**Saharan Dust Storms Impact & Preparation – Summary Nuggets**

**1.

Air Quality & Health:**
- Saharan dust enters Texas between late spring and early fall almost every year, leading to noticeably dustier and hazier skies (a “milky white” appearance, especially in the afternoons).

- Poor air quality can particularly affect individuals with respiratory issues, allergies, the elderly, and young children.

Advisories recommend staying indoors with windows and doors closed when dust concentrations are high.

Weather & Temperature Effects:**
- Dust layers can suppress rainfall and cloud formation by stabilizing the atmosphere, which may lead to hotter and drier conditions on a local scale, sometimes intensifying existing heat events.

- Dust particles can also scatter sunlight, slightly cooling surface temperatures during the day, but by trapping outgoing radiation, can keep nights warmer.

- The dust interacts with regional weather patterns (like the Southwest monsoon and La Niña), potentially altering precipitation cycles and exacerbating drought conditions.

Impacts on Urban Systems—Power & Infrastructure:**
- Hazy, hotter, and drier conditions can raise electricity demand (e.g., for air conditioning), increasing stress on the power grid and raising energy costs, as seen with recent spikes in CPS Energy bills during heat events.

- Visibility reductions can lead to traffic hazards—drivers may need to slow down, and more accidents are possible during thick dust events.

- Building HVAC systems and other machinery that pulls in outdoor air may be impacted by dust accumulation, reducing efficiency and increasing maintenance needs.

Areas Impacted & Historical Context:**
- Saharan dust regularly crosses the Atlantic, affecting not only Texas but states along the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and parts of Central and South America.

Effects are observed as far west as San Antonio and northward on occasion.

- In the past, these storms have contributed to longer, hotter dry spells, worsened air quality, and influenced storm development (e.g., sometimes dampening hurricane formation).

Environmental & Secondary Impacts:**
- Dust can fertilize soils across the Americas (positive impact), notably by supplying nutrients like iron to the Amazon rainforest.

- Long-term dust exposure may exacerbate water system stress by altering evaporation and precipitation, with cascading impacts on reservoirs and aquifers.

- Dust can interact with urban "slow water" projects or landscape designs meant to manage stormwater and flooding, requiring adaptive strategies.

Preparedness & Mitigation Recommendations:**
- Issue early public advisories focusing on vulnerable populations, advising staying indoors and using air filtration.

- Ensure public buildings and shelters have enhanced air filtration; encourage maintenance of HVAC systems ahead of dust season.

- Adjust city and emergency services staffing/response for likely increases in medical and traffic incidents.

- Communicate with power companies to anticipate and manage peak energy usage.

- Encourage “urban sponge” and “slow water” strategies to improve overall climate and pollution resilience.

- Engage in community education about closing homes, outdoor activity avoidance during high-dust periods, and symptom awareness.

- Monitor and model dust movement to fine-tune local advisories and utility coordination, learning from prior years’ storm impacts.

**Summary:**
Saharan dust storms, a regular late-spring to fall event, degrade air quality, can slightly modify temperatures, impact power and health systems, and have both positive (soil fertilization) and negative (respiratory, visibility, and water stress) effects in San Antonio and broadly across the Americas.

Preparation involves public health messaging, infrastructure adaptation, and resilient planning to mitigate impacts.

Here are key nuggets of information from the supplied extracts, with particular emphasis on weather impacts, air conditions, traffic, infrastructure, and public health—relevant for planning for Saharan dust storms and similar events:

**1.

Weather and Immediate Environmental Impacts:**
- Large-scale storms (e.g., derechos, cyclones) can cause severe destruction, disrupting infrastructure for at least six hours, demolishing anything in their path.

- Dust storms may be accompanied by unusual weather, such as hail followed by heavy showers, leading to widespread flooding and traffic complications.

- Powerful cyclones increase water vapor movement, potentially worsening rain and flooding.

- Lingering harmful air quality is more likely during stagnant weather (no wind) as pollutants accumulate.

Historical Impacts and Affected Areas:**
- Severe storms have been reported in the Americas and Europe, with notable events in El Salvador (rain, landslides), Oklahoma (tornado devastation), and South Dakota (derecho with green sky and hurricane-force winds).

- Events impact major US regions, including Texas and Florida, causing major flight cancellations and disruptions.

- Flat, low-lying regions are at increased risk of flooding from storms and extreme rainfall.

Impacts on City Infrastructure:**
- Flooding from storms overpowers drainage and sewage systems, leading to street and property inundation.

- Power outages may occur if water infiltrates electrical systems.

- Air traffic may be disrupted—a note for major transportation nodes.

- Sewerage systems can be a critical weak point if rainfall and runoff exceed design limitations.

Air Quality and Health Implications:**
- Monitored atmospheric samples often exceed permissible limits for harmful substances after weather events, especially if wind fails to disperse pollutants and dust.

- Persistent poor air from dust or emissions can cause noticeable odors and long-term health effects, even when levels are just below regulatory thresholds.

- Saharan dust specifically is known to exacerbate respiratory illnesses (asthma, allergies) and increase hospital visits.

Recommendations for Preparation and Mitigation:**
- Early monitoring and public warnings ahead of storms or dust arrivals.

- Enhanced air quality monitoring during predicted dust invasions; encourage industries to minimize emissions during stagnant weather.

- Maintain and reinforce drainage infrastructure; use sandbags and sealing measures to protect buildings.

- Educate the public on health risks (especially vulnerable groups) and ensure rapid access to medical assistance.

- Consider floodplain and low coastal zone development limitations in future planning.

- Temporary relocation of residents may be needed in high-risk areas during severe events.

Positive and Negative Impacts:**
- Negative: Health risks, destruction of infrastructure, increased roadway and air traffic accidents, overwhelmed emergency services, power outages.

- Positive: In some cases, Saharan dust can fertilize soil by transporting minerals, and may suppress Atlantic hurricane formation by stabilizing the atmosphere.

In summary, Saharan dust storms—though not identical to cyclones or derechos—bring hazardous air, respiratory risks, reduced visibility impacting traffic, and strain to city systems.

Proactive monitoring, robust infrastructure, and public communication are essential mitigations for San Antonio.

The Americas, particularly the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and southeastern US, are most impacted by Saharan dust.

**Summary Nuggets on Weather, Heat, and Dust Storm Impacts (2500 characters)**

**General Weather Impacts & Trends:**
- Recent years have been the hottest on record globally, driven by climate change and exacerbated by weather phenomena like La Niña.

- Extreme weather events (heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires) are increasing in frequency and severity across the US, including San Antonio and other parts of Texas.

- Heat-related deaths in the US reach 600 per year, making heat the deadliest weather hazard.

- Meteorological services are increasing efforts and funding to forecast and prepare for these hazards.

**Local Relevance (San Antonio Region):**
- Heatwaves in San Antonio, combined with drought, create critical health and safety risks, particularly for vulnerable populations (outdoor workers, those with compromised health).

- Historic migrant deaths have occurred in the city due to extreme heat and dehydration.

- Interconnectedness with climate (heat induces wildfires and drought, which feed into further air and health quality issues).

**Saharan Dust Storm Impacts (Historical Data):**
- Saharan dust storms affect weather and air quality across the Americas—especially the Caribbean, Gulf Coast, Mexico, Central America, and southern US (including Texas).

- Dust events have triggered states of emergency, especially in arid or semi-arid zones.

- Strong winds from dust storms can cause power outages via damage to infrastructure, topple trees and light poles, and damage roofs/buildings.

- Traffic accidents increase during dust storms due to reduced visibility and slippery roads.

- Medical emergencies spike: respiratory distress, asthma, and allergies.

Example: In a single North African storm, over 100 cases of breathing problems were recorded in 48 hours, mostly in those with pre-existing conditions.

- Dust from Saharan storms can suppress hurricane formation by creating dry air layers in the Atlantic.

**Negative Impacts:**
- Worsened air quality and respiratory issues in sensitive populations (children, elderly, those with asthma or allergies).

- Power grid disruption from wind damage and additional load as citizens seek to cool their homes.

- Transportation hazards: reduced road and air visibility, increased accident rates.

- Secondary damage: infrastructure (power poles, roofs), wildfires (if dry lightning accompanies).

**Positive Impacts:**
- Saharan dust can bring minerals beneficial for soil fertilization and some marine ecosystems.

- Suppression of hurricanes due to altered atmospheric stability and dry air.

- Set up cooling centers and safe indoor spaces with filtered air.

**Saharan Dust Storms Impact & Preparation – Summary Nuggets**

**1.

Title:

Content: Hurricane Killer? Here are some things you may not know about Saharan dust

Dust from Africa moves across the Atlantic every year from late spring to early fall

It’s a common visitor in the summer months: dust from the Saharan Desert. Hazy skies and occasional allergies are common issues caused by the dust. But did you know that this layer of dust is more interesting than it appears? Here are some things you may not know about Saharan dust:

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Millions of tons of dust are transported across the Atlantic every year
  • Nutrient-rich Saharan dust plays a crucial role in the global ecosystem
  • Dust suppresses hurricane development

WHOLE LOTTA DUST!

Every year, from late spring to early fall, trade winds transport 180 million tons of dust from the Saharan Desert across the Atlantic Ocean. Impressively, that’s as much as 4.5 million 18-wheelers full of dust!

NATURE’S BEST FRIEND

Saharan dust is often rich in nutrients like iron and phosphorus. As the dust settles over the ocean, it fertilizes algae and plankton, allowing them to grow and flourish in an otherwise barren environment. These organisms are vital sources of food for ocean life.

Similarly, as the dust settles over land, areas like the Amazon rainforest benefit from the extra nutrients.

HURRICANE EXTINGUISHER

The African dust that moves across the Atlantic Ocean is also called the Saharan Air Layer (SAL). The SAL occurs in waves at the same time as Atlantic hurricane season, from June through November.

It’s known that the SAL limits hurricane development and strength. This is because tropical storms like hurricanes need deep, rich moisture from the surface to the top of the atmosphere to survive. Since the air carrying Saharan dust is usually dry, it can prevent storms from forming and suppress existing storms from growing and strengthening.

DUST’S IMPACT ON TEXAS

While a dense plume of dust sometimes causes minor allergy-like symptoms for some, the most noticeable impact is on Texas skies. A haze often forms on the horizon, giving an ordinarily clear, blue sky a milky hue during the day.

At sunrise and sunset, the horizon can appear brilliantly orange because, with dust in the air, sunlight has more particles to bounce off.

About the Author

Sarah Spivey is a San Antonio native who grew up watching KSAT. She has been a proud member of the KSAT Weather Authority Team since 2017. Sarah is a Clark High School and Texas A&M University graduate. She previously worked at KTEN News. When Sarah is not busy forecasting, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and cat, and playing music.

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Air Quality & Health:**
- Saharan dust enters Texas between late spring and early fall almost every year, leading to noticeably dustier and hazier skies (a “milky white” appearance, especially in the afternoons).

Title:

Content: Breaking News
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San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Poor air quality can particularly affect individuals with respiratory issues, allergies, the elderly, and young children.

Title:

Content: For a few months each year, the Desert Southwest transforms into a storm photographer’s paradise. Nourishing rains pour from the sky in daily deluges. Hulking thunderheads tap the desert heat to soar higher than jetliners fly. Bolts of electricity light up the sky as bursts of wind descend to the ground, kicking up vast clouds of dust.

It’s a raucous meteorological symphony that’s dazzled and drenched this summer. Known as the Southwest monsoon, it largely failed to materialize last summer. Perhaps making up for lost time, it’s cranking this year.

Strictly speaking, a monsoon is a seasonal wind shift, but when it arrives, it’s like flipping a switch. The ordinarily arid desert landscape quickly becomes a minefield of thunderstorms, with an abrupt influx of humidity arriving as the jet stream retreats north. High pressure to the east and southeast also aids moisture inflow to the region, as a tropical air mass gets shoved in from the south.

Last year’s monsoon barely showed up and only after considerable delay, but the fierceness of the storms didn’t make up for their tardiness.

On July 25, 2020, a rain shower in Phoenix ended a 103-day dry streak. Several tornadoes even touched down in the Desert Southwest, whirling ominously in an area accustomed to tumbleweeds and dust devils.

This year’s storms have been a seemingly relentless cacophony of meteorological ferocity and chaos, interspersed by more delicate, visually compelling moments. As meteorologists worked to keep abreast of the unstable conditions, photographers seized the opportunity to snap stunning shots.

“I love the lightning, which really piqued my interest,” said Mike Olbinski, a well-known storm chaser and photographer who lives in Phoenix and follows the atmosphere’s most spectacular storms.

Olbinski continued: “As for my favorite thing to shoot, I love a dust storm … it’s so dynamic. Lightning also is, if you can get it anywhere, with our landscape, cactus, mountains … it’s kind of special.”

Behind the monsoon

During most of the year, upper-level winds over the Desert Southwest blow from west to east. That keeps the area dry and sunny, starved of the moisture needed to generate storms. Once the strong upper-atmospheric winds relax and high pressure builds over the central United States, though, a more southerly flow can sneak in at the surface, bringing a humidity increase.

That added moisture actually cools temperatures back several degrees from the peak, which often comes before the monsoon begins, but it’s still blisteringly hot. It also allows for pop-up storms to appear about the area.

“We use a seasonal definition across the Southwest,” said Paul Iñiguez, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Phoenix. “It’s part of a much larger pattern across a chunk of the Southwest and Mexico [between about] June 15 and September 30.”

These dates encapsulate the entire monsoonal feature that drives storminess over the Western United States. Specific dates vary from one local region to another. The monsoon ordinarily kicks in at the start of July in Phoenix, for example.

“You kind of get ebbs and flows of moisture as these air masses are kind of moving around,” Iñiguez said. “You’ve got a more humid air mass coming up and out of Mexico, with repeated thunderstorms, repeated convection.”

To feast from famine: How this summer cancels out last year’s ‘nonsoon’

Last year featured a slow start to the season for much of greater Phoenix, a city that sees roughly three inches of rain annually during monsoon season. That may not sound like much, but the city of 1.7 million averages only eight inches a year. That means monsoon season makes up nearly 40 percent of the city’s yearly rainfall.

“On average, first week of July, with a lot of spread, is when we get those first rains,” Iñiguez said during a 2020 interview.

Last summer, Phoenix didn’t pick up any measurable rainfall until July 24. The delayed monsoon probably played a role in the city achieving its hottest July and summer on record. Last year’s average July temperature was a whopping 98.9 degrees; this July, riddled with clouds, was about five degrees cooler.

Both July and August 2021 have featured double the average amount of rain that falls in the city, a stark reversal from last year, during which hardly an inch fell between the two months.

Despite how heavily the rains come down, much of it evades collection.

“It’s not a big contributor to water resources,” Iñiguez said. “A lot of it gets recycled or goes into evapotranspiration. A little farther south and east into Arizona, in the far southeastern part of the state, 70 percent of their annual rainfall comes down this time of year.”

Ken Drozd, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Tucson, concurred.

“We like to get the winter rains and mountain snows, because [they] will actually soak in more,” Drozd said. “A lot of [monsoon rainfall] runs off, though some of it will certainly soak in and replenish [groundwater.]”

It’s not uncommon for rainfall rates in the core of monsoonal thunderstorms to exceed three inches per hour, overwhelming soil’s ability to absorb water.

“I’ve even seen 10-inch-per-hour rain rates,” Iñiguez said. “In the summer, we get into our more unique hazards … the topography, steep terrain, [lack of] topsoil, hydrophobic surfaces, [and] runoff” can occasionally yield debris flows after the wildfire season, Iñiguez said.

In fact, it’s the monsoon that usually brings about the end to wildfire season in the first place. Phoenix, for instance, sees its temperatures decrease slightly in midsummer as humidity ticks upward and sporadic rains arrive. July is the city’s wettest month, in stark contrast to June, which is often bone dry in Phoenix, averaging just 0.02 inches of rainfall for the entire month.

A rapid ‘greenup’ of the landscape

To show the effect the recent welcome rains have had, the National Weather Service in Phoenix posted a comparison map juxtaposing last year’s parched landscape against the verdure that’s blossomed this summer.

The maps show the relative “greenness,” or health, of the vegetation using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), derived from data collected by NASA’s Terra satellite. NDVI maps offer the ability to contrast last year’s laggard monsoon against this year’s hyperactive one, and the results are night and day from a vegetation standpoint.

More than just rain

It’s not just heavy, localized rain and lightning that accompanies the monsoon. Dry air near the surface allows pockets of rain-cooled air to accelerate out of storms toward the ground, fanning outward ahead of the rain. Microbursts, both wet and dry, are a frequent byproduct of thunderstorms.

Sometimes, the exhaust-like outflow from thunderstorms kicks up enough dust to generate a large dust storm — technically known as a haboob. Oddly enough, much of the dust doesn’t stem from the fact that it’s a desert landscape. It actually has to do with land use that loosens the top soil, allowing it to fly free in strong winds.

“A lot of the dust we’re seeing comes from farms between Phoenix and Tucson,” Iñiguez explained. “There’s a lot of disturbed land, [it’s been] sitting there for quite a while, and can be a really big source for dust generation.”

Haboobs, particularly those paired with vibrant sunsets that bathe the stormy skies in delicate hues of Technicolor, are among the most breathtaking sights in the Desert Southwest. Olbinski says the July 5, 2011, dust storm that swallowed downtown Phoenix has been the highlight of his storm chases in the Southwest.

“It was this apocalyptic end-of-the-world scene,” Olbinski recalled. “Visibility down to probably three feet, the sun was already down. … I could see city lights and [the] freeway below me, little light on the parking garage, all glowing in the dust. But that was it. Then pitch dark … nighttime.”

The cool air that exits thunderstorms can propagate for miles, sometimes colliding with other gust fronts and generating new storms, seemingly at random. That makes forecasting during the monsoon quite difficult.

“It’s interesting to monitor day-to-day how the atmosphere will respond,” Drozd said.

Severe weather hazards

Because the upper-atmospheric winds are relaxed during monsoon season in the Southwest, it’s tough to produce rotating thunderstorms. But on July 24, 2020, one tornado did snake its way down from roiling thunderheads near Kingman, Ariz., surprising drivers on Interstate 40.

Two other “landspout” tornadoes spun up elsewhere in the state beneath other storms. Landspouts can form under any kind of convective cloud and are typically not related to storm-level rotation, but rather stretching vorticity nearer unstable air toward the ground.

This year has been quieter from a tornado standpoint across the region, but wind and hail have still battered parts of the Southwest.

Electrifying sunsets

Perhaps the most spectacular staple of the Southwest monsoon? Lightning. Sure, it’s technically the same as lightning anywhere else, but there is one key factor that makes it magnificent: incredibly high cloud bases.

Because the Desert Southwest even at its moistest is still comparatively dry, clouds form much higher up — especially during the start of the monsoon season. It’s not uncommon for the base of thunderstorms to be more than a mile above the ground.

“Many times if you’re in the valley, you can have cloud bases 7,000 to 10,000 feet above valley floors, typically earlier in the monsoon,” Drozd said. “[Thunderstorms] can have a pretty high cloud base, you can see them from a ways away, and you can get some pretty clear shots. Plus we receive a tremendous amount of lightning during that two- to three-month period.”

Approximately 1.2 million cloud-to-ground strikes occurred between June and September last year in western Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, a record minimum; the previous lowest total was about 1.9 million strikes for a monsoon season. Records date back only to the mid-1990s, but the data highlights a significant anomaly.

This year, strikes are way up in places like Arizona but still close to the pre-2020 average. We’ll have to await the final tally, although we’ll probably see similarities across the region as this monsoon wraps up over the next few weeks.

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

Advisories recommend staying indoors with windows and doors closed when dust concentrations are high.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

Title:

Content: SHARE

A storm that moved through the Great Plains and Midwest last night set a record for the most hurricane-force winds recorded in a single day.

The massive storm system, known as a derecho, sent tornadoes into Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska, and left more than 500,000 households without power. The Minnesota tornado was the latest ever recorded in the state. (They’re most common May through August, and the previous record was set by a November 16 twister.) As far south as New Mexico, aircraft sitting at Santa Fe Regional Airport were damaged by the winds, according to the Washington Post.

The southern edge of the derecho whipped up dust storms in Colorado and Kansas, while lightning ignited fires in Kansas, Texas, and Oklahoma. Kansas TV station KSN reported this morning that the wildfires burned at least 153 square miles, and destroyed six homes.

The Des Moines Register reported widespread power outages, tornadoes, and the smell of smoke blowing across the plains.

A derecho is a hurricane-strength windstorm that can shoot off of a major thunderstorm system. But while a hurricane spins, the gusts from a derecho push in a straight line. In August 2020, a derecho plowed through Midwest states. In Iowa, four people were killed and 20 percent of the state’s farmland was devastated. “As I drove through the town of Cedar Rapids on Monday, I saw billboards bent in half, whole buildings collapsed, trees smashed through roofs and windows,” Cedar Rapids Gazette reporter Liz Lenz wrote about the aftermath in 2020 for the Washington Post.

[Related: Why it’s so difficult to forecast a tornado’s path]

Scientists have speculated that the severity of last year’s derecho is linked to a warming climate, which could have fed the thunderstorms hot, humid air.

This most recent event is also tied to unseasonably hot weather hitting the entire Great Plains—likely an outcome of climate change. CNN reported yesterday that 250 temperature records were due to be broken by a heat wave. Minneapolis was in the mid-50s, when it’s typically below freezing in December.

That heat, coupled with a drought, is also fueling the fires. “Out here in the High Plains, there’s nothing left that’s green. All the grass is brown and dry and ready to burn,” Bill Turner, a National Weather Service forecaster, told CNN.

Huge derechos were, until recently, very rare events, and so researchers are still trying to understand how exactly they form, and what role climate change plays in that formation. University of Northern Iowa meteorologist Alan Czarnetski told Science News last year that warmer temperatures could fuel more powerful storms, but it could also stabilize parts of the atmosphere, possibly making thunderstorms less likely to appear.

This storm may offer clues, however. Derechoes have historically impacted states in the lower plains, such Oklahoma and Kansas. But, as the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Service’s Storm Prediction Center writes, “it is reasonable to conclude that the corridors of maximum derecho frequency would shift [north] with global warming.” A hurricane-force thunderstorm across the upper Midwest in mid-December is a sign that that prediction is turning into reality.

MORE TO READ

Weather & Temperature Effects:**
- Dust layers can suppress rainfall and cloud formation by stabilizing the atmosphere, which may lead to hotter and drier conditions on a local scale, sometimes intensifying existing heat events.

Title:

Content: Editorial: A supreme blow to addressing climate change

It’s summertime, and one way to beat the scorching heat is to head to the cool confines of a movie theater to catch the latest blockbuster.

Now, imagine a story about how humanity faces an existential threat, but the heroes trying to save the day are stripped of their strongest and best powers. Suddenly, the story hinges on whether they can find other ways to save future generations from looming catastrophe.

If only such a plot were fiction. But this is, essentially, the story of climate change following the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent 6-3 decision blocking the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating carbon emissions from power plants.

Carbon dioxide is the leading contributor to climate change, lingering in the atmosphere for as long as 1,000 years. The burning of coal and natural gas at power plants releases vast amounts of this heat-trapping gas (as well as methane). The Biden administration had sought to prepare sweeping rules to limit the power sector’s carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act, but the U.S. Supreme Court said it was beyond the EPA’s scope to do so.

Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts found that due to the magnitude of the regulation and the potential impact on the larger economy, not just the power sector, such direction should fall to Congress, not unelected officials.

“Capping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible ‘solution to the crisis of the day,’” he wrote. But “a decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body.”

The consequences of this decision are wide-ranging. First, let’s be honest about Congress. It is, in this political moment, incapable of passing any meaningful legislation to address climate change. Second, the ruling potentially puts the clamps on other regulatory actions well beyond environmental concerns. Third, it leaves no room for agency expertise, much less for Congress to delegate regulatory powers to these experts.

As Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her dissent: “Congress knows what it doesn’t and can’t know when it drafts a statute; and Congress therefore gives an expert agency the power to address issues — even significant ones — as and when they arise.”

Climate change is often written about and discussed on a global scale — terrifying United Nations reports, melting polar ice caps, extreme weather, habitat destruction and potential diaspora — but it is also a local issue.

San Antonio is warming — an obvious reality underscored by this particularly searing spring and summer. June was the hottest on record in San Antonio, with 17 days reaching triple digits. May was also the hottest on record here, with five days in triple digits.

This is in part due to La Niña, which produces warmer, drier weather. But it is also climate change. In March 2020, the Office of the Texas State Climatologist at Texas A&M University released a report showing the number of triple-digit degree days in Texas doubled over the past 40 years and would likely double again by 2036.

And this will come at a cost. The recent extreme heat has played a role in increased CPS Energy bills. Flow rates in many area rivers are nonexistent. Drought threatens the Edwards Aquifer, our primary water supply. High temperatures can be fatal.

So, what can be done?

At the local level, CPS Energy officials must move forward with a plan to repurpose and shutter its coal-fired J.K. Spruce power plant. Spruce Unit 1 should cease operations, and the idea of a carbon-neutral geothermal project there is intriguing. The newer Spruce Unit 2 should be converted to natural gas. We also support the city requiring building owners to track energy usage.

Texas — land of natural gas and methane emissions — could also be a leader in climate innovation. The state leads the nation in wind energy production, but it has yet to fully tap into its solar capacity. It could foster battery storage innovation and carbon sequestration.

And at the federal level, Congress should approve a fee-and-dividend program, as the Citizens’ Climate Lobby has proposed, that would create market incentives to transition to green energy sources.

This ruling is a blow for climate progress — but not the urgency we possess for action.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

lowers rain chances
increases temperature

- Dust particles can also scatter sunlight, slightly cooling surface temperatures during the day, but by trapping outgoing radiation, can keep nights warmer.

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

- The dust interacts with regional weather patterns (like the Southwest monsoon and La Niña), potentially altering precipitation cycles and exacerbating drought conditions.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

Impacts on Urban Systems—Power & Infrastructure:**
- Hazy, hotter, and drier conditions can raise electricity demand (e.g., for air conditioning), increasing stress on the power grid and raising energy costs, as seen with recent spikes in CPS Energy bills during heat events.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- Visibility reductions can lead to traffic hazards—drivers may need to slow down, and more accidents are possible during thick dust events.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Building HVAC systems and other machinery that pulls in outdoor air may be impacted by dust accumulation, reducing efficiency and increasing maintenance needs.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

Areas Impacted & Historical Context:**
- Saharan dust regularly crosses the Atlantic, affecting not only Texas but states along the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean, and parts of Central and South America.

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

Effects are observed as far west as San Antonio and northward on occasion.

Title:

Content: Federal recognition to advance conservation and military readiness around Camp Bullis

On the west side of Camp Bullis, at the edge of the Dominion neighborhood, Rustin Tabor pulls his truck to the side of a winding road and walks a few feet into the wooded area that lines it.

Further in, stretched across the dirt, is an entrance to a cave — a karst that leads deep under the forest to the Edwards Aquifer. A grate has been installed on the opening to prevent anyone from climbing down into it.

The cave — called Sharon Springs — is one of 112 on Camp Bullis, a military training reservation in Northwest San Antonio. There are 1,474 karst features throughout Camp Bullis, ranging from small cracks and crevices to slits in the earth, that deposit water into the recharge zone of the Edwards Aquifer.

“This one doesn’t seem springy right now,” said Tabor, natural resources manager for Joint Base San Antonio. “But if you come here during wet conditions, the water is actually pushing out of the ground.”

Safeguarding such caves is among many conservation efforts at Camp Bullis and its neighboring lands — nearly 1 million acres — that stand to get a huge boost from the area’s recent inclusion in a federal initiative aimed at protecting defense facilities from land uses that are incompatible with their military missions.

Under the initiative, called the Sentinel Landscape Partnership, such areas can seek to be designated as sentinel landscapes, which can provide priority standing to tap certain sources of public and private funding. Camp Bullis received the designation in March, putting it in line for financing opportunities to strengthen military readiness, promote natural resource conservation and increase agricultural productivity.

The Sentinel Landscape Partnership was established in 2013 in by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior. The partnership seeks to connect landowners with government assistance programs to fund land protection and restoration and to implement sustainable land management practices. The aim is that such practices can yield economic and ecological benefits while also protecting defense facilities from development that can hamper military activities, such as training and testing.

The Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape is the first to receive this recognition in Texas, and one of just a few in the United States. Nearly 40 local organizations have joined as partners, including the Hill Country Alliance, the Trinity Glenrose Groundwater Conservation District, the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the Texas A&M Natural Resources Institute and the Alamo Area Council of Governments. The sentinel landscape will encompass most of Kendall and Comal counties; parts of Bexar, Medina and Bandera counties; and small sections of Kerr and Blanco counties.

The Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, known as REPI, is also a major partner for the sentinel landscape by limiting development and land use conversion that could restrict military training and testing. Three segments in the entire area are designated opportunity spots for REPI.

“Agricultural productivity, conservation and military readiness are all tied together in terms of our relationship to the land,” said Daniel Oppenheimer, land program manager for the Hill Country Alliance. “That’s really what this partnership is about, bringing partners together and starting to understand where and how we can work together to bring new technical and financial resources that align with all the ground needs.”

Stemming lights and floods

Thousands of military personnel train each year on the nearly 28,000 acres at Camp Bullis, part of Joint Base San Antonio. The base has 266 mission partners, and about 2,000 people train there every day.

Most of those are training as military medics. Every enlisted medical person in the the U.S. military trains at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, said Michael Waldrop, the installation support director at Camp Bullis. And they all undergo field components of their training in the natural areas on Camp Bullis.

“In a war zone, you’re usually out in areas like this nature,” Waldrop said. “We want it to be as realistic as possible, so we can’t have any urban elements. They do their urban training elsewhere.”

Development near Camp Bullis can lead to light pollution, loss of agricultural lands and flooding. Outdoor lighting around the northwestern area of San Antonio, from new subdivisions or traffic, can disrupt the natural atmosphere for training. The area south of Camp Bullis is already too heavily illuminated, but the central portion of the camp to the north is still suitable for night training.

But there is concern that lighting is increasing to the north, which is one of the fastest-growing areas in Texas, and not just among the military. Light pollution can also disrupt natural patterns for wildlife, such as bird migration; increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere; and obscure the stars.

With this new designation, partners can work with developers to preserve dark night skies for military training, birds, natural resources and public health, Oppenheimer said. One solution is to provide funding for landowners and developers to focus their floodlights downward in their yards instead of reaching areas that don’t need to be illuminated.

Another issue the Sentinel Landscape partnership can tackle is flooding in Camp Bullis, 30 percent of which lies in a flood plain, and the surrounding areas.

Texas Hill Country is known as flash flood alley due to its shallow soils and the steady moisture and humidity that comes off the Gulf of Mexico, making the area vulnerable to massive dry spells and drought followed by catastrophic floods.

At Camp Bullis, flash flooding has washed trucks away, covered roads and fields, and even killed a handful of people who got stuck in the floodwaters.

One solution to this involves speaking with landowners and developers about their own goals and values, Oppenheimer said.

“We’re not coming in and telling people what to do,” he said. “We talk about different tools and strategies to get them aligned with their goals and their interests. They don’t want to lose all their soil. They don’t want to be susceptible to drought and flood. Then based on that, we discuss ways they can retain more soil moisture, reduce erosion, and enhance grass production on their property.”

One flood-prevention technique is building berms to slow down water and enable it to be absorbed into the soil, a practice that is especially helpful during heavy rain. A berm is a raised barrier separating areas, which can be made from brush and tree limbs or a grassy strip. With funding through the sentinel partnership, landowners could receive resources to build such structures or hire contractors to help them prepare the land for flooding.

Around Camp Bullis, berms are around the entire area for flooding, some made with brush and others with dirt and grass. In some cases, the berms serve multiple purposes — as bullet catchers for military range practice along with flood prevention.

“It’s not just us,” Waldrop said. “It’s everyone.”

Water as a joint mission

Tabor’s work at Camp Bullis includes protecting the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone’s caves and karsts, along with closely monitoring wildlife on the property, especially creatures that depend on the property for survival.

Camp Bullis provides habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and aquifer-dependent species, such as the blind salamander, San Marcos salamander and the Comal Springs riffle beetle. Three river systems — the Medina, the San Antonio and the Cibolo — run through Camp Bullis Sentinel Landscape’s massive area.

Of the 28,000 acres at Camp Bullis, 4,000 are within the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. It is also at the convergence of the Trinity Aquifer and karst features along Cibolo Creek. Two aquifers — the Trinity and Edwards — meet under Camp Bullis and influence each other through the flow of groundwater.

All military personnel and others at Camp Bullis depend on water from the Trinity Aquifer and its relationship with the Edwards Aquifer. Compared to the Edwards, the Trinity recharges slowly and needs more time to refresh.

At the Trinity Glen Rose Groundwater Conservation District, Assistant General Manager Amanda Maloukis said a large part of the Sentinel Landcape Partnership’s mission is protecting, preserving and conserving groundwater resources.

“We can bring in educational pieces to the community, to those ranches and landowners, that really helps enhance their own personal conservation efforts,” she said. “We have rain barrel workshops, which can help people put less stress on the aquifer. We have these high-precipitation events, flooding events, and we’re catching that extra runoff in barrels, which can be used.”

Some of the funding could also be used for further research on groundwater dynamics. By better understanding how the aquifers work together and contribute to the greater ecosystem, organizations and agencies can better protect the water for future generations.

Development around Camp Bullis can bring more pressure to the area in terms of pollution, spills and runoff into both aquifers. Groundwater, Maloukis said, is not just for communities around Camp Bullis, but also for the military within the district. It’s important for everyone involved to keep it clean, and with the new sentinel landscape designation, the hope is they’re heading in the right direction.

“All of this water is tied together in terms of our relationship to the land,” Oppenheimer said. “That’s what this is all about, bringing everyone together to see how all these pieces fit into a really complex puzzle.”

Elena Bruess writes for the Express-News through Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. ReportforAmerica.org. elena.bruess@express-news.net

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- In the past, these storms have contributed to longer, hotter dry spells, worsened air quality, and influenced storm development (e.g., sometimes dampening hurricane formation).

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

Environmental & Secondary Impacts:**
- Dust can fertilize soils across the Americas (positive impact), notably by supplying nutrients like iron to the Amazon rainforest.

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

- Long-term dust exposure may exacerbate water system stress by altering evaporation and precipitation, with cascading impacts on reservoirs and aquifers.

- Dust can interact with urban "slow water" projects or landscape designs meant to manage stormwater and flooding, requiring adaptive strategies.

Title:

Content: Skip to Content

The architect making friends with flooding

One Chinese landscape designer has pioneered a new approach—working with water instead of trying to bend it to our will.

December 21, 2021

For years, Beijing landscape architect Yu Kongjian was ridiculed by his fellow citizens as a backward thinker. Some even called him an American spy—a nod to his doctorate from Harvard’s Graduate School of Design and his opposition to dams, those symbols of power and progress in modern China.

Yu’s transgression: he advised working with water, rather than trying to control it.

Yu is at the forefront of a movement that aims to restore the ebb and flow of water to urban environments. His landscape architecture firm Turenscape, which he cofounded in 1998, creates flexible spaces for water to spread out and seep underground, both to prevent flooding and to be stored for later use. His vision is to heal the natural hydrology that we’ve disrupted by tightly confining rivers with levees, putting buildings or parking lots where water wants to linger, or erecting dams that have, to varying degrees, dried up 333 rivers in the Yangtze area. “Those gray infrastructures are actually killers of the natural system, which we have to depend on for our sustainable future,” Yu has said. By trying to solve one problem at a time—flooding here, water scarcity there—the 20th-century approach to water management has undermined itself. “Drainage is separated from the water supply; flood control is separated from drought resistance,” he wrote in 2016 for a paper he presented at a Harvard symposium.

Since the 1700s, we’ve filled or drained as much as 87% of the world’s wetlands, which would otherwise be flexibly absorbing and releasing water. It’s a key reason urban flooding is increasing worldwide: as populations grow and cities expand, builders pave floodplains and farmland, fell forests, and channelize rivers, leaving stormwater that once filtered into the ground with nowhere to go. The land area lost to cities has doubled worldwide since 1992. When a city increases the area of roads, sidewalks, or parking lots by 1%, stormwater runoff boosts annual flood magnitude in nearby waterways by 3.3%.

In dense cities, only around 20% of rain actually infiltrates the soil. Instead, drains and pipes carry it away—lunacy, Yu thinks, in places with water shortages.

In the early 2000s, Yu and a research team created a map of Beijing showing where land was at high risk for flooding, which he called the “ecological security pattern.” His recommendation was that this land should remain undeveloped, and should be used instead to absorb stormwater.

Government officials ignored him. But then, in July 2012, disaster struck. Beijing’s largest storm in more than 60 years chucked down as much as 18 inches of rain in places, flooding roads three feet deep and filling underpasses. Yu barely made it home from work. “I was lucky,” he says. “I saw many people abandon their cars.” Almost 80 people died, most of them drowned in their vehicles, electrocuted, or crushed under collapsed buildings. The damage stretched across 5,400 square miles and cost nearly $2 billion.

“The 2012 flood gave us the lesson that the ecological security pattern is a life-and-death issue.” Yu says.

Climate change has worsened these threats. With every 1 °C increase, the atmosphere holds 7% more water vapor. So when clouds burst into rain, it pours. Meanwhile, dry areas get drier as the warmer air evaporates more water out of soil and plants.

Now we’re starting to see the impact on the water cycle. Summer and fall 2021 brought deadly flooding to New York, New Jersey, Tennessee, Alabama, Germany, Belgium, India, Thailand, and the Philippines. At the same time drought, crop failures, and forest fires plagued the American West, Syria, Guatemala, Greece, and Siberia. Global economic losses from flooding rose from $500 million annually, on average, in the 1980s to $76 billion in 2020. When it comes to drought, more than 2 billion people around the world already live with severe or high water insecurity. Researchers predict that as the climate continues to warm, two-thirds of the global population—more than 5.25 billion people—will experience progressively worse and more frequent drought conditions.

These recent disasters have brought home to many people the truth of what climate scientists have been saying for years: climate change is water change.

Less than a year after the 2012 storm, President Xi Jinping announced a nationwide program dubbed “sponge cities” (because a sponge absorbs water and then releases it slowly). The idea of giving water space was thus elevated from fringe concept to national mission. In 2015 the central government began demonstration projects in 16 cities, and it added 14 more in 2016. Each project covered at least five square miles, although some were larger, with the goal of retaining 70% of the average annual rainfall on site by 2020.

In November of that year, the state-controlled broadcaster China Central Television reported completion of the 30 pilot projects. It said they were preventing and mitigating urban disasters, increasing environmental benefits to waterways, and reducing water pollution. CCTV further reported that between 2016 and 2020, the sponge city concept had been implemented in 90 provincial-level cities and included in the master plans for 538 cities. A new goal aims for 100 cities with more than 1 million people to meet the 70% rainwater capture target by 2030.

Two views of Tongnan Dafo Temple Wetland Park in Chongqing City. Below, a structure inspired by the Dafo Temple. At right, an aerial view of the park. In 2020, Chongqing faced a 100 year storm, but the landscape protected nearby farms from flooding.

“It is, of course, a success story,” says Chris Zevenbergen, an expert in urban flood-risk management at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands and a visiting professor at China’s Southeast University. Chinese government reports are best viewed with skepticism, but Zevenbergen says he’s cautiously optimistic that the rosy assessment will be borne out.

Sponge cities are part of a worldwide movement that goes by various names: green infrastructure in Europe, low-impact development in the United States, water-sensitive urban design in Australia, natural infrastructure in Peru, nature-based solutions in Canada. In contrast to industrial management, in which people confine water with levees, channels, and asphalt and rush it off the land as quickly as possible, these newer approaches seek to restore water’s natural tendency to linger in places like wetlands and floodplains.

Yu is concerned that China may be applying a cookie-cutter approach to sponge cities: “Every patient needs a different solution.”

Because of that common thread, I’ve come to think of them collectively as the “Slow Water” movement. As in the Slow Food movement, solutions are tailored to local ecology, climate, and people. The most ambitious Slow Water projects involve conserving or restoring wetlands, river floodplains, and mountain forests, simultaneously safeguarding carbon storage and protecting homes for threatened plants and animals. But there are also small urban projects, shoehorned between buildings or in narrow corridors along streets.

In April 2018, on a day with a “very high” air pollution rating, I visited Yu at Turenscape’s headquarters in Beijing. A slim, intense man with shrewd eyes and just a bit of gray at the temples, he told me that his passion for repairing humans’ relationship with water comes from his childhood during the Mao years, spent on an agricultural commune in Zhejiang province southwest of Shanghai. The youngest of five children, he spent his days observing Chinese “peasant wisdom” for managing water, techniques that had been practiced for thousands of years. To cope with scarcity, farmers maintained little ponds and berms to help rainfall infiltrate the ground, storing it for a dry day. The seasonal creek next to his village swelled and retreated with the seasons. “For me, flood is a time of excitement because the fish come to the field, the fish come to the pond,” he said. But as the country urbanized, the Chinese abandoned that knowledge and followed the Western path. Now, he believes, they need to reclaim that ethos: “We need to make friends with flooding.”

Yu has built Turenscape into an empire, with 600 employees in three offices. The company has more than 640 projects completed or underway in 250 Chinese cities and 10 other countries. Turenscape also publishes a magazine called Landscape Architecture Frontiers, in both Chinese and English, and supports master’s and PhD candidates and postdocs who are researching hydrology or ecology, or measuring the efficacy of completed projects.

The founder and dean of the College of Architecture and Landscape at Peking University, Yu has also taught periodically at Harvard. He lectures regularly at the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, and his 2003 book Letters to the Leaders of China: Kongjian Yu and the Future of the Chinese City is in its 13th printing. He’s been asked to consult in other countries: Mexico, for example, is hoping he can help solve Mexico City’s water problems, which are similar to Beijing’s.

When planning a project, designers first must figure out what water did before people built a city. In a large white room at Turenscape’s offices, young men and women sit at desks separated by a jungle of plants, focused intently on that question. They construct models of how water behaves within the built environment, factoring in each place’s specific ecology, geology, hydrology, and culture—a kind of computational geography. The data allows Yu and other Slow Water practitioners to model how reshaping the land and available space in various ways affects how water flows and slows.

Yu is now something of a hero to young landscape architects. Accompanying us to various sites was Geng Ran, an employee who exudes intense excitement to be working for him. Throughout the day, we were perpetually trotting after Yu as he rushed ahead. “He’s always like this,” said Geng, laughing.

While Yu retains his farmer’s values, he is a man of modern China. He bought and renovated a building in one of Beijing’s few remaining historic hutong neighborhoods, turning it into a private club for fellow Harvard grads, Beijing politicians, and other power brokers. This move is in keeping with his modus operandi, according to Niall Kirkwood, a professor of landscape architecture and technology at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design who has known Yu for many years. Kirkwood says Yu is a political animal, and that this—along with his vision and ambition—accounts for his success.

I got a chance to observe Yu in his natural habitat that evening. He escorted me and Geng into the club through a set of engraved metal doors and across the courtyard, where the traditional stone floor had been replaced with thick glass. Inside he ushered us downstairs to a massive table underneath that transparent floor. As we sat in ornate, carved chairs sipping bright-green cucumber juice, I looked at the moon above. Finance ministers were also visiting the club that evening, so Yu rotated between our tables. Before we left, he gave me a souvenir: a heavy tome titled Designed Ecologies: The Landscape Architecture of Kongjian Yu. After dinner, his driver chauffeured us in a brand-new Mercedes minivan to my hotel, where Yu got out to walk home—his daily constitutional.

A week later I visited one of Turenscape’s projects in progress: Yongxing River Park, located in Daxing, a far-flung exurb of Beijing. “Before” satellite pictures from three years earlier showed a  river straightened and confined by steep concrete walls. “Now” pictures were chock-a-block with buildings around a more generous, meandering path for water.

The project was nearly complete when I saw it. About two and a half miles long and perhaps two city blocks wide, the park follows the river. Workers removed concrete along the river channel and excavated soil to widen the riverbed. That dirt was then molded into a large berm running down the center, creating two channels. The river flows on one side; the other channel has big holes of varying depths that act as filtration pools. During the dry season, the filtration side is filled with partially cleaned effluent from a sewage treatment plant. Wetland plants in the pools clean it further, and the slow pace allows some water to filter underground. During the monsoon season, that channel is reserved for floodwaters, and the effluent is treated industrially.

Geng and I walked a slim concrete path atop the central berm. Many of Turenscape’s designs feature walkways such as this, soaring above wetlands, so people can enter the landscape year-round and appreciate changes from season to season. The broader riverbanks, newly freed from concrete, are dotted with thousands of small sedges planted in closely set rows to hold the earth, like a pointillist-rendered landscape. We passed young willows, a native streamside plant that can survive flooding. Elsewhere, reeds, dwarf lilyturf, and other native plants stabilize the soil. Turenscape mostly uses native plants in its designs because they thrive on the water, weather, and nutrients available.

In summer 2020, during heavy summer rains, Yu sent me photos of Yongxing River Park. The trees and grasses had grown up considerably since I’d visited. The channel contained a lot of water but was nowhere close to overtopping. Turenscape does not yet have data on Yongxing’s flood capacity, infiltration rate, or water-cleaning services, but Yu called its management of that year’s monsoon a “great performance.”

It can be hard for people to conceive of making space for water in a populated area, but it’s possible. Taking advantage of space in growing exurbs like Daxing is one approach. Another is to stop building atop protective wetlands and coastal habitats—absorption capacity that is continually squandered.

Other opportunities to make space for water and reduce future losses are found even in city centers, where buildings are torn down more frequently than people assume. Disasters can also be a catalyst, such as when governments use emergency funds to buy and remove flooded buildings and convert the area to an absorbent park. Cleaned-up former industrial sites can offer up a lot of space too—often right alongside rivers. Other techniques to accommodate water in compact cities include bioswales (ditches lined with water-loving plants), infiltration ponds, rain gardens, and seepage wells. Where human space is nonnegotiable, designers sometimes use features such as permeable pavement and green roofs that can absorb water.

Yu has converted his house, a duplex he shares with his sister, into a living laboratory for some of these techniques. In the hallway are photos of his family back on the farm, Yu and his Harvard mentor, Yu with two Chinese presidents. Between the apartments, he built a living wall of porous limestone. Water captured from the roof dribbles down its face, from which maidenhair ferns and philodendrons sprout. The green wall cools the two homes enough to make air-conditioning unnecessary, although he concedes that it gets a bit warm in summer. Plants on decks off the bedrooms are watered with roof-caught rain, stored in tanks under the raised plant beds. “We collect 52 cubic meters of stormwater [annually], and I grow 32 kilograms of vegetables,” Yu says proudly. His efforts also reduce runoff from his building’s roof and decrease his personal water usage from city sources.

Though Xi’s sponge cities initiative is based on principles that mirror his own ideas, Yu fears that in some cases, China may be doing it wrong. The country has sometimes used cookie-cutter solutions for other programs, Yu says, but for sponge cities to be successful, each project must be place-specific. As Yu puts it, “Every patient needs a different solution.”

Monsoon rains across China have been heavy the last couple of summers, challenging not only standard water infrastructure, such as dams—several of which have failed or come close to it—but also the fledgling sponge cities. In summer 2021, one pilot project city with a population of around 7 million, Zhengzhou, suffered significant flooding when more than eight inches of rain fell in one hour and almost 300 people died, leading some to ask whether sponge cities were working.

Zevenbergen notes that designs may need to be tweaked to better match local needs. But the bigger factor may be that the interventions simply aren’t ambitious enough. Absorbing 70% of rainfall across five square miles of a city that spans 2,900 square miles won’t prevent flooding. Slow Water projects work best when they can absorb water across the full landscape, so planners need to think beyond the urban footprint. A city is part of a larger watershed. Restoring space for water upstream in natural river floodplains can lower the water levels downstream.

In this, too, Yu is hard at work. He’s creating a landscape master plan for all of China. At his office, he showed me a series of maps that document China’s elevation, watersheds, flood paths, biodiversity, desertification, ecological security, soil erosion, and cultural heritage. As urbanization spreads, as estuaries and deltas silt up, as water starts to move differently across landscapes and cityscapes, he identifies the spots where his projects will have the biggest impact.

“This is a philosophy for taking care of the continental landscape,” Yu says. “It’s time to expand the scale.”

Erica Gies is a journalist based in Victoria, British Columbia, and San Francisco. This story has been adapted from her book Water Always Wins: Thriving in an Age of Drought and Deluge, available for preorder at slowwater.world.

Deep Dive

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The Soviets turned the Volga River into a machine. Then the machine broke.

Too many dams have made Russia's most important river dysfunctional. Here's how the mother river can be fixed.

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Preparedness & Mitigation Recommendations:**
- Issue early public advisories focusing on vulnerable populations, advising staying indoors and using air filtration.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

public awareness & education
implement a warning system

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Ensure public buildings and shelters have enhanced air filtration; encourage maintenance of HVAC systems ahead of dust season.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Adjust city and emergency services staffing/response for likely increases in medical and traffic incidents.

Title:

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Weekend rain provides little relief to severe water shortage on the Rio Grande

A rainy weekend across the Texas-Mexico border region provided little relief to the dangerously depleted International Reservoirs in the region.

On Thursday, a tropical wave moved inland from the northern Gulf near the Louisiana Coast. It brought heavy showers and flash flood warnings into early Monday as it moved northwest along the Rio Grande, according to the National Weather Service in Brownsville (NWSB).

While many took to social media to give thanks for what seemed like an answer to the drought in the region, experts say the weekend rain will not make a significant difference to the water shortage that community leaders along the border are calling “a threat of imminent disaster.”

RELATED | Scorched border counties downstream of depleted Falcon Lake face ‘threat of imminent disaster

Barry S. Goldsmith, Warning Coordination Meteorologist for NWSB, explained that while the current rains will provide temporary relief to local water supplies by filling up detention ponds and drainage canals, the capacity levels at Falcon International Reservoir will only see “a small percentage rise” as a result.

“In order to fill each reservoir to levels that can preclude community water supply issues, it would require several more waves,” said Goldsmith. “Waves like this one, but through September and into early October.”

Falcon International Reservoir, at only 9.5% capacity on Monday according to the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), represents the only surface water source that connects all downstream border communities to running water, from Zapata to Brownsville.

Farther northwest along the Rio Grande, the Amistad International Reservoir, at 30.3% capacity on Monday, serves communities downstream from Del Rio to Laredo, and received no significant inflows from rainfall over the weekend.

Last week, two county judges in the Rio Grande Valley issued declarations of disaster in response to the increasingly severe water shortage and ongoing drought in the region.

Multiple municipalities throughout the region are currently under mandatory stage 2 and 3 water restrictions, with plans for increased restrictions on the way.

Texas Public Radio is supported by contributors to the Border and Immigration News Desk, including the Catena Foundation and Texas Mutual Insurance Company.

Adan Oceguera is an instructional aide in the City of San Benito in Cameron County, which entered a second stage of water restrictions on Aug. 6, currently enforced under penalty of a $200 fine.

“The restrictions are personally manageable,” said Oceguera. “But I can’t help but notice the modest response from our local government compared to the dire, impending water crisis.”

While some have expressed a wish for rainy weather to put an end to the current regional crisis in the short-term, Oceguera–like many others in the region–is becoming more concerned about the long-term prospects of the public water infrastructure that depends on the Rio Grande watershed.

“We can’t depend on hurricanes or tropical storms to save us,” said Oceguera. “We need solutions. If things don’t get better, it’s going to be really rough for communities like ours that are already in desperate need for resources and infrastructure."

RELATED | Water becomes a black market south of the border, experts say scarcity could impact Texas border communities soon

Goldsmith agrees that a different approach needs to be taken.

“The Rio Grande Valley has often been described as being in a state of perpetual drought broken by the occasional devastating flood,” said Goldsmith. “Because drought is a fact of life here, and warming temperatures are now increasing the rapid onset of drought conditions, water conservation is a persistent need.”

Goldsmith says that rainwater harvesting across the region would be a good residential starting point, while large scale approaches could include more desalination plants and smarter irrigation.

In San Benito, Oceguera says he’s also concerned about the future general stability of the region as climate change accelerates globally, and brings more severe weather conditions in the long-term.

“For the first time, we had days last year where we couldn’t take kids outside to play because it would’ve been hazardous to their health,” said Oceguera. “What’s most concerning to me is a future where extreme weather becomes commonplace. This is climate change. It’s not necessarily a tidal wave that upends society, but what we’re seeing here in the Rio Grande Valley now and across the world."

In 2010, Hurricane Alex devastated communities in North Mexico as it made landfall in Tamaulipas and moved west. But the Hurricane also delivered up to 70 inches of rain north of those areas along the Rio Grande watershed.

“There was actually too much runoff,” said Goldsmith about the effects of Hurricane Alex. “Each dam had to release large quantities of water to maintain solvency.”

But Goldsmith says even a similar event would still not be enough to return both reservoirs to full capacity today.

“A similar event this year would fill the reservoirs but be short of capacity,” said Goldsmith. “This is due to the near-record low starting levels both in the U.S. and in Mexico.“

“I’m hoping that the city and county are taking steps now to prepare,” said Oceguera. “For this crisis and the others sure to come.”

TPR was founded by and is supported by our community. If you value our commitment to the highest standards of responsible journalism and are able to do so, please consider making your gift of support today.

Pablo De La Rosa is a Northern Tamaulipas-Rio Grande Valley native where he works as a writer and multimedia producer of stories from the Texas-Mexico border region.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Communicate with power companies to anticipate and manage peak energy usage.

Title:

Content: Equilibrium/Sustainability

Equilibrium/Sustainability — Presented by Southern Company — Migration, security threats run together in warming world

Today is Thursday.  Welcome to Equilibrium, a newsletter that tracks the growing global battle over the future of sustainability. Subscribe here: thehill.com/newsletter-signup.

The Biden administration issued an ominous forecast for the planet on Thursday morning, with one official declaring that “no country will be spared from the challenges directly related to climate change,” according to CNN.

The official was introducing a series of reports from key federal agencies on impacts of climate change, which ranged from a White House study on the rise in global migration, to a Defense Department review of security risks, to upcoming reports from the Director of National Intelligence and Department of Homeland Security.

The White House migration report dissects a feedback loop in which heightened migration can result from — as well as lead to —  greater instability and violence by “non-state armed groups,” creating a cycle that erodes the ability of destination countries to respond effectively to climate disruption.

The study “was very careful not to frame migration as a purely negative coping mechanism” but stressed the need for it to become a “safe, orderly and humane pathway,” the official said.

Today we’re looking at other causes and effects of that climate disruption. First, a report finds that plastics are on track to contribute more to global warming than coal plants by the end of the decade. Then, the head of disaster operations for the Red Cross discusses how his organization is preparing for a world in which we can expect crises to keep getting worse.

For Equilibrium, we are Saul Elbein and Sharon Udasin. Please send tips or comments to Saul at selbein@thehill.com or Sharon at sudasin@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @saul_elbein and @sharonudasin

Let’s get to it.

Plastic will soon trump coal as climate threat: study

The U.S. plastics industry’s contribution to climate change is on course to surpass that of coal-fired power plants by 2030, a new study has found.

Plastics are responsible for generating at least 232 million tons of carbon-based emissions per year — equivalent to the average emissions from 116 average-sized coal-fired facilities, according to the report, published by Bennington College’s Beyond Plastics initiative.

In 2020 alone, the plastic industry’s reported emissions rose by 10 million tons over 2019, the authors found. Meanwhile, construction is currently underway on another 12 facilities, with 15 in planning processes — meaning that altogether, the new sites could emit more than 40 million additional tons of greenhouse gases annually by 2025, according to the study.

“The fossil fuel industry is losing money from its traditional markets of power generation and transportation,” Judith Enck, former Environmental Protection Agency regional administrator and president of Beyond Plastics, said in a statement.

‘Petrochemical buildout’ outweighs other gains: The petrochemical industry, according to Enck, is “building new plastics facilities at a staggering clip so they can dump their petrochemicals into plastics,” she added. “This petrochemical buildout is cancelling out other global efforts to slow climate change.”

Praising the recent closure of 65 percent of the nation’s coal-fired power plants, the authors stressed that the increase in plastics production is outweighing those gains.

“A severe undercounting” of emissions: Although the U.S. plastics industry reported releasing 114 million tons of greenhouse gases in 2020, an analysis by the Maine-based firm Material Research identified “a severe undercounting of plastics’ climate impacts,” a news release from Beyond Plastics said.

That analysis examined data from federal agencies, including the EPA, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Energy, and identified an additional 118 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions generated from other stages of plastics production — the equivalent of another 59 average-sized coal-fired power plants, the report said.

“This report represents the floor, not the ceiling, of the U.S. plastics industry’s climate impact,” Jim Vallette, president of Material Research and the report’s author, said in a statement.

A MESSAGE FROM SOUTHERN COMPANY

At Southern Company, we achieved our interim net zero energy goal ten years early. Today, we continue our work toward a net zero future.

MOVING TOWARD A ‘CIRCULAR ECONOMY’

Environmental benefits of plastics: In response to the report, Joshua Baca, vice president of plastics for the American Chemistry Council (ACC) — which represents major oil and chemical firms — said that the study “fails to recognize the many environmental benefits plastics provide that move society toward a lower carbon future.”

Baca touted plastic’s potential to drive forward “a more circular economy,” or one that focuses on extending the lifecycle of products and reducing waste. Advanced recycling is “gaining momentum,” while plastic packaging requires less material to perform the same function as glass, metal or paper, according to Baca.

“Like other manufacturing processes, plastics manufacturing does emit greenhouse gases,” Baca said, noting that plastics enable the production of lighter vehicles, wind turbine blades and foam insulation.

“Plastics can ultimately result in a net savings of greenhouse gas emissions over their lifecycles compared to the use of many alternatives,” he added.

An opportunity in plant-based plastics: Jessica Bowman, president of the Plant Based Products Council (PBPC), voiced her support for the report, which she said “confirms our perspective that plastics and other products we use every day have significant climate impacts.”

“Plant-based products present an opportunity to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels,” she added.Bowman, who was not involved with the study, stressed that plant-based products “are the epitome of the circular economy,” particularly when made to be compostable or recyclable.

Last words: “We’re not going to get rid of all the products that we need and use every day,” Bowman said. “We certainly could use less products — but for things we need, being able to make them in a better way, making them from renewable inputs, is really critical.”

To read the full story, please click here.

In chaotic world, planning for disaster is everyone’s job

As the country’s climate becomes more unstable and its social fabric more strained, small nonprofit disaster relief organizations are springing up to help communities deal with crises.

“Maybe they pivoted from supporting schools, or distributing supplies” to giving out meals after a hurricane, Trevor Riggen, head of disaster operations at the American Red Cross, told Equilibrium.

Cooperating with these groups is a crucial part of the future of emergency preparedness, Riggen said. “Those agencies bring huge resources to the table, and know the community much better than someone coming from outside.”

Riggen sat down with Equilibrium on Thursday to share his thoughts on preparing for the disasters of the future.

What led to the rise of these organizations? Need. Disaster has become a “chronic condition for a lot of communities,” Riggen said, forcing existing local-level organizations to adapt.

How do big agencies like the Red Cross and FEMA work with these groups? “Presence is key,” Riggen said. “It’s an age-old thing in disaster work: ‘Don’t exchange business cards in the middle of a disaster.’”

For example, relief organizations can leverage lower-scale, more frequent incidents — emergencies rather than disasters — to build a network. Among the 60,000 events the Red Cross finds itself responding to every year are 200 single-family house fires per day, Riggen said.

These give the organization “a starting point” to help gauge individual and communal readiness to inevitable disasters, and to meet local emergency responders and community groups, he added.

A MESSAGE FROM SOUTHERN COMPANY

At Southern Company, we achieved our interim net zero energy goal ten years early. Today, we continue our work toward a net zero future.

IMAGINING TOMORROW’S CRISES TODAY

What else can emergency managers do? “Understand the forecast,” Riggen said. “In decades past, we focused on fighting the next disaster like it would be much like the last one. After Katrina, we focused on averting the next Katrina.”

What’s wrong with that? The future will not be like the past, he said. Meanwhile, Riggen added, the level of vulnerability in communities is “changing every day, and in most communities it’s getting worse.”

With “inequality, food security, healthcare and education — we have to assume we’re starting from a different starting point on the next disaster,” he said.

Then there’s climate change. The 2016 floods in Baton Rouge, which killed 60 people and caused $10 to $15 billion in property damage, “were a watershed for us: since then, large-scale, complex, climate-driven disasters have been happening across the country, and it’s getting faster and more severe,” Riggen said.

There were 22 natural disasters in 2020 that cost over $1 billion — a number that Riggen predicted will be matched this year and passed in future years.

That means that plans for the 2030s and 2040 should assume many communities have to plan for a “much worse” level of local vulnerability and scale of climate disaster — and not simply how to solve current-level problems with current-level resources, Riggen said.

How do you plan for unpredictable disasters, like Texas ice storms or Northwest heat waves? You build the kinds of resilience that work whatever the disaster is, according to Riggen.

“Take a hurricane: the visible impacts are storm surge, flooding, the house that’s blown down,” he said.

But the storm itself, he explained, doesn’t demonstrate a community’s vulnerability to a hurricane. Rather, that vulnerability “starts with asking where are people starting before the disaster happened,” according to Riggen.

“Do they have the resources to evacuate? A preparedness plan? A couple days of food?” he asked. “All those vulnerabilities make us think about that response differently.”

How so? Because to some extent, it doesn’t matter if you can’t live in your house because of a wildfire, hurricane or long-term power failure.

“Food banks, healthcare, emergency housing — we can put that suite of services into almost any disaster scenario, because they’re focused on the person, not how that displacement was caused,” Riggen said.

That approach to planning, he said, “gets you out the disaster-based box,” he added.

Last words: “In thinking about vulnerability, we have to ask: how do we get people who start in a different place to end up with the same result?” Riggen said.

Thursday Throwdowns

Boris Johnson, Bill Gates ‘throwing money’ toward green energy, but provide minimal details

  • British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Bill Gates launched a £400 million ($552 million) partnership on Tuesday to boost green energy investment, with half the funds coming from the U.K. government and the other half raised from the private sector, the Prime Minister’s Office announced.
  • But Tom Peck, a political sketch writer for the Independent, ridiculed the partners, writing that they “will definitely save the world — just don’t bother with the details.”
  • The prime minister and the billionaire, according to Peck, may simply be “throwing the money at the problem, generating headlines, but with no real clue what to actually do.”
  • Peck criticized Gates for his “guilty pleasure” of flying around the world in his private jets and Johnson for writing climate denial columns just a decade ago. He also pointed out how the two men seemed confused about the amount they were investing.
  • At the end of their announcement, Johnson declared that the U.K. was “putting in £200m, I think Bill is putting in £200m,” while Gates then corrected him that it was actually “four hundred each,” according to Peck. But then, he wrote, it turned out that “Johnson had been right the first time.”

Document leaks show pushback against U.N. climate recommendations

  • A document leak uncovered by BBC News demonstrated how several countries are working to change a key scientific report on how to combat climate change.
  • Saudi Arabia, Japan and Australia have demanded that the U.N. play down the urgency to transition away from fossil fuels — pushing back on previous U.N. recommendations that could keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), the BBC reported.
  • Within the documents are more than 32,000 submissions from governments, companies and other global parties, sent to a U.N. team of scientists that is collecting scientific evidence as to how to tackle climate change, according to the BBC.
  • An adviser to the Saudi oil ministry asked that “phrases like ‘the need for urgent and accelerated mitigation actions at all scales’” be eliminated, while an Australian official rejected the idea that shutting down coal-fired plants is necessary, the BBC reported.

Please visit The Hill’s sustainability section online for the web version of this newsletter and more stories. We’ll see you on Friday.{mosads}

Tags Nancy Pelosi

The Hill has removed its comment section, as there are many other forums for readers to participate in the conversation. We invite you to join the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- Encourage “urban sponge” and “slow water” strategies to improve overall climate and pollution resilience.

- Engage in community education about closing homes, outdoor activity avoidance during high-dust periods, and symptom awareness.

Title:

Content: Breaking News
More () »

San Antonians may want to stay indoors next week. Here's why.

A noticeable change in the air will arrive to the Alamo City next week.

SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio skies could look quite different next week but not in the way we're hoping for.

As San Antonians eagerly wait for rain to break our triple-digit temperatures another common occurrence will pick-up next week known as Saharan dust.

The dust is a combination of sand and dust traveling from North Africa across the Atlantic that peaking in late June through mid-August.

Light amounts of Saharan dust have arrived to the Alamo City this past week but will become more noticeable. Therefore, if you have asthma, COPD or any other type of respiratory illness you will want to stay indoors as much as possible during this time.

Timing of Saharan dust:

Monday - Little changes will be in the forecast as heavier amounts of dust remain over the gulf coast.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Tuesday - A large moderate level of Saharan dust will move into South Texas and San Antonio by late afternoon. San Antonians may notice hazy skies and trouble breathing if you're more sensitive to dusty air. But the dust doesn't stop here.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Wednesday - By mid-week Saharan dust ramps up continuing to build and push farther north stretching to the Dallas area. The continuing flow of the dust is partly due to a high pressure bringing a southeasterly flow to help pump the dust toward South Texas.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

Thursday - As the week progresses dust levels continue to rise and could affect air quality levels. For those with any respiratory illnesses they should avoid outdoor activity including vigorous exercise. Also try to keep windows and doors closed. We will continue to monitor this development next week.

Credit: KENS 5 Weather

As dust increases across the area, San Antonians will notice more vibrant sunrises and sunsets. However, during the afternoons the sky appears a more milky white color.

Before You Leave, Check This Out

How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- Monitor and model dust movement to fine-tune local advisories and utility coordination, learning from prior years’ storm impacts.

**Summary:**
Saharan dust storms, a regular late-spring to fall event, degrade air quality, can slightly modify temperatures, impact power and health systems, and have both positive (soil fertilization) and negative (respiratory, visibility, and water stress) effects in San Antonio and broadly across the Americas.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

Preparation involves public health messaging, infrastructure adaptation, and resilient planning to mitigate impacts.

Title:

Content: Advertisement

Toronto and Region Conservation Authority assesses new role under PC government’s planning takeover

As Bill 23, the PC government’s plan to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, steamrolls into effect, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority is outlining how it will adapt to legislative changes in the Conservation Authorities Act while trying to “enhance our region’s natural environment and protect our land, water and communities from the impacts of flooding and increasingly extreme weather events — Ontario’s leading cause of public emergencies.”

The developer-driven housing agenda adopted by the Doug Ford provincial government has been further exposed by recent scandals around Greenbelt land swaps, the takeover of municipal boundary expansions and the use of MZOs (Minister’s Zoning Orders) to override local jurisdiction over planning. One of the critical consequences of Ford’s determination to give sprawl developers what they want is the impact on conservation authorities. Ford’s PCs have forced the 36 CAs across Ontario to dramatically change their mandate, using three-dozen amendments in Bill 23 that strip away the ability of conservation authorities to guide future growth in a way that protects watersheds and their surrounding natural environment.

Through changes in legislation, the PC government has intentionally limited the ability of these guardians to have a say in future development projects.

When Bill 23 was pushed through the legislature in October 2022 by the PCs, it laid the groundwork for the development of 1.5 million homes across Ontario by 2031. Despite studies from experts and the government’s own housing affordability task force showing there is enough land within existing urban boundaries to build over 2 million homes, Bill 23 seeks to cut through some of the obstacles restricting rapid development.

The scandals have exposed the alarming way Ford’s PCs have approached land use, handing their powerful developer friends lands in the Greenbelt, pushing through bad planning by using MZOs, which supersede municipal decision making and are only supposed to be used in special circumstances, and taking over urban boundary expansions to benefit residential builders.

The erosion of conservation authorities was a necessary part of the plan to remove obstacles that protect the public, and Ontario’s natural spaces.

The vision of conservation authorities began to take shape in the 1940’s, but following the catastrophic impact of Hurricane Hazel, the provincial government amended the Conservation Authorities Act to provide these bodies with the power to acquire land for protection of surrounding areas. After 285 millimetres of rain fell in just 48 hours, the equivalent of 120,000 Olympic swimming pools, 81 people died. Legislators wanted to make sure next time, the province would be better prepared.

In July 2013, stretches of Dundas Street East were suddenly transformed from a three-lane roadway to a rushing river, as 138 millimetres of rain fell in just 10 hours — a fifth of the average precipitation in the area over an entire year. Water gushed through low-lying basements as sump pumps backed up when the power went out from the storm. With $932 million in damages, it was the costliest storm in Ontario history.

Extreme weather events like Hurricane Hazel in 1954, and the devastating flood of 2013, are increasing in frequency and severity as atmospheric conditions have changed since human activity from the industrial age to today altered the chemical makeup of our oceans and airsheds.

The annual report by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration showed the global average carbon dioxide content in the air was 417.06 parts per million in 2022 (the highest ever recorded), compared to about 315 in 1958. Prior to modern civilization and the start of human-produced atmospheric carbon, the rate fluctuated between 160 parts per million and 300 over the last 800,000 years, according to the NOAA.

The 1.5 degree temperature increase limit, compared to pre-industrial levels, set at the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 has already been surpassed in parts of the world at certain times of the year and scientists have since warned that extreme weather events and major atmospheric changes will increase as countries fail to significantly reduce emissions. According to a study from Stanford University and the University of Colorado, researchers concluded, using artificial intelligence to predict warming timelines, the Earth is on track to surpass two-degrees of warming, with a 70 percent chance this will occur between 2044 and 2065, even with extreme emissions reductions.

At two degrees above pre-industrial levels, more than a quarter of the world’s population could endure an additional month of heat stress, oceans will become more acidic and warmer, and more than 70 percent of Earth’s coastlines will see a .2-metre rise, according to NASA. As temperature increases continue to play with the balance of the global weather system, severe storms will occur more frequently.

Southern Ontario is warming at twice the rate of the global average, meaning here, the impacts could be catastrophic.

Mississauga Councillor Stephen Dasko, who sits on the Board of Directors for both the TRCA and the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC), said it is no longer just about mitigating the impacts of climate change, rather we must look at adapting our infrastructure and our communities to be able to withstand extreme weather events.

His concern with the PCs’ erosion of the conservation authority mandate is that there will be no authoritative body to focus on some of the environmental challenges when development projects are proposed. In some cases, a permit from the conservation authority will not be required for developments, and, when a permit is required, “conservation of land” and control of “pollution” are no longer suitable arguments to deny a permit under the new rules.

Where permission is no longer required from the conservation authority, it will most likely be the municipality that has to pick up the slack, but municipalities are being ignored by the heavy-handed planning tactics of the PCs, while their own planning resources are being scaled back, especially in Peel where the regional government will no longer exist by 2025.

“We want to make sure that everybody's all on the same page, and all working together on things,” he said.

One of the ways that conservation authorities can contribute to this collective knowledge is through education and outreach. Since these extensions are not impacted by Bill 23, it provides an opportunity for the agencies to expand knowledge to community stakeholders. The TRCA has increasingly been using outreach as a way to educate youth through programs such as the Minimum Access Standards, released in 2022, recommending to school boards a base level of education students should receive on topics involving nature, environmental health and sustainability.

The TRCA also runs the EcoSchools Canada program offering certification for elementary and high schools to focus on climate change education, specifically focussing on major current issues in environmental sustainability including wetlands, microplastics and urban-nature relationships. The TRCA provides education and training to teachers as well as overseeing field trips and outdoor education requirements.

“This is a cornerstone of what the TRCA and the other CAs do, because this is informing the public, but it's quite often informing a whole new generation to come,” Dasko said.

But education can also be provided on another level to community leaders and even elected officials who want to enhance sustainability within their own communities. Through the Sustainable Neighbourhood Action Program (SNAP) the TRCA and the CVC work with communities as partners to provide green energy and retrofits. Identifying these communities of concern is also a crucial step.

Currently, Dasko said he is seeing development applications proposed in areas of high concern, notably the Dundas Street corridor which poses an immense flood risk.

“I want to make sure that there's enough authority, that we can make good decisions, good long term decisions, so that people have a good footing of what's happened,” he said.

Conservation authorities provide programs and services in three categories with Category 1 being mandatory programs and services as outlined in provincial legislation, Category 2 includes activities the body agrees to on behalf of the municipality, and Category 3 being optional programs the organization feels are advisable to further the Act.

One thing that conservation authorities can still do that provides a critical resource for development is floodplain mapping. The TRCA is currently undertaking an update to its floodplain mapping which is legislated to be done every 10 years under the Conservation Authorities Act. The TRCA has noted the priorities of floodplain mapping are to “guide sensitive land use away from high risk areas; identify ways to mitigate flood risk where historical development has already occurred; and protect people, property, and the resilience of urban areas”.

The watershed plan for the Etobicoke Creek is estimated to be completed this year and a similar plan for the Humber River is also underway. These updates use new and enhanced technologies such as Lidar mapping which uses light reflection to understand surface and topography dynamics. The TRCA has previously noted that other radar technologies may become available that will further the ability to provide precise and effective mapping to predict future flooding events.

“Watershed planning provides a framework for establishing goals, objectives, and direction for the protection of water resources, the management of human activities, land, water, aquatic life, and resources within watersheds,” the TRCA previously told The Pointer in an email. “It also provides an opportunity for the assessment of cumulative, cross-jurisdictional, and cross-watershed impacts.”

Similarly, the Credit Valley Conservation Authority (CVC) is revamping its entire watershed plan, a feat that has not been mastered unilaterally in over 50 years.

Mapping has allowed for the development of projects like Riverwalk, a joint project with the TRCA and City of Brampton, designed to protect the downtown Brampton corridor from flooding in the Etobicoke Creek watershed. In 1952, a concrete bypass channel was constructed to divert the creek, which runs through downtown, to the east, which ultimately mitigated some of the damage from Hurricane Hazel two years later. But 31 hectares of Brampton’s core is still at risk for flooding from storm events. Phase 1 of the project will consist of widening and deepening of the channel to reduce flood risk while Phase 2 will involve the creation of parks and greenspaces surrounding the channel for a more sustainable ecosystem.

While watershed mapping is critical in identifying areas suitable for development, and has contributed to projects such as the Brampton Riverwalk, the provincial overhaul of the Wetland Evaluation System (WES) increases the availability of sensitive wetlands for development, putting infrastructure at risk while also contributing to the contamination of water sources.

Under the Bill, the majority of wetlands in southern Ontario would no longer be eligible for any sort of protection. Under the previous WES, the natural features were assessed on a scale of zero to 1,000 and a score of 600 or higher provided the designation of provincial significance, shielding it from development. Bill 23 changes the evaluation criteria, making it harder for wetlands to tally enough points for protection. Among the changes, the presence of endangered species no longer provides evaluation points to a wetland.

The amalgamation of smaller bodies of water is also no longer cause for protection. The previous legislation added the scores of these groups together as a wetland complex and if the entire complex scored over 600 they would be protected. Now each of these ponds or wetlands are set to be analyzed separately, eliminating the concept of a wetland complex, resulting in a large number of small wetlands vulnerable to development.

“With our watersheds, we need to not just protect them, but we also have to be respectful of them,” Dasko said. “Because no matter what people want to build, or whatever they want to do, nature is always going to win.”

Given the changes late in 2022, and the staggering implementation, the 2023 budget was largely unaffected. The TRCA receives the majority of its funding from municipal levies from the City of Toronto, Region of Peel, Durham Region, York Region and the Town of Mono.

According to a TRCA spokesperson, the 2024 budget has not been "significantly impacted" as a result of the changes from Bill 23.

“Conservation authority funding for plan review and commenting services on applications under the Planning Act and Environmental Assessment Act processes is on a cost recovery basis through TRCA Board approved fee schedules and is not provided through municipal budgets,” the statement reads. “Funding for the review and issuance of permit applications by TRCA under the Conservation Authorities Act is also on a cost recovery basis.”

It is also unclear whether or not the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the municipalities and the conservation authority will be impacted.

Dasko said he would like to see more transparency from the province on how these changes will impact the roles and responsibilities of all community players.

“TRCA and CVC, and all of the conservation authorities will still be able to operate,” he said, noting successes like the joint TRCA, CVC and Region of Peel project creating the new Jim Tovey Conservation Area in Mississauga’s Lakeview community, spanning 26 hectares of land into a “green oasis”. “I think some clarity is also important going forward. Because you want to have that for not only the conservation authorities, but also the municipalities and those that are looking to interact or that have to interact with conservation authorities.”

Email: rachel.morgan@thepointer.com

Twitter: @rachelnadia_

At a time when vital public information is needed by everyone, The Pointer has taken down our paywall on all stories to ensure every resident of Brampton, Mississauga and Niagara has access to the facts. For those who are able, we encourage you to consider a subscription. This will help us report on important public interest issues the community needs to know about now more than ever. You can register for a 30-day free trial HERE. Thereafter, The Pointer will charge $10 a month and you can cancel any time right on the website. Thank you

Rachel Morgan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

Here are key nuggets of information from the supplied extracts, with particular emphasis on weather impacts, air conditions, traffic, infrastructure, and public health—relevant for planning for Saharan dust storms and similar events:

**1.

Title:

Content: “Cyclones will be more destructive ”: the Russian climatologist about the storm in the south of Russia
Russian climatologist told about the causes of the storm in the south of Russia
On the night of November 27, the Crimea was hit by the most powerful storm in the history of observations.
According to the authorities, such a storm the peninsula has not yet seen.
The hurricane also affected the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov region.
In an interview with RT, Acting Director of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics named after A.M. Obukhov of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Climatology of the Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Semenov noted that the cause of the cyclone that brought the storm may be temperature contrasts associated with seasonal changes in the autumn-winter period.
According to the expert, it is necessary to lay in advance the risks of such natural anomalies in the work of the construction industry, energy and other sectors of the economy.
• Felled as a result of the hurricane tree in Simferopol
• RIA News
• © Dmitry Makeev
On the night of November 26 to 27, the most powerful storm in the history of observations hit the Crimea.
Where and why did this storm come from?
What is the climate mechanics of this phenomenon?
— It is appropriate to first talk about meteorological mechanics, because the climate is the average weather for several decades.
In this case, we were dealing with an intense cyclone that passed from the south-west over the Black Sea and led to such cataclysms.
Now the transition period from autumn to winter, the water in the ocean has not yet cooled, and the air above the continental zone is already actively cooling.
This leads to strong temperature contrasts and to the instability of the atmosphere.
As a result, cyclones are often generated at this time of year.
This is when we talk about the events of last night from a meteorological point of view.
• RIA News
• © Max Vetrov
And if we talk from a more global, climatic standpoint, it is known that since the 1970s the Black Sea has warmed by about two degrees.
Accordingly, from its surface evaporation is more intense.
And when a cyclone passes over the sea, it scoops up more water in the form of water vapor, which moves and spins along with this cyclone in a whirlwind.
This gives the cyclone extreme, because water vapor has a lot of energy.
— If the reason is increasing climate change, then such storms will be repeated?
The past cyclone, of course, has yet to be investigated to determine the role of global warming in this case.
For this, scientists will need to use climate models.
However, even without this, it is clear that when the climate warms, there will be more evaporation from the ocean surface and cyclones of this type will be more destructive.
In recent years, the air temperature on the planet has been increasing, the temperature of the seas and oceans, including the Black and Mediterranean Seas - the main sources of moisture in the Black Sea region.
So the trend towards more intense cyclones fits into the concept of global warming.
Let me give you an example.
When we investigated the causes of extreme rainfall, which led to severe flooding in the Crimean region of the Krasnodar region in 2012, it turned out that these extreme weather manifestations were indeed caused by global warming.
We simulated the cyclone that passed over Krymsk at that time in the temperature conditions of 2012 and the 1980s, and it became obvious that in the past the same cyclone would not have caused such devastating consequences.
• View of the city of Krymsk, affected by flooding
• RIA News
• © Press Service of EMERCOM of Russia
— Do the measures that are being taken in the world today have any inhibitory effect on warming, or would the process go even faster without them?
— The measures that are being taken now will have an impact only in the perspective of 20-30 years.
And this is provided that all countries will pursue active policies to reduce emissions.
But, frankly, while a noticeable trend to this in the world is not observed, and after all, this is the main measure of the fight against global warming.
Yes, in 2015, countries signed the Paris Agreement, committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality.
But so far we have not seen a significant effect, and I am not sure that this goal will be achieved at all.
Also on the subject
“This process can not be stopped ”: a Russian scientist about the melting of glaciers and rising sea levels
Global warming and melting glaciers threaten the possible flooding of such large urban agglomerations as New York and Hong Kong.
Pre...
— Isn ’ t it time for emergency services, builders and utilities to include such anomalies in their work plans in advance?
- It's time.
And we have long said that, in addition to efforts to reduce anthropogenic impact on the climate, it is necessary to take measures to adapt and prevent risks.
That is, it is necessary to take into account the probability of weather anomalies when planning in different areas.
But this, of course, requires financial investments, so we need solutions at the state level.
It is simply necessary to take into account the factor of climate change in long-term development plans, in standards for construction, etc. It is necessary to realize that such events will be repeated more often.
I repeat: between the current storm and the flood in Krymsk – only 11 years, while earlier such events occurred once in several decades.
For such climate-sensitive regions, future risks need to be carefully assessed so that they are properly prepared for the recurrence of such events.
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Weather and Immediate Environmental Impacts:**
- Large-scale storms (e.g., derechos, cyclones) can cause severe destruction, disrupting infrastructure for at least six hours, demolishing anything in their path.

Title:

Content: Sections
Materials
I see the target, I see no obstacles.
What Are Long-Lived Derecho Storms and Why They Are So Destructive
Taya Kitova
These hurricanes riot for at least 6 hours and are a strip of fast-moving thunderstorms, demolishing everything in its path.
The season of summer storms in the northern hemisphere of the Earth is in full swing, and therefore there is a high probability that one of the most deadly hurricanes will fall on the land - derecho, which in Spanish means "straight forward", writes IFLScience.
In general terms, these storms are considered widespread and long-lived hurricanes with a streak of fast-moving thunderstorms that are extremely destructive and sweep away everything in their path.
Essentially, this corrosive form of an aggressive storm is similar to a tidal wave of aggressive winds and rain that sweeps across the ground, often in the form of an arc-shaped strip.
The researchers note that the shape of the derecho is significantly different from other hurricanes that form around the central "eye" with rotational winds creating a swirling round shape.
Focus's.
Technology has its own Telegram channel.
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According to the National Meteorological Service, derechos are accompanied by gusts of wind at a speed of at least 93 kilometers per hour, and the wind damage band extends at least 386 kilometers from the tip to the tail.
Typically, this wind front is about 100 kilometers wide, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Scientists note that to achieve the derecho thunderstorm front must be maintained for at least 6 hours, but may persist longer, depending on the situation.
Moving at such a high speed for several hours, the derecho can actually travel hundreds of kilometers, leaving only chaos.
Fortunately for humanity, these storms are extremely rare east of Texas in the southeastern states.
However, they can sometimes damage the inner states of the western part of the United States, especially in the spring and early summer.
By the way, derechos are found not only in the States, researchers have also recorded the movement of hurricanes in other parts of the world, including:
• parts of Europe;
• Indian subcontinent;
• China;
• South America;
• South Africa.
Scientists note that the feeding force of these storms are descending gusts: cool air collects in the clouds, it is more dense, and therefore quickly falls to the ground, creating a strong wind.
This downward gust is able to “suck ” more dry air into the storm, which further feeds the hurricane.
According to the researchers, derecho occurs when this area of   the downward impulse extends to a wider area.
According to NOAA scientists, the most intense trees occur on the fringes of heat waves – given the record temperatures humanity faced in 2023, there is a possibility that climate change will create the right conditions for the formation of several destructive trees.
Note that in 2023, scientists have already recorded several storms of derecho, one of which swept through the Midwest on June 15, sowing destruction.
As a result, thousands of people were left without electricity, and a huge number of trees were knocked down.
As heat waves become longer and more intense, scientists fear that humanity will face more devastating hurricanes.
It is likely that the Derechos will become more deadly, long-lasting and will invade further inland.
Earlier, Focus wrote about what scientists said makes 2023 so sultry.

- Dust storms may be accompanied by unusual weather, such as hail followed by heavy showers, leading to widespread flooding and traffic complications.

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Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
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Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
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- Powerful cyclones increase water vapor movement, potentially worsening rain and flooding.

- Lingering harmful air quality is more likely during stagnant weather (no wind) as pollutants accumulate.

Title:

Content: Society23 September 2021 11: 37
Gray in Volgar will smell less: in the Samara region discussed environmental issues
Experts and representatives of the authorities identified the main problems and ways to solve them
By 2024, breathing in Volgar will become easier.
Take a deep breath, don't breathe.
According to reports on the Internet, recently in some areas of Samara and Togliatti, people are guided by this rule.
Social networks thunder from indignation about the unpleasant smell in a particular area or because of the haze over the city.
So what kind of air do residents of the Samara region breathe?
What are the authorities doing to remedy the situation?
An important problem of ecology for the modern world was discussed with experts and representatives of the authorities in the press center of Komsomolskaya Pravda.
The air condition is monitored
Every year, about 200 thousand samples of atmospheric air are taken and analyzed for the content of more than 30 harmful substances in them.
In 2020, seven cases of extremely high pollution of hydrogen sulfide were recorded in the air of Samara, this year - six cases, - said Natalia Evseeva, deputy head of the Center for Monitoring Environmental Pollution of the Privolzhsky UGMS.
Exceeding the maximum permissible concentration of substances this year was recorded 1,163 times in the region.
And Samara is the undisputed leader of this anti-rating, 1,019 cases of exceeding the maximum allowable limit.
And 99% of the excess recorded in the Kuibyshev district.
However, it is early to beat the bells, there is a nuance.
In the Kuibyshev district in 2019, a new automatic observation post for air pollution was installed.
Since July 2020, it has been working continuously.
An automatic post in the Kuibyshev district records the air quality every 20 minutes.
The rest of the posts are only four times a day, so one excess in Kuibyshev district will be shown more times than in another district.
Hence such figures, - explains the chief consultant of the Department of environmental supervision of the Ministry of Forestry of the region Denis Shilov.
According to him, the number of violations does not always indicate a bad situation in the area.
Especially since the post is completely new, it catches even the slightest impurities.
Environmental issues were discussed at the KP-Samara press center.
Photo: Svetlana MAKOVEEVA
The weather is also to blame.
Another nuance is the weather.
Usually, the MPC is exceeded during calm.
That is, when the wind does not blow out harmful substances, and they accumulate in one place.
This is the situation, for example, in Tolyatti.
According to experts, this is the weather there most of the year.
Hence the higher number of MPC.
In such weather, all enterprises should reduce the amount of emissions.
- Rospotrebnadzor appealed to the governor of the Samara region Dmitry Azarov because of exceeding the MPC for hydrogen sulfide in calm.
It is necessary to determine the quota of emissions in such weather at each enterprise, up to the stop of work, - said the head of the department of supervision of municipal hygiene of the Rospotrebnadzor of the region Irina Matyunina.
She notes that enterprises can not violate anything, and at the post can still be recorded excess of the norm.
For example, because the air has accumulated in the lowlands.
The authorities of Samara are also struggling with the problem.
- We are very concerned about emissions in windless weather, including that is why we send warnings to all legal entities and individual entrepreneurs that the legislation has changed.
They have to make calculations and determine in what weather they should reduce or stop production altogether.
Violators are waiting for fines, but usually enterprises listen, - assured the head of the department of prevention and planning of environmental supervision of the Department of urban economy and ecology of Samara Olga Goryunova.
Struggling with an unpleasant smell
Another nuance is related to hydrogen sulfide.
He smells bad.
Even if the indicators are not exceeded, the person will still smell an unpleasant smell.
I will say for sure that the legislation will change in this direction in order to take into account this nuance, - Denis Shilov noted.
One of the sources of hydrogen sulfide is sewage treatment plants.
The Communists were even brought to justice.
However, these structures will not go anywhere, but you can fight with an unpleasant smell.
What the authorities are already doing.
The wastewater treatment plants have already begun reconstruction, in the coming years, part of the emission sources will be covered so that the smell does not spread.
By 2024, the situation in the Kuibyshev district will become noticeably better.

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Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
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Photo by Global Look Press / Camilo Freedman
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Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
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Historical Impacts and Affected Areas:**
- Severe storms have been reported in the Americas and Europe, with notable events in El Salvador (rain, landslides), Oklahoma (tornado devastation), and South Dakota (derecho with green sky and hurricane-force winds).

Title:

Content: A terrible natural disaster raged in Oklahoma on April 28, killing four people, including a small child.
At least 100 people were injured and more than 20,000 were left without electricity.
See also Dust from the Sahara, heat in spring and heavy rains in Dubai: how the climate in Ukraine and the world is changing
Effects of a powerful tornado in the United States
The American city of Sulfur, home to about 5 thousand people, experienced the greatest destruction.
The tornado destroyed buildings in the center, overturned vehicles and tore roofs, leaving behind ruins.
You just can't believe the destruction.
It seems that all the businesses in the city center (Sulfur Canal 24) have been destroyed.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said.
U.S. President Joe Biden has already held a telephone conversation with Governor Stitt, assuring the full support of the federal government.
At the same time, state authorities report additional casualties and significant material losses in other areas.
In particular, near the city of Holdenville, two people were killed and many houses were destroyed.
How to restore it?
It's a total devastation.
It's crazy, you want to help, but where to start,
Kelly Trussell, a local resident of Sulfur, said.
In the United States raging destructive tornadoes: destroyed hundreds of homes, there are victims
What to do in case of natural disaster
In southern China in Guangzhou on April 27, a powerful tornado claimed 5 lives and injured 33 people.
The strong element had a third level of intensity, resulting in damage to 141 factory buildings.
Rescue services went to the scene and subsequently completed rescue work.
A tornado is one of those elements that you should carefully be prepared for if you live in an area where this phenomenon is possible.
Experts advise: keep an eye on weather forecasts, be attentive to the warnings of meteorological services and prepare a stock of food, water, clothes and medicines just in case.
• When the whirlpool is approaching, you should find the nearest shelter.
During a tornado, it is best to be in the basement or in an interior room without windows on the lower floor.
You can use mattresses, blankets or pillows to protect yourself from debris caused by destruction.

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Events impact major US regions, including Texas and Florida, causing major flight cancellations and disruptions.

Title:

Content: In particular, flights have been canceled or rescheduled at airports in Washington, New York, Chicago and Denver.
According to the American media, a total of about 150 million people in the country were affected by the weather.
In more than half of the states established extremely low temperature for the region, announced an increased level of danger.
In some areas, the air temperature dropped below 45 degrees Celsius.
Several state governors have introduced additional security measures.
In Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, New York introduced emergency mode.
About 100 National Guard officers have been deployed in Colorado to help residents.
Texas authorities instructed emergency services to intensify work due to the threat of storm, flooding and "other extreme weather conditions."
Local meteorological services warn of the risk of an "explosive cyclone", which is characterized by a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure at the epicenter.
The snow storm also affected Canada and led to the cancellation of a number of flights at Vancouver International Airport.
It is expected that on Saturday night the wind speed in Toronto will reach 100 km / h.

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Flat, low-lying regions are at increased risk of flooding from storms and extreme rainfall.

Title:

Content: How to prepare for a possible flood?
If you look at the list of risk zones in Estonia on the website of the Ministry of the Environment, you can find almost all the settlements located along the large water bodies from Kuressaare and Kärdla, as well as from the coastal areas of Tallinn (Haabersti, Pyhja-Tallinn, Kesklinn and Pirita) to Pärnu and Tartu.
Since we are on a relatively flat plot of land, in addition to rising sea levels and river levels, there is also a risk of flooding due to increasing rainfall.
Sewerage can not cope with all the water - and it spreads through the streets.
Areas at risk of flooding can be seen on the Geoportal of the Land Department.
The most effective way to avoid flooding or reduce risks is planning.
One of the possibilities for this is the development of general and detailed plans by the local government, with the help of which it is possible to determine where and on what conditions it is possible to build.
The location of buildings and structures is important, as well as the choice of construction solutions - so that the influence of floods does not increase and the buildings are resistant to possible flooding.
It is not recommended to build on low-lying coastal areas and in floodplains of rivers.
During construction, it is important to determine the height of the first floor of buildings and engineering networks, ensuring the safety of residents and property.
Landowners, entrepreneurs and developers need to reasonably adhere to planning restrictions and involve appropriate experts in planning.
Otherwise, the economic and reputational damage from correcting errors may be greater than it would be in choosing the right place and preventive measures.
It is important for residents to know when heavy prolonged rains are approaching and at what water level the household will be in danger.
In order for the water to rise to a large level, several unfavorable conditions must coincide - frequent cyclones, accompanied by abundant torrential rains, as well as, for example, spring floods, when rivers come out of the banks, have the greatest impact.
If flooding due to high water levels can be predicted, flooding due to rains is difficult to predict.
Opportunities for innovative solutions are increasingly being taken into account, which is not only welcome, but also essential to cope with climate change and create a sustainable future.
In recent years, attention has been paid to close to natural storm water management options.
In addition to creating perhaps more famous ponds and storage channels, as well as wet areas, it is possible to weigh the possibility of coating with rubble stone or gravel, when the stone alternates with grass strips and all sorts of landscaping elements, for example, boxes for growing plants, landscaping roofs, green-covered walls.
These technologies and materials work on the principle that in the event of a flood, water will be able to return to the ground, to the stormwater system and, eventually, back to the water bodies at a rate that reduces the risk of flooding and associated damage.
At the same time, they bring the absolutely necessary diversity and habitat to the urban space.
Your household can be strengthened: make first of all water barriers, waterproofing of low-lying holes, move electrical panels higher.
And in the case of real danger, it is also possible to place, for example, bags of sand in front of doors and windows, disconnect the drainage pipes leading to the sewer, and block the taps of the drain pipes and sewer pipes with bushings.
If there is a risk that water will get into the electrical system, it must be turned off.
As in the case of a strong storm, you need to be prepared for possible power outages, charge your mobile phone, stock up on a flashlight, a battery-powered radio and a sufficient amount of drinking water, food and car fuel.
If the threat of more severe flooding is real, it is worth moving household belongings and polluting chemicals higher from the ground.
What to do during a flood?
Flooding can lead to many serious dangers: drowning, hypothermia, electric shock, contamination of drinking water, damage to buildings and property, as well as interruptions in the operation of vital services such as electricity, sewage and communications.
It is important to monitor the current situation and evacuate before the water reaches your home.
When water enters the building, the logical step is to retreat to a higher level: to the second floor, attic or roof.
Be sure to bring items needed in an emergency – such as a telephone, warm weatherproof clothing and blankets, food, medicine and drinking water – and make yourself or your household visible and audible to rescuers.
To be aware of the development of the situation, the battery-operated radio needs to be tuned to the local radio frequency.
If you need to leave the house, keep in mind that the mass of flowing water is dangerous, it is impossible to move around flooded places.
To measure the depth of the water, use a stick or a branch.
Avoid contact with water that penetrates the house, and if the ground goes from under your feet, do not flounder, but try to swim on your back to a hard surface.
Be sure to stay away from flooded substations, electrical equipment and cables conducting electricity in the water.
For injuries and immediate danger, call the emergency number 112.
Watch the video.
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Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
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Photo by Global Look Press / Camilo Freedman
Voice-over text
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Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
Read also
Advertisement
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Impacts on City Infrastructure:**
- Flooding from storms overpowers drainage and sewage systems, leading to street and property inundation.

Title:

Content: Go to main content
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Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
0
Photo by Global Look Press / Camilo Freedman
Voice-over text
Highlight the main
INCLUDING
off
Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
Read also
Advertisement
Live broadcast

- Power outages may occur if water infiltrates electrical systems.

- Air traffic may be disrupted—a note for major transportation nodes.

Title:

Content: In particular, flights have been canceled or rescheduled at airports in Washington, New York, Chicago and Denver.
According to the American media, a total of about 150 million people in the country were affected by the weather.
In more than half of the states established extremely low temperature for the region, announced an increased level of danger.
In some areas, the air temperature dropped below 45 degrees Celsius.
Several state governors have introduced additional security measures.
In Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, Oklahoma, New York introduced emergency mode.
About 100 National Guard officers have been deployed in Colorado to help residents.
Texas authorities instructed emergency services to intensify work due to the threat of storm, flooding and "other extreme weather conditions."
Local meteorological services warn of the risk of an "explosive cyclone", which is characterized by a sharp drop in atmospheric pressure at the epicenter.
The snow storm also affected Canada and led to the cancellation of a number of flights at Vancouver International Airport.
It is expected that on Saturday night the wind speed in Toronto will reach 100 km / h.

- Sewerage systems can be a critical weak point if rainfall and runoff exceed design limitations.

Air Quality and Health Implications:**
- Monitored atmospheric samples often exceed permissible limits for harmful substances after weather events, especially if wind fails to disperse pollutants and dust.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Persistent poor air from dust or emissions can cause noticeable odors and long-term health effects, even when levels are just below regulatory thresholds.

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- Saharan dust specifically is known to exacerbate respiratory illnesses (asthma, allergies) and increase hospital visits.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

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Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
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Photo by Global Look Press / Camilo Freedman
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Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
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Recommendations for Preparation and Mitigation:**
- Early monitoring and public warnings ahead of storms or dust arrivals.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

public awareness & education
implement a warning system

- Enhanced air quality monitoring during predicted dust invasions; encourage industries to minimize emissions during stagnant weather.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Maintain and reinforce drainage infrastructure; use sandbags and sealing measures to protect buildings.

- Educate the public on health risks (especially vulnerable groups) and ensure rapid access to medical assistance.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

health facilities readiness
public awareness & education

- Consider floodplain and low coastal zone development limitations in future planning.

- Temporary relocation of residents may be needed in high-risk areas during severe events.

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Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
0
Photo by Global Look Press / Camilo Freedman
Voice-over text
Highlight the main
INCLUDING
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Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
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Positive and Negative Impacts:**
- Negative: Health risks, destruction of infrastructure, increased roadway and air traffic accidents, overwhelmed emergency services, power outages.

Title:

Content: Go to main content
Advertisement
Live broadcast
Six people were victims of the effects of rain in El Salvador
0
Photo by Global Look Press / Camilo Freedman
Voice-over text
Highlight the main
INCLUDING
off
Six people have died because of heavy rains that began in El Salvador at the end of May and intensified earlier this week.
On Tuesday, June 14, reported telesurtv.
It is known that three people in the municipality of Santiago Nonualco in the central department of La Paz were victims of a landslide near the highway.
A total of 54 landslides were reported in the country.
As a result, 74 roads were cut off, 19 houses collapsed and water rose in two rivers.
In addition, the El Guahe bridge collapsed in the department of Usulutan.
State authorities warn of the continuing danger.
Rain will increase in the central and eastern parts of the country.
At the moment, emergency services are eliminating the consequences of the disaster.
Earlier, on June 12, in Mexico in the metropolitan area of   Benito Juarez partially collapsed the roof of a supermarket after heavy rain.
According to the emergency management of Mexico City, the upper part of the building could not withstand the gravity of the rainfall.
There are no casualties.
In most areas of the city fell hail, followed by a shower, which led to numerous flooding and complicated the situation on the roads.
Read also
Advertisement
Live broadcast

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Positive: In some cases, Saharan dust can fertilize soil by transporting minerals, and may suppress Atlantic hurricane formation by stabilizing the atmosphere.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

In summary, Saharan dust storms—though not identical to cyclones or derechos—bring hazardous air, respiratory risks, reduced visibility impacting traffic, and strain to city systems.

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

Proactive monitoring, robust infrastructure, and public communication are essential mitigations for San Antonio.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

The Americas, particularly the Gulf Coast, Caribbean, and southeastern US, are most impacted by Saharan dust.

Title:

Content: "Bomb cyclone" will hit the United States
"Bomb cyclone", which may hit the United States later this week, may interfere with the holidays and rest of Americans.
"Bomb cyclone" is a natural phenomenon in which a cyclone in the middle latitudes rapidly intensifies within 24 hours, in the atmospheric pressure drops by at least 24 millibars.
A winter storm is forecast to hit cities, including Chicago.
This is reported by the New York Post.
Heavy snowfall is expected to hit much of the Midwest — all the way to Jackson, Mississippi — from Thursday evening until the end of the holiday weekend.
Strong winds will blow on the east coast, and cold air will reach the south, all the way to the usually warm states of Texas and Florida.
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What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

**Summary Nuggets on Weather, Heat, and Dust Storm Impacts (2500 characters)**

**General Weather Impacts & Trends:**
- Recent years have been the hottest on record globally, driven by climate change and exacerbated by weather phenomena like La Niña.

Title:

Content: Hottest July ever, UN warns of 'global boiling'
T + T - normal size
July is likely to be the hottest month on record, scientists said Thursday, as UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that the Earth is now in a “global boiling age. ”
A heatwave exacerbated by global warming has hit parts of Europe, Asia and North America this month, as well as wildfires that have ravaged swathes of Canada and southern Europe.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres told reporters in New York that "climate change is here, it is terrifying and this is just the beginning," calling for swift and strong action to end greenhouse gas emissions.
"The era of global warming is over.
The age of global warming has arrived. ”
According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Union ’ s climate observatory Copernicus, “July 2023 is very likely to be the hottest and hottest month on record. ”
Copernicus director Carlo Pontimbo said the temperatures recorded during this period were so "extraordinary" that scientists were confident the records had been broken even before the end of the month.
Beyond official figures, indirect climate data — such as tree rings that determine their age — suggest that the temperatures recorded in July 2023 may be “unprecedented in our history in the last few thousand years, ” says Pontimbo.
He added that these grades may have been standard even "about 100,000 years ago."
With about 1.2 degrees Celsius of global warming recorded since the late 19th century driven by the burning of fossil fuels, heat waves have become hotter, longer and more frequent, as have other extreme weather events such as storms and floods.
An existential threat.
Extreme temperatures and devastating wildfires recorded in July in parts of the northern hemisphere have raised concerns about their impact on health, ecosystems and economies.
As large swathes of the United States were hit by an unprecedented heatwave, President Joe Biden said on Thursday that rising temperatures caused by climate change were an "existential threat".
“I don ’ t think anyone can deny the impact of climate change anymore, ” Biden said at the White House, revealing that measures were being taken to ensure the safety of people working outdoors more broadly as funding for meteorological services increased.
His comments came during a video call with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio in Texas, which is known for its high temperatures.
Heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, killing 600 people each year.
An alarm related to extreme heat was issued in New York on Thursday and Friday as the city opened 500 centers equipped with refrigerators.
In Beijing, which has seen four weeks of record-breaking temperatures above 35 degrees Celsius, the government has urged elderly people to stay indoors and asked children to reduce outdoor play time to reduce exposure to heat and ozone pollution at ground level.
In many Mediterranean countries, wildfires have broken out as extreme heat has caused vast areas of land to dry up.
Hundreds of Greek firefighters are battling deadly wildfires that have raged for two weeks in several parts of the country.
Shallow water warming
The Copernicus Observatory and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said global mean sea surface temperatures, which have been much higher than previously recorded at similar periods of the year since May, contributed to the exceptional heat in July.
Pontempo said a "large area" of the central Mediterranean was approaching or exceeding unprecedented levels.
Shallow water temperatures off South Florida, which exceeded 37.8 degrees Celsius for several hours Monday, are also likely to set new global records and threaten coral reefs.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said the eight years ending in 2022 were the hottest on record, despite the implications of the La Niña weather phenomenon linked to lower temperatures.
This has now given way to the El Niño phenomenon, which is generally associated with increasing global temperatures, although it is not expected to intensify until later in the year.
Global temperatures are likely to rise temporarily by 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels for at least one of the next five years.
But experts stress that this would not be a permanent breach of the Paris agreement ’ s path of limiting climate warming to 1.5 degrees, which signals long-term warming.
Scientists say the world will need to adapt to the heat and other impacts caused by emissions, and that carbon pollution must be drastically reduced this decade to avoid the worst in the future.
Petteri Taalas, secretary-general of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said: “The extreme weather conditions that affected millions of people in July are unfortunately the harsh reality of climate change and a preview of the future.
“The need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is more urgent than ever.
Climate action is not a luxury but a necessity. ”
Members of the WorldWeather Atribition, a group of climate scientists, concluded this week that heatwaves in parts of Europe and North America would have been nearly impossible without climate change.
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- Extreme weather events (heatwaves, droughts, floods, wildfires) are increasing in frequency and severity across the US, including San Antonio and other parts of Texas.

- Heat-related deaths in the US reach 600 per year, making heat the deadliest weather hazard.

Title:

Content: Climate change
Biden: Climate change is an existential threat that no one can deny
China, U.S. agree to continue close climate communication
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US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that rising temperatures caused by climate change were an “existential threat. ”
“I don ’ t think anyone can deny the impact of climate change anymore, ” Biden said in a speech at the White House, announcing measures to ensure the safety of people working outdoors more broadly as funding for meteorological services increases.
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His comments came during a video call with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio in Texas, which is known for its high temperatures.
Heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, killing 600 people each year.
The president also announced measures to strengthen heat-related safety rules for workers, especially farmers, construction workers and others working in open spaces, as well as additional funding for meteorological services.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Biden said her desert city is "famous for the heat.
But this summer was truly unprecedented. ”
"It is doing real damage to our society and we feel we are on the front lines of climate change."
Chinese and U.S. climate envoys said on Thursday during a video call that the two countries agreed to continue close communication on issues including climate change.
Referring to the talks between China ’ s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry, China ’ s environment ministry said in a statement that the two sides exchanged views on topics such as strengthening China-U.S. dialogue on climate change and enhancing cooperation in the global climate multilateral process.
Kerry, who visited China earlier this month, said more work was needed to reach agreements with China on major issues.
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- Meteorological services are increasing efforts and funding to forecast and prepare for these hazards.

Title:

Content: ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tipaza...
Resumption of the work of the preventive apparatus to cope with the risks of weather fluctuations
By A.S.
The recently established preventive apparatus to counter the risks caused by weather fluctuations in the state of Tipaza has resumed, in implementation of the instructions of the governor of the state, Abu Bakr Siddiq Boucetta.
According to the State's official website, the newly created Preventive Mechanism has resumed its work.
To address the risks caused by weather fluctuations in the state.
At the level of: Bousmaïl district to ensure coverage and intervention through the eastern municipalities.
and the Cherchal district to ensure coverage and intervention across the western municipalities.
Click on the image to download the Nahar app to see all the news on the Play Store
Click on the image to download the Nahar app to see all the news on the Play Store
Permanent Link: https: / / nhar.tv / q4lBv
ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

**Local Relevance (San Antonio Region):**
- Heatwaves in San Antonio, combined with drought, create critical health and safety risks, particularly for vulnerable populations (outdoor workers, those with compromised health).

Title:

Content: Heavy rain and snow after a long drought.
The Great Melt in California Could Cause Heavy Floods
Spring in California this year has been a welcome respite, given the record rainfall and historic snowfall the state has seen in recent weeks.
But the new danger from hot weather looms large.
The state ’ s massive ice will begin to melt soon, and communities are preparing to deal with the water, as trillions of gallons of snowwater covering the Sierra Nevada mountain range are expected to rush into rivers and reservoirs as the weather warms.
This will increase the risk of flooding in areas already saturated with the state ’ s rainstorming winters.
Climate scientist Daniel Swain said in an online briefing this week that the mass of ice, 233 percent of the April 1 average, contains enough water to fill reservoirs downstream several times.
Danger.
"Conditions can be risky even without a large heatwave or warm rain in the late season, and a combination of warm spring weather and sunny skies can be sufficient for rapid surface runoff," Swain said.
It is a challenge facing many countries across the West, all of which have had to contend with a drastic shift in climate conditions, after years of devastating drought.
The climate crisis, which exacerbates extreme events, is expected to fuel large swings in the future.
Less reliable models and forecasts
Rapid spring thawing has already wreaked havoc from the southwest to the Rocky Mountains, emergency crews in New Mexico have been forced to conduct water rescues of submerged vehicles, and Arizona residents have spent days working to drain floodwaters from their homes.
The climate crisis has made models and forecasts based on historical data less reliable, and even with good data, the information doesn ’ t help much, according to California Water Resources Administration officials.
Jenny Fromm, of the US Army Corps of Engineers, said: “We don ’ t really know how the ice will melt, ” explaining:“ Small shifts in solar radiation and groundwater flow can make a big difference to the results. ”
Dealing with Extreme Volatility
David Rizardo, director of the California Department of Water Resources Hydrology, said: “Climate change has had other plans over the past 10 years, ” explaining how the increase in external events has made statistics and models less reliable.
It is difficult to know at this point whether conditions will change for better or for worse, "he said, adding:" Maybe there will be more snow or rain.
We may go through a really warm and very dry period that causes the water to evaporate in the system.
Both affect. ”
“However, what officials know is that many of the areas at risk of being the hardest hit have long had to deal with extreme weather conditions, including years of devastating drought and extreme heat. ”
Jose Pablo Ortiz, a senior scientist at the non-profit Union of Climate Scientists, said many of these communities have been affected for years by the weather.
Scientists, officials and activists are particularly interested in communities in California ’ s San Joaquin Valley, an agricultural center that embraces the state ’ s mountainous center.
Winter storms, which hit the region in March, caused devastating flooding, damaged homes, farmland and critical infrastructure, counties estimate billions of dollars in damage, and millions more are needed to fund the most urgent repairs.
Repair of dams and drainage
Besides resources, it will take time to repair damaged dams, drain the water still flooding streets, and dry up homes and businesses.
Recovery has been slow, and time is running out, as in April and May, snowmelt runoff peaks in many of these areas.
Access to clean water
Even as the region races to prepare for dangerous water flows, the effects of drought persist there.
“For some, it ’ s a water quantity problem, but for others it ’ s a water quality problem, ” Ortiz said, noting that many communities in this region are still struggling to get clean water for drinking and hygiene.
Experts have warned that the risks facing California and the wider U.S. West will only get worse as the climate crisis intensifies.
“Drought risks – as well as severe flooding – are rising as the climate warms. ”
While it is difficult to attribute any single weather event to the climate crisis, the extreme swings between wet and dry fit the pattern predicted, by models and scientists ’ conclusions, as the climate scientist pointed out.
Meanwhile, the impact of these extreme weather events has been felt for a longer time, Swain said, with the risks posed by a series of storms that have hit California, which persist into the summer.
But the winter is not over yet.
Winter storms, which hit the region in March, caused devastating flooding and damaged homes, farmland and critical infrastructure.
Experts warn that the risks facing California and the wider U.S. West will only get worse as the climate crisis intensifies.
Drought risks – as well as severe flooding – are on the rise, as the climate warms.
Rapid spring thawing has already wreaked havoc from the southwest to the Rocky Mountains, emergency crews in New Mexico have been forced to conduct water rescues of submerged vehicles, and Arizona residents have spent days working to drain floodwaters from their homes.
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- Historic migrant deaths have occurred in the city due to extreme heat and dehydration.

Title:

Content: Illegal immigration: 46 migrants die in abandoned truck in San Antonio due to heat and drought
Angelica Casas in San Antonio and Leo Sands
• BBC News
At least 46 people have been found dead in an abandoned truck on the outskirts of San Antonio, Texas.
A fire department official said 16 people, including four children, were also taken to hospital.
Survivors were overheated and had symptoms of heat stroke and heat exhaustion.
San Antonio, 250km from the Mexican-American border, is a major transit route for people smugglers.
People smugglers often use trucks to transport undocumented migrants after they meet them in remote areas as soon as they can cross the border into the United States.
Ron Nirnberg, mayor of San Antonio, said: “They had families.
They were probably looking for a better life.
It ’ s just a terrible human tragedy. ”
San Antonio fire chief Charles Hood said emergency service workers first arrived at the scene around 6 p.m. local time (11pm GMT) after receiving reports of a body.
“We ’ re not supposed to open a truck to see piles of bodies inside.
None of us came to work imagining it. ”
The truck, abandoned by the driver, was without air conditioning and had no drinking water inside, he said.
Heat wave
The weather in San Antonio is very hot in the summer months, with temperatures reaching 39.4 degrees Celsius on Monday, and there are suspicions that the victims may have died of heat exhaustion and drought.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said two Guatemalans were among those taken to hospital.
The nationality of the other victims was not immediately clear.
Three people were arrested and the investigation into the case was handed over to federal agents.
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Mexican Consul General Ruben Menotti was sent to the scene and the consulate in San Antonio said it would provide "all forms of support" if Mexican nationals were among the dead.
A security guard named Edward Reina, who works in a lumber yard just yards from the scene, said he was not surprised to hear the news when he came to work on his night shift.
He said he had seen migrants jump from the train passing by where the truck was found on countless occasions.
Reina said: “I thought sooner or later someone would get hurt.
The gangs that bring them here don ’ t care about them. ”
This story has been repeated in San Antonio before, but not on this scale.
In 2017, 10 migrants were found dead inside a similar tractor trailer outside Walmart – on the southern side of the city.
The southernmost side of San Antonio is a crossing with two major highways that connect the city to border towns in Texas.
The presence of mostly rural communities, a few junkyards, and a host of growing neighborhoods in this part of the city makes it easy for a truck of this size not to catch anyone ’ s attention — until the opposite happens.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorcas, whose department investigated the incident, said: "People smugglers are ruthless people who have no regard for vulnerable people who exploit and put them at risk for profit."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott blamed the deaths on President Joe Biden, calling them “the result of his murderous policies on open borders. ”
But Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic candidate running against Abbott, said reports of the incident were devastating and called for swift action to "dismantle the people-smuggling rings and replace them with expanded sites to receive legal immigration."
Immigration is a divisive political issue in the United States, where a record 239,000 undocumented migrants were detained in May as they tried to cross the country from Mexico – many of them on extremely dangerous and unsafe routes.
U.S. law enforcement officials appear to be on track to surpass the 2021 record of 1.73 million border arrests as large numbers of migrants from Central American countries such as Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador continue to cross.
Many illegal immigrants fleeing poverty and violence in Central America end up paying people smugglers to help them cross the U.S. border.
Repeated incidents
In recent years, there have been many similar incidents involving migrants who died on their journey, but none were as large as the two were discovered in terms of death toll.
Following the discovery of the tragedy, the Catholic Archbishop of San Antonio, Gustavo Garcia-Seller, tweeted: "Have mercy on them, Lord.
They were hoping for a better life. ”
“Once again, the lack of courage in dealing with immigration reforms is killing and destroying lives. ”
Speaking to the BBC from San Antonio, Matt Houston, a local correspondent for Keynes 5, said: "Our understanding of the situation at the moment is that if this was a human smuggling incident, as it seems, it would be the deadliest such incident in American history."
The risks faced by families crossing the border into the United States are enormous — in recent days the region has been hit by a heatwave, he said.

- Interconnectedness with climate (heat induces wildfires and drought, which feed into further air and health quality issues).

**Saharan Dust Storm Impacts (Historical Data):**
- Saharan dust storms affect weather and air quality across the Americas—especially the Caribbean, Gulf Coast, Mexico, Central America, and southern US (including Texas).

Title:

Content: -- -- -- / -- -- --
Site Management
Choking and fainting.
Broken and disabled ways to study
Sand storms trigger a state of emergency in the west
Al Shorouk Reporters
• 860
• 0
The strong winds that hit many parts of the country during the past two days, caused two fatal traffic accidents in Glizan, and this is because dust storms obscured the vision.
Hospitals were overwhelmed with asthma, allergies, and others who suffered from suffocation.
Shell also recorded vital roads and sporadic losses under the prevailing weather conditions.
On Monday evening, a fatal traffic accident occurred in Glizan after the deviation and coup of a motorcycle and this at the level of the bridge of Sayyid al-Haj on the national road No. 07, Ben Dawood Municipality, and resulted in the injury of the motorcyclist seriously at the level of the head where he died in the place. A Hyundai truck collided with a Renault truck loaded with sand from behind. The accident resulted in the injury of an unidentified man of about 25 years old, who sustained injuries to the head, face and chest. He was confined to the truck and died on the spot.
According to our sources, traffic accidents were caused by bad weather and poor visibility.
Al-Shorouk learned that due to strong sandy winds and air fluctuations recorded in the state of Glizan, the city protection units in the state carried out 13 interventions, represented by the fall of trees, on the edges of the roads, and the fall of some columns and electrical strands, and the civil protection evacuated 13 cases of both sexes, ranging in age from 18 to 93 years, due to shortness of breath.
The dust storm that has been raging in the province of Oran and its surrounding areas for the past 48 hours has created a state of emergency among families who are suffering from asthma and allergies. Emergency medical services have become the number one destination for ambulances that were transporting the injured and the health crisis, both towards Ibn Zergab Hospital and early November. Strong winds of 70 km per hour have caused several serious collapses. In addition to material damage to cars and shop fronts.
Fainting among students
According to the communication cell at the level of Ibn Zarjab Hospital in the district of El Balato, more than 100 cases of shortness of breath have been recorded during the past 48 hours, and the number is still likely to rise, without talking about the rest of the neighboring hospital institutions, whose staff spent hours without interruption to take care of patients, most of the cases belong to people with asthma and allergies and age between 21 and 80 years.
At the level of the educational sector, several cases of fainting among teachers as a result of difficulty breathing have been recorded. The injured have been referred to hospitals in order to receive the necessary treatment and undergo artificial respiration, while many managers have resorted to canceling the rest session and preventing students from going out so as not to suffer respiratory crises, especially since the sand storm has transformed the day at night.
For reference, the strong winds caused the registration of some partial collapses of some buildings, most notably what happened in the building located in the approach of the National Liberation Army on the sea side when part of the facade of the building fell, leaving the crash of some cars and fortunately, the accident did not leave victims.
In the wilaya of Sidi Bel Abbes, many educational institutions dismissed their students in the three phases because of the sandstorms that swept the state in the past 48 hours, especially in the southern regions, where the wind accompanied by heavy dust, which reached 80 km per hour, completely blocked the visibility, and the interventions of the protection services of 26 in the removal of trees falling due to high winds.
The sandstorms forced many municipalities to suspend the study until the weather improved after the sand swept through the classrooms.
Winds have also caused many trees to fall, paralyzing traffic on a number of municipal and even state roads, as well as frequent power outages in some municipalities.
Power outages
The storms caused the entire territory of the state of Beidh, partially closed a number of national and state roads, especially linking the north of the state to the south, while there was no movement completely through roads and unpaved paths, and the municipality of Beidh witnessed the fall of a large number of trees, which paralyzed traffic for several hours.
On the other hand, many villages have experienced a complete power outage.
In a happy state, the force of the wind brought down giant trees, electric cables and blackouts on many happy neighborhoods.
These winds, which decreased somewhat on Tuesday, caused the fall of an electrical column in the neighborhood of 500 housing peace next to the annex of the municipality of Saïda, and fortunately the incident did not record any significant losses, and caused the collapse of the roofs of some old houses.
Tlemcen witnessed several incidents due to bad weather, where a building crane threatened the security of residents and passers-by in the neighborhood of Kifan.
The wind led to the fall of an electric column in the Sidi Taher neighborhood in the upper city of Tlemcen near the mosque and fortunately no casualties were recorded, and the wind caused damage to an archaeological wall dating back to the Zayanid period, threatened with collapse.
In the municipality of Awlad Maimoun, east of Tlemcen, the wind caused the fall of a public lighting pole on the external wall of the Bakhti Abdul Razak without registering casualties, and in the municipality of Shatwan, the wind led to the fall of iron sheets from a balcony on the fifth floor of a building in the neighborhood of Bouarfa, and the wind led a tree in the municipality of Beni Sanous on the roof of a house without registering casualties.
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How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What areas of the Americas have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

What areas of the US have been affected by Saharan dust storms?

- Dust events have triggered states of emergency, especially in arid or semi-arid zones.

- Strong winds from dust storms can cause power outages via damage to infrastructure, topple trees and light poles, and damage roofs/buildings.

- Traffic accidents increase during dust storms due to reduced visibility and slippery roads.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Medical emergencies spike: respiratory distress, asthma, and allergies.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

Example: In a single North African storm, over 100 cases of breathing problems were recorded in 48 hours, mostly in those with pre-existing conditions.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- Dust from Saharan storms can suppress hurricane formation by creating dry air layers in the Atlantic.

Title:

Content: ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tipaza...
Resumption of the work of the preventive apparatus to cope with the risks of weather fluctuations
By A.S.
The recently established preventive apparatus to counter the risks caused by weather fluctuations in the state of Tipaza has resumed, in implementation of the instructions of the governor of the state, Abu Bakr Siddiq Boucetta.
According to the State's official website, the newly created Preventive Mechanism has resumed its work.
To address the risks caused by weather fluctuations in the state.
At the level of: Bousmaïl district to ensure coverage and intervention through the eastern municipalities.
and the Cherchal district to ensure coverage and intervention across the western municipalities.
Click on the image to download the Nahar app to see all the news on the Play Store
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

**Negative Impacts:**
- Worsened air quality and respiratory issues in sensitive populations (children, elderly, those with asthma or allergies).

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

What are the negative health effects of Saharan dust?

- Power grid disruption from wind damage and additional load as citizens seek to cool their homes.

How can the authorities prepare for a Saharan dust storm?

- Transportation hazards: reduced road and air visibility, increased accident rates.

What are the negative effects of Saharan dust storm on infrastructure?

- Secondary damage: infrastructure (power poles, roofs), wildfires (if dry lightning accompanies).

**Positive Impacts:**
- Saharan dust can bring minerals beneficial for soil fertilization and some marine ecosystems.

What are the positive effects of Saharan dust on the environment?

carries microorganisms and nutrients that act as fertilizer

delivers essential minerals for phytoplankton

- Suppression of hurricanes due to altered atmospheric stability and dry air.

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Content: ANNOUNCEMENTS
Tipaza...
Resumption of the work of the preventive apparatus to cope with the risks of weather fluctuations
By A.S.
The recently established preventive apparatus to counter the risks caused by weather fluctuations in the state of Tipaza has resumed, in implementation of the instructions of the governor of the state, Abu Bakr Siddiq Boucetta.
According to the State's official website, the newly created Preventive Mechanism has resumed its work.
To address the risks caused by weather fluctuations in the state.
At the level of: Bousmaïl district to ensure coverage and intervention through the eastern municipalities.
and the Cherchal district to ensure coverage and intervention across the western municipalities.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

- Set up cooling centers and safe indoor spaces with filtered air.

Title:

Content: Climate change
Biden: Climate change is an existential threat that no one can deny
China, U.S. agree to continue close climate communication
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US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that rising temperatures caused by climate change were an “existential threat. ”
“I don ’ t think anyone can deny the impact of climate change anymore, ” Biden said in a speech at the White House, announcing measures to ensure the safety of people working outdoors more broadly as funding for meteorological services increases.
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His comments came during a video call with the mayors of Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio in Texas, which is known for its high temperatures.
Heat is the "number one weather-related killer" in the United States, killing 600 people each year.
The president also announced measures to strengthen heat-related safety rules for workers, especially farmers, construction workers and others working in open spaces, as well as additional funding for meteorological services.
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego Biden said her desert city is "famous for the heat.
But this summer was truly unprecedented. ”
"It is doing real damage to our society and we feel we are on the front lines of climate change."
Chinese and U.S. climate envoys said on Thursday during a video call that the two countries agreed to continue close communication on issues including climate change.
Referring to the talks between China ’ s climate envoy Xie Zhenhua and his U.S. counterpart John Kerry, China ’ s environment ministry said in a statement that the two sides exchanged views on topics such as strengthening China-U.S. dialogue on climate change and enhancing cooperation in the global climate multilateral process.
Kerry, who visited China earlier this month, said more work was needed to reach agreements with China on major issues.
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How can people protect their health during Saharan dust storms?

How does Saharan dust affect immediate weather?

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More than 20,000 words of Chinese think tank report said the United States is "a failed country in the fight against the epidemic"
California Dixie Mountain fire nearly 490,000 acres of Newsom disaster: for this town heartache
What are the benefits of water treatment in the future?
Typhoon Lupi is difficult to entangle, quickly flash away from Taiwan introduced extremely rich water vapor, a few days of heavy rain in the south of the accumulated rainfall has broken thousands of millimetres, landslides, road breaks, flooding, half of Taiwan paralyzed, agricultural damage is more serious.
The heavy rain has not stopped, President Tsai Ing-wen inspected the Central Disaster Prevention Center on the 8th, and her speech made everyone blind: this heavy rain can see the results of the forward-looking plan into flood control and disaster prevention, and should let the people know.
The President sees things differently, doesn ’ t he eat human fireworks?
Tsai Ing-wen is right to push this wave of heavy rain to warming and extreme weather, but this proves that her understanding of extreme weather does not exceed that of ordinary people, and it is just a buzzword that has been heard of this year.
Mo Zaiyang; coupled with the energy transition, net zero carbon emissions of the fashionable terms came out.
Leaders should further listen to the analysis of professional staff, so that the speeches are not outrageous.
Yes, this wave of heavy rain is the source of this year's "intertropical zone (equatorial low pressure zone)" super fierce, from the east coast of Africa to the Indian Ocean water, through India into the south-central peninsula, mainland China, and then to Taiwan all the way to Japan; so long low pressure belt, forming a hot low pressure, typhoon, all the way to the way to the east of Taiwan, three typhoons, is also ultra-long equatorial low pressure. Caused.
If the President has a basic understanding of this cause, he can explore further the cause of the super strong equatorial low pressure zone, yes, it is warming; a series of high latitudes of icebergs dissolved, huge amounts of low salinity of fresh water into the ocean, destroying the original equatorial low pressure zone driving the motion of the ocean current, resulting in changes in the whole earth's monsoon cycle.
In short, this wave of heavy rainfall in Taiwan is not abrupt.
Why is this torrential rain in Taiwan so serious? The review's disaster prevention and warning mechanism is no longer relevant.
The people did not receive the power of Typhoon Lupi, when the sea typhoon warning was issued, the wind and rain had not yet arrived, just 20 hours said that Lupi had landed on the mainland, lifting the sea typhoon warning; who knows Lupi's return gun with the southwest airflow caused heavy damage to Taiwan.
250 billion Taiwan dollars Looking forward to water treatment, water environment construction flowers to the local? No need for water treatment officials to explain, the public will see.
Looking forward not too much to do infrastructure, because it costs a lot of money, and performance is very slow; would rather invest in landscape construction such as waterfront parks, which are dusty, and build flood ponds is not for water storage, mostly to increase the ratio of urban green areas, the public can see, but flood control has no effect.
The fundamental problem lies in the land planning, since Taiwan is an island prone to disasters, how to coexist with disasters is a serious issue, but the land planning has been delayed again and again; the Dutch and water symbiosis, floating cities, and the high foot house design of the central and southern peninsula, officials have been on the road to investigate, but they have not yet started to learn from it.
It seems that the island of disaster will not be easy to escape.
Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen India
The last one.
Climate change expert: Taiwan must cut carbon extreme
The next one.
I am afraid that the money will be saved.
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