state known for sunshine will see more of it than ever as it experiences record-breaking temperatures as the marine heatwave persists.
But the temperature can be deceiving. Because of the ongoing humidity in the region, the “feels-like” temperatures are hotter. In some parts of the state, it can feel as hot as 105F, the Weather Channel said.
South Florida will be most affected by the hot weather. The National Weather Service (NWS) issued alerts for parts of the area into late Thursday.
The NWS warns that those most vulnerable to the heat are pregnant people, newborns, children, the elderly and those living with chronic illnesses.
Everyone is at risk from the dangers of extreme heat, but these groups are more vulnerable than most. Ensure that your loved ones and neighbors are safe from the heat and remain #WeatherReady. https://t.co/em4Ggnzjxq pic.twitter.com/i3oomzBX6L
— National Weather Service (@NWS) July 13, 2023
Updated
The National Weather Service (NWS) said isolated severe thunderstorms are expected to develop in parts of Oklahoma, with a risk for very large hail and damaging wind gusts.
Damaging winds will become a more prominent severe weather hazard as storms increase in coverage this evening, the NWS said. There is a possibility of a tornado or two.
Isolated severe thunderstorms are expected to develop this afternoon with a risk for very large hail and damaging wind gusts. As storms increase in coverage this evening, damaging winds will become a more prominent severe weather hazard. A tornado or two will also be possible. pic.twitter.com/1hUbMLpJ4k
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) July 13, 2023
Updated
I met Michael Shaw while reporting from an encampment in Phoenix, where unhoused residents are grappling with a prolonged heatwave that's kept daily highs above 110F for days. Despite the stifling conditions, he was helping ensure everyone got water who needed it. pic.twitter.com/uXwyrmxcMB
— Gabrielle Canon (@GabrielleCanon) July 13, 2023
The only shade along cooking concrete is under the makeshift shelters that cover the sidewalks. Fatalities during Phoenix’s brutal heatwaves are high here. “It is hell on earth,” Shaw said. “I am pretty tough but these last few days are everything I can handle.”
— Gabrielle Canon (@GabrielleCanon) July 13, 2023
Delivery drivers struggle in 110F heat in Phoenix, Arizona
In the throes of Amazon Prime Day – the retail giant’s mega sales event that ended on Wednesday – millions are awaiting packages delivered on a dime.
In Phoenix, Arizona, where temperatures have remained above 110F all week, delivery drivers are still rushing to get boxes to doorsteps in the sweltering heat.
“This last week was the hottest week on record – it’s crazy,” Gabe Castle said, as he helped shuttle armfuls of packages to another truck that rumbled nearby before taking his allotted 15-minute break.
The other driver had been given a raffle ticket for a $500 drawing in order to pick up some of his load, an initiative by their employer to ensure no one falls too far behind schedule.
Castle is accustomed to working in heat. A former handyman with a construction background, he left his business after suffering some health issues and back problems.
He appreciates the health coverage he gets as a driver, even if it means 10-hour shifts during the hottest parts of the day. He comes prepared.
In his van he’s packed a cooler with 15 ready-to-drink water bottles, six frozen water bottles and five Gatorades. He fills every other bottle with a packet of electrolyte mix. He stashes one of two small towels on ice – and switches them out between deliveries to drape over his head and neck. “This is my AC,” he said, gesturing to the moistened material around his shoulders as sweat and runoff darken his blue shirt.
“It can be rough,” he admits. “If you aren’t doing everything you can to mitigate it you’re going to have a problem.”
Updated
In California, steps are being taken to protect children from the extreme heat.
Today, governor Gavin Newsom announced a new $47m initiative funded by CAL FIRE to replace asphalt on school grounds with more greenery, making outdoor spaces cooler for children who are disproportionately impacted by extreme heat.
The move is part of Newsom’s Extreme Heat Action Plan announced in 2022.
In a press release, Newsom said:
California is heading into a hotter, drier future and extreme heat will only become more dangerous. We’re taking action to protect our kids – especially in underserved communities – from hotter temperatures with our best defense: nature. We’re helping schools tear out asphalt that can reach 140 degrees on hot days – planting trees for shade and adding other plants to provide kids with safer, cooler spaces at school.
California is battling a major heatwave that will bring triple-digit temperatures. Temperatures as high as 125 -130 degrees are expected in California’s Death Valley this weekend.
Updated
Fish are not the only type of wildlife that get displaced.
Eldridge’s wife noticed a number of displaced skunks in Montpelier in the immediate aftermath of this week’s flood. They had likely been nesting in the banks of the Winooski River and its tributary streams before they were flooded. Muskrats and weasels, too, were likely displaced.
One of the most distressing sights around Montpelier in recent days have been the bodies of beavers hit by cars on the roads. Tyler Brown, a wildlife specialist with the department who specializes in beavers and runs the beaver baffle project, which helps to protect beaver-created habitats and studies how their dams can help slow flooding, says the Vermont floods this week will have displaced the beaver population – but only temporarily.
When we get this amount rainfall in so short a time it is likely that beavers will have been displaced from their dams because it’s not likely that a beaver dam could withstand that amount of water,” Brown says. “When it comes to normal thunderstorm-type flooding, beaver dams hold and add capacity for capturing water, and allow water to spill over into wetland areas and release it slowly.” But in a catastrophic flood like on Monday, he says, “it depends on where the dams are in the watershed.”
While it is possible some beavers may have died in the flooding – there were reports of beavers swimming around during the high-water period of the storm – Brown predicts the overall population will be just fine.
“Like humans, beavers are pretty resilient, so they’re likely already rebuilding to re-create their habitats,” he said.
We will just leave them be and let them figure it out. They know their habitat pretty well, so they’re going to move back to suitable sites in their wetland habitats where there are a lot of young trees – willows, alders, maples – to eat the phloem, or inner layer of bark.
Overall, wildlife populations tend to bounce back after flooding events while populations of bears, dear and turkey tend to move temporarily to higher ground.
“Our wildlife populations in Vermont are really healthy, abundant and sustainable,” Brown emphasized, “so they’ll be able to rebound.”
The toll to wildlife from climate crisis-related weather events is an area that often gets overlooked in their immediate aftermath.
But after the flooding in Vermont this week, previous weather calamities – including Tropical Storm Irene, in 2011 – can offer some clues.
Fish in Vermont’s rivers, primarily species of trout – brook, rainbow and brown – have been found to move upriver during increased water flow to less turbulent areas, including tributaries or flooded fields, or find refuge behind fallen trees or rocks.
“This is definitely unprecedented, but studies of smaller floods show that often fish are not displaced and are in the same pools before and after a flood,” said Will Eldridge, an aquatic habitat biologist with Vermont’s fish and wildlife department. “They can often survive in place by finding some refuge behind a structure or ride the edges of the flow up into the flood plain.”
After Hurricane Irene, though, some fish populations fell by 50%, Eldridge says.
But the silver lining is that fish populations do recover pretty quickly, and they can do that because there is less impact in the headwaters and smaller streams, or they can migrate and recolonize areas that have been impacted,” he continued. “So we work hard to protect those headwaters and also provide connectivity between streams and systems.
With the National Weather Service forecasting triple-digit temperatures for the coming days, officials in Sacramento, California, are activating cooling centers to offer relief from the heat.
Some spaces are opening specifically as weather respite centers, while others are offering extended hours in public lobbies or are available for this use during regular business hours.
Public libraries and city community centers are open during their regular business hours for people to use these air-conditioned buildings as places to cool off.
The city also is activating the outreach and engagement center as a weather respite location, offering space for pets and belongings in addition to water, snacks and device recharging.
With the @NWSSacramento forecasting triple-digit temperatures for the coming days, the City is activating cooling centers to offer relief from the heat.
— City of Sacramento (@TheCityofSac) July 13, 2023
Find out more: https://t.co/BdSwUJKfmy pic.twitter.com/S1puB8kKgk
The severe thunderstorm watch issued until this evening for large swaths of the east coast and parts of the midwest will also affect already hard-hit Vermont.
New worries come amid the clean up efforts in the state, which is recovering from this week’s historic heavy floods that destroyed homes and businesses and left debris in their wake.
“This is not expected to be a repeat of Monday and Tuesday, but it will be dangerous in the areas that experience flash flooding,” Vermont Public Safety Commissioner Jennifer Morrison said Thursday.
Morrison confirmed there were no deaths reported from earlier floods.
Governor Phil Scott issued a warning to “remain vigilant and have a plan.”
There is a chance for strong thunderstorms this afternoon, bringing more rain. Vermonters need to remain vigilant and have a plan. Flash floods are expected, and they're unpredictable. Do not take unnecessary risks
— Governor Phil Scott (@GovPhilScott) July 13, 2023
Heat dome to bring triple-digit temperatures to California
A heat dome over California is expected to bring triple-digit temperatures and heightened fire danger.
All but California’s coastal regions will be facing extreme temperatures. In the agricultural Central Valley, the towns of Bakersfield, Fresno and Merced could see temperatures of up to 109F (43C) on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Predictions for some parts of the valley could reach up to 117F.
“Dangerous heat will result in a major to extreme risk for heat-related illnesses for much of the population, especially those who are heat sensitive and those without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration,” warned the National Weather Service.
In Death Valley, temperatures could break the 2021 record of 130F.
The dry heat will desiccate brush, creating the ideal conditions for wildfire. Though strong winds are not expected though most of inland California, gusty conditions along the state’s Interstate 5 could exacerbate risks of a runaway blaze.
The NWS is warning residents to stay indoors, in cooled environments.
Widespread MAJOR HeatRisk is expected this weekend and all individuals without access to proper cooling/hydration will be affected.
— NWS Sacramento (@NWSSacramento) July 13, 2023
Consider rescheduling outdoor plans for cooler parts of the day and have a plan to stay cool and hydrated!#CAwx pic.twitter.com/yOJEcIJcPj
Updated
Here are the latest images from the newswires showing the damage wreaked by a possible tornado in Colon, Michigan.
The National Weather Service has issued a severe thunderstorm watch for parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia until 9 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/P6P8pg8umT
— NWS Severe Tstorm (@NWSSevereTstorm) July 13, 2023
Emergency crews in Ottawa, Canada, are responding to reports of a possible tornado in a suburb in the city’s south end.
Ottawa fire services said it had reports of a tornado in Barrhaven, and photos and videos posted to social media reportedly showed a funnel ground touching down in the area.
Tornado touchdown in Barrhaven pic.twitter.com/tr9ixZZbV0
— Lanlin (@lanlin_zhang) July 13, 2023
Tornado / funnel cloud in Barrhaven. Lots of debris everywhere. @BlacksWeather @ctvottawa @CBCOttawa @CFRAOttawa #ottweather pic.twitter.com/GluRlso7gd
— Stewart Green (@StewartGreen81) July 13, 2023
Environment Canada issued a tornado warning for Ottawa earlier today, warning of a “dangerous and potentially life-threatening situation” and urged residents to take cover immediately if threatening weather approaches. In a statement, the weather agency said:
Environment Canada meteorologists are tracking a severe thunderstorm that is possibly producing a tornado. Damaging winds, large hail and locally intense rainfall are also possible.
The developing Niño has been closely watched by scientists as it is compounding the excess heat spurred by human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels.
Last week was, preliminary data suggests, the hottest week ever reliably recorded, following a June that was the hottest ever documented globally.
The developing Niño is likely to push the world towards even more record-breaking temperatures, scientists warn, as the tangible impacts of the climate crisis continue to unfold.
Michael Mann, a climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania, said:
We have a major El Niño event on our hands, it will certainly continue to develop, and it will almost certainly contribute to 2023 being the hottest year on record.
The combination of human-caused warming and this emerging event is already wreaking havoc across the northern hemisphere this summer in the form of record heat, drought, wildfires and floods.
Mild El Niño climatic conditions brewing in the Pacific Ocean will strengthen throughout the year, with an outside chance of a record-breaking event that will further turbocharge already sweltering temperatures around the globe, scientists have forecast.
Last month saw a “weak” El Niño form, a periodic climatic event where the circulation of the equatorial Pacific Ocean shifts and its temperature rises, causing knock-on heat around the world, according to an update from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa).
This Niño, which has replaced a three-year period of its reverse condition, La Niña, which typically cools the globe, will almost certainly strengthen throughout the year, with an 81% chance it will peak with a “moderate to strong intensity” between November and January, Noaa said.
There is a one-in-five chance that this event will be of “historic” strength, rivaling the major one experienced in 1997, Noaa said. Even if the record is not threatened, however, “El Niños tend to elevate global mean temperatures, so I would not expect this event to be an exception,” said Michelle L’Heureux, a Noaa meteorologist.
Severe thunderstorm warning for parts of New York, Vermont and Ohio Valley as regions still deal with flooding
Severe thunderstorms are likely today across eastern New York and western Vermont, extending into parts of the Ohio Valley, the National Weather Service’s storm prediction center said.
Damaging winds, large hail, and perhaps a couple of tornadoes are possible in these areas, it said.
It also said that additional severe thunderstorms are likely today across portions of the southern and central Plains. Large hail and damaging winds will be the primary hazards with these storms, along with a tornado or two possible.
Severe thunderstorms are likely today across eastern New York and western Vermont, extending into parts of the Ohio Valley. Damaging winds, large hail, and perhaps a couple of tornadoes are possible in these areas. pic.twitter.com/Vv1fwOZYZK
— NWS Storm Prediction Center (@NWSSPC) July 13, 2023
Updated
The National Weather Service in Jackson has issued a flash flood emergency for Louisville with catastrophic damage possible.
Torrential rains from slow-moving thunderstorms have prompted urgent water rescues, with the NWS confirming reports of multiple cars and structures flooded.
The worst rain on Thursday morning was reported in Louisville, where more than 6-12 inches had already fallen with 3-5 more inches of rain still on the way, falling at rates of 2-3 inches per hour, according to the NWS.
Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh told Fox:
We’ve had several vehicles go head first into deep water. In two locations, we have two vehicles that are under water completely.
Many of the surface streets and highways in Louisville were under water, he added.
The water is getting steadily deeper at this point, and it is making it hard to respond to people in homes and residences. We’re urging people that if they need us, we will get to them, and for them to try to stay safe until we can get there and get them saved.
From WCBI News’ meteorologist, Dylan Hudler:
Dangerous flash flooding event unfolding right now in Louisville, Mississippi. This is a Flash Flood EMERGENCY!
— Dylan Hudler (@DylanHudlerWX) July 13, 2023
6-8 inches of rain has fallen in 3 hours, and it's still coming down. pic.twitter.com/8XbEx8PKKX
Updated
Kate Williams, a Vermont environmental campaigner who serves as CEO of 1% for the Planet, a charity that advises individuals and corporations, including Patagonia, on how to support environmental solutions, says the flooding in the state “highlights the intimacy of devastation”. She says:
What we experienced here hit one community and not the next -- and that is exactly what’s happening in communities all over the world
The localized and often seemingly random nature of climate-change related events highlights, Williams says, the importance of knowing local non-profit organizations so that support can be targeted accurately.
Environmental events, Williams acknowledges, can feel extremely personal. “But they also really point out how we are all connected.”
In 2011, her town of Waitsfield, 20 minutes from Montpelier, was “hammered”, while Montpelier was not as badly affected. This week, the situation was reversed.
Whether it my community or your community, it’s all of us on one planet.
Williams advises her clients to make a choice -- to help locally to prevent or mitigate the effects of climate-change, or to act in terms of larger policy changes. Either way, she says, it has to align with something you care about.
For people in Vermont, if they’re feeling crushed by what they’re seeing, they can make a local contribution. Others may be more systems orientated and want to give to give toward changing climate policy that’s affecting their local environment.
“Giving is on one level a most human act but it can also be hard,” Williams says.
It’s good to take the time, without getting stuck and paralyzed, to think through what’s meaningful to you.
Updated
June ocean temperatures highest ever recorded, says NOAA
Last month was the hottest June globally on record on both land and sea, scientists have said.
Ocean temperatures reached record-breaking highs for the month of June, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said in its monthly global climate report.
The average global surface (land and ocean) temperature in June was 1.89 F above average, 0.23F warmer than the previous record set in June 2020, it said.
Last month also marked the 47th-consecutive June and the 532nd-consecutive month with temperatures above the 20th-century average, it added. For the third consecutive month, the global ocean surface temperature hit a record high as weak El Niño conditions that emerged in May continued to strengthen in June.
June 2023 also saw the lowest sea ice coverage for any June on record, according to the NOAA. Earth’s global sea ice extent in June 2023 was 330,000 square miles less than the previous record low from June 2019.
.@NOAA: June 2023 was Earth's hottest June on record. Ocean surface temperatures hit a record high for the third month in a row as global sea ice shrank to a record low for June. More from the global June 2023 #climate report: https://t.co/C6serrCfgQ #StateofClimate pic.twitter.com/N2DQjxEVDy
— NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) July 13, 2023
It should come as no surprise that Texas Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who has accepted massive donations from oil and gas companies, is defending the fossil fuel industry’s interests, said Allie Rosenbluth, US program co-manager at environmental advocacy and research non-profit Oil Change International. She said:
What is really devastating for communities who are experiencing extreme heat, wildfires, flooding and drought across the US is that because of these bought-out politicians, they are not getting the support that they need to be resilient to the face of climate impacts at the federal level.
House Republicans are fighting climate spending, too. To avoid a government shutdown, lawmakers must pass a slew of spending bills before current funding expires on 30 September. But Republican members of the GOP-controlled House appropriations committee are slipping in anti-climate provisions, which aim to block renewable energy funding and imperil federal efforts to tackle the climate crisis, into their spending bill drafts.
Last week, the Clean Budget Coalition – a group of non-profits such as the League of Conservation Voters, Environmental Defense Fund and Public Citizen – identified at least 17 of these “climate poison pills” in appropriation bill drafts. Among them are amendments that would prevent the federal government from purchasing electric vehicles or building EV charging stations; block funding for the Green Climate Fund, which helps developing countries meet their climate goals under the Paris agreement; and prohibit funding for a Department of Energy initiative aiming to send 40% of the overall benefits of certain federal investments to flow to disadvantaged communities.
Elizabeth Gore, senior vice-president for political affairs at Environmental Defense Fund, said these proposals will impede lawmakers’ chance to reach a budget deal before their fall deadline. She said in a release:
This is not a starting point for any reasonable negotiations.
US Republicans oppose climate funding as millions suffer in extreme weather
Swaths of the US are baking under record-breaking heat, yet some lawmakers are still attempting to block any spending to fight the climate crisis, advocates say.
Nearly 90 million Americans are facing heat alerts this week, including in Las Vegas, Nevada, which may break its all-time hottest temperature record; Phoenix, Arizona, which will likely break its streak of consecutive days of temperatures over 110F; and parts of Florida, where a marine heatwave has pushed up water temperatures off the coast to levels normally found in hot tubs.
Stifling heat is also blanketing parts of Texas, which for weeks earlier this summer sweltered under a record-shattering heat dome which one analysis found was made five times more likely by the climate crisis. Despite this, the state’s Republican Senator Ted Cruz is rallying his fellow GOP members of the Senate commerce committee to circulate a memo attacking climate measures in Biden’s proposed 2024 budget, Fox News reported on Wednesday.
The memo specifically calls on Republican members of the Senate appropriations commerce, justice, science subcommittee to reject spending provisions focused on climate resilience and environmental justice efforts for scientific agencies. In one example, the memo objects to a Nasa request to fund its Sustainable Flight National Partnership, which seeks to help zero out planet-warming pollution from aviation.
The memo says:
If the goal is to make imperceptible changes in CO2 emissions as part of the administration’s zealous effort to micromanage global temperatures, then NASA should abandon such wasted mental energy. NASA should not become a plaything for anti-fossil fuel environmentalists.
National Weather Service teams are surveying the damage after severe storms spawned multiple tornadoes across the Chicago area and northeast Illinois, ripping roofs from buildings, knocking down trees and disrupting hundreds of flights.
There were at least five reported tornadoes in Illinois on Wednesday – two in Cook county and one each in DuPage, Kane and McHenry counties.
Below is a map highlighting areas where we suspect tornadoes may have touched down last evening. Our team will be out surveying damage today to determine exactly where these tornadoes tracked. Stay tuned for updates over the next several days. #ILwx pic.twitter.com/SafDnyI3uF
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 13, 2023
The weather service warned on Wednesday evening that a confirmed tornado was on the ground near Chicago’s O’Hare international airport. The twister reportedly damaged warehouses on the west side of the airport, but there were no reports of injuries.
More than 170 flights departing O’Hare airport were canceled and more than 500 delayed, according to the flight tracking service FlightAware.
The storm moved into Michigan before passing through the state and into Canada early this morning, AP reported.
What are some signs of heat stress?
“Heat stress is a spectrum,” said Kristie Ebi, professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Washington. Symptoms can range from small, reddish blisters on one’s hands to fainting. In extreme cases, if the body temperature rises above 103F (39C), it can result in a heatstroke, which can cause the brain and other internal organs to swell, and can be fatal.
Who is most affected by heat stress?
Children, the elderly and pregnant people are among the most vulnerable to heat stress. “Athletes and outdoor workers can be at much higher risk for heat stress,” Ebi said, as the more people move or work, the more heat their bodies have to get rid of. These circumstances are more fraught for people like farm workers, who need to be protected against physical or chemical hazards, such as pesticides. They must wear protective clothing, which can interfere with their bodies’ ability to evaporate sweat.
There is more news on the excessive heat warning in Texas:
The Excessive Heat Warning has been expanded to include most of Southeast Texas and will remain in effect until 8 PM Tonight. Heat Advisories will remain in effect for the entire region through 10 PM Friday. #TXwx #HOUwx #GLSwx #BCSwx #Houston pic.twitter.com/M6MBdFtH3P
— NWS Houston (@NWSHouston) July 13, 2023
It comes after Houston officials said they may open cooling centers to allow people to shelter from the sweltering temperatures.
In California, employers were reminded to adhere to regulations that require outdoor workers are given water, shade and regular breaks to cool off. The state will be performing spot checks at work sites to make sure the rules are being followed, said Jeff Killip, from the Division of Occupational Safety & Health.
The AP reports:
Forecasters said the long-duration heat wave is extremely dangerous, especially for elderly people, homeless residents and other vulnerable populations. The heat could persist into next week as a high pressure dome moves west from Texas. In Arizona, temperatures have hit 110 degrees (43.3 C) for more than a dozen consecutive days.
Horse racing events were canceled at the California State Fair near the state capital over concerns for animal safety.
Meanwhile, California’s wildfire season was ramping up amid the hot, dry conditions with a series of blazes erupting across the state this week, said Secretary Wade Crowfoot of the Natural Resources Agency.
“As we get deeper into the summer and vegetation that grew up during the wet spring dries out, we are seeing an uptick in wildfire activity,” Crowfoot said Wednesday during a state media briefing.
Crowfoot said global climate change was “supercharging” heat waves. California has instituted a $400 million extreme heat action plan to protect workers, help vulnerable communities and assist local communities in opening cooling centers.
Officials said the state’s power system, which was strained to the point of widespread blackouts in recent years, has been fortified and should be able to withstand the latest heat wave. The California Independent System Operator, which runs the electricity grid, said battery storage capacity reached 5,600 megawatts on July 1 — enough to power more than 3.8 million homes for up to four hours before recharging.
“The batteries being added to the grid are charged during the day, when solar power is abundant, and dispatched primarily in the evening hours when demand is still high and the sun is setting and solar capacity diminishing,” Cal ISO said in a statement.
Meterologist Ben Frechette from NBC5 reported that a tornado risk is going up slightly in north-eastern NewYork state:
The risk for a weak tornado has gone up slightly – best chance for rotating thunderstorms will be in the Adirondacks today. Be ready to take shelter if a dangerous storm rolls in. #nywx #vtwx #adk pic.twitter.com/ylmI6llyyl
— Ben Frechette NBC5 (@BenMyNBC5) July 13, 2023
As some parts of the US are sweltering, Vermont was bracing for more rain on Thursday.
Ed Helmore writes:
Water levels throughout the state were dropping on Thursday after last weekend’s surprise deluge that devastated state capital Montpelier.
But the state was bracing for more rain as the clean-up started. At a press conference on Wednesday, Gov. Phil Scott urged Vermonters to remain vigilant as weather forecasters warned of 1-2 more inches of rain could fall on saturated ground.
“This may not be over,” Scott said. Vermont public safety commissioner Jennifer Morrison said that flooding concerns remain for the Winooski River, which broke its banks to flood Montpelier, as well as other rivers in the hard-hit region.
Boil water notices were posted for 12 districts. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders said that he thought Vermonters “all understand that we are now living through the worst natural disaster to impact the state since 1927.”
The clean-up was well underway in Montpelier. ”Everyone has stepped up to make sure that the community is in good shape,” said Marek Zajac, 30, a volunteer at an AmeriCorps tent at the top of Main Street. “We’ve seen the same people come back over and over. After they’ve finished helping at one place, they come back to ask for the next place. They’re covered in mud, and just willing and happy to go out again.”
The National Weather Service in Phoenix has urged residents not to underestimate the hot temperatures over the weekend. They’ve tweeted a map showing temperatures forecast to reach up to 120F in some areas:
Please do not underestimate the excessively hot temperatures coming up this weekend. Some areas are likely to see record high temperatures in the 115-120° range. #azwx #cawx pic.twitter.com/Svrw0zLyYP
— NWS Phoenix (@NWSPhoenix) July 13, 2023
What is heat stress and what causes it?
Heat stress occurs when the body experiences a buildup of heat, at a level that is more than what it can release. “The human body has this fantastic ability to cool through sweat evaporation,” said Uwe Reischl, professor in the school of public and population health at Boise State University. But even when the body is producing sweat, the evaporation can be limited due to humidity in the air.
Another factor that causes body temperature to increase is when a person wears clothing that prevents sweat from being released from skin. And when the body doesn’t have enough water, it becomes dehydrated to the point that it isn’t able to produce sweat any more.
“Heat stress is a spectrum,” said Kristie Ebi, professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Washington. Symptoms can range from small, reddish blisters on one’s hands to fainting. In extreme cases, if the body temperature rises above 103F (39C), it can result in a heatstroke, which can cause the brain and other internal organs to swell, and can be fatal.
Children, the elderly and pregnant people are among the most vulnerable to heat stress. “Athletes and outdoor workers can be at much higher risk for heat stress,” Ebi said, as the more people move or work, the more heat their bodies have to get rid of. These circumstances are more fraught for people like farm workers, who need to be protected against physical or chemical hazards, such as pesticides. They must wear protective clothing, which can interfere with their bodies’ ability to evaporate sweat.
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Here’s more from my colleague Edward Helmore in Montpelier. He spoke to Mike Foster, who rents a now-devastated vinyl records store.
Like many in the town, he had no flood insurance on his properties because the premiums were too steep.
Foster said:
This was a perfect storm. It’s been a wet summer so the ground was saturated. Something has definitely changed. The winters start later and end earlier than when I was a kid.”
But as the mud begins to turn to dust, kicking up choking clouds behind emergency vehicles, many said they were too busy straightening Montpelier to begin to digest what had hit them.
Psychotherapist Kelli O’Neill said:
People are in shock and trying to figure out what to do. I’m sure a lot of us will get flooded with calls in a few days when it really hits people.”
O’Neill said it struck her as sad that Vermont, and Montpelier in particular, had been hit so hard. “There’s a lot of climate-conscious people here. Just people living and working. There are no corporations here, it’s all small businesses.”
Here are the latest images from the newswires showing the damage wreaked by the tornadoes sweeping across Illinois:
Concerns over climate change in Montpelier, Vermont, as residents start clean-up
Montpelier, the state capital of Vermont, began to clean up after the flooding. Here’s the latest from my colleague Edward Helmore on the ground:
As stacks of sodden furniture piled up in heaps on the sidewalk and the post-disaster din of pumps and generators filled the air, some began to reflect on the unsparing nature of extreme weather made more frequent, intense, and unpredictable by climate change.
The town is a liberal enclave in Vermont, and dotted with health food shops, book and clothes stores, Subarus, bicycles, many of its residents bearing the hallmarks of what some parts of America would term an alternative, climate-conscious life.
”It’s pretty typical,” said regenerative farmer Yay Margison. “The smoke we get here isn’t from our fires and the weird climate stuff comes here but not from here. It’s ironic is what it is.”
If Montpelier has a message for the world, Margison added, it is “this is what your toxic lifestyle is doing to other people. Your wastefulness is affecting everybody. This is the effect of the people in power making money. This is capitalism.”
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There were no immediate reports of injuries but the storms forced authorities to ground all departures of commercial flights into O’Hare and Midway airports, the Federal Aviation Administration reported.
More than 300 flights in and out of O’Hare and another 32 in and out of Midway were canceled, according to FlightAware, while hundreds of people sought shelter at O’Hare.
Lynn Becker, a longtime Chicago resident, posted video to Twitter with the sirens sounding out across the city’s skyline.
“I’m in a 60-story apartment building so my options are somewhat limited,” he said. “We have to, I assume, go into the core of the building.
“There’s a certain panic when you’re watching a TV screen and everything is in red … but the hope is that the damage is minimal,” he said.
You can read our full report here:
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The National Weather Service has tweeted a map this morning showing where its experts suspect tornadoes may have touched down on Wednesday evening.
The map shows between 5pm and 7pm local time, multiple tornadoes tracked across parts of northeast Illinois – with some happening close to each other.
In the tweet, the NWS added: “Our team will be out surveying damage today to determine exactly where these tornadoes tracked.”
Below is a map highlighting areas where we suspect tornadoes may have touched down last evening. Our team will be out surveying damage today to determine exactly where these tornadoes tracked. Stay tuned for updates over the next several days. #ILwx pic.twitter.com/SafDnyI3uF
— NWS Chicago (@NWSChicago) July 13, 2023
US south-west bracing for heat as Chicago deals with aftermath of tornadoes
The US south-west is bracing for another day of triple-digit temperatures and an increased risk of wildfires on Thursday after days of record heat and dry conditions.
Across the US, more than 111 million people were under extreme heat advisories, watches and warnings, mostly in the south-west.
Blistering conditions will build on Friday and throughout the weekend in the central and southern parts of California, where many residents should prepare for the hottest weather of the year, the National Weather Service warned.
Midday highs were mostly expected to be above 100F (37.7 C), and desert areas could reach 120F (48.8 C), forecasters said. Night time brings little relief with temperatures in the 80s (above 26.6C).
An excessive heat watch was in effect through Sunday for interior Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
“Please plan accordingly, this is not the time to be hiking or be outside for long durations,” the weather service’s LA office said on Twitter. “If you need to work outside, shift hours to the early morning, take frequent breaks and hydrate!”
Meanwhile, tornadoes and thunderstorms battered the Chicago area on Wednesday, forcing airports to halt air traffic and prompting officials to advise residents to seek shelter as tornado sirens echoed through the third largest US city.
The National Weather Service reported that a tornado touched down near Chicago’s O’Hare international airport on Wednesday evening – one of at least eight tornadoes to hit north-eastern Illinois, including four in Cook county.
“This tornado has been touching the ground intermittently so far and is moving east. There are additional circulations along the line south of O’Hare. Seek shelter if in the warned area,” it said, before reporting less than an hour later that the area was tornado free.
Welcome to our live coverage of extreme weather gripping the US. We’ll bring you the latest updates and images as we get them. If you want to let us know how you’re coping with the conditions where you are, please get in touch via our callout:
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