Seniors pulled from the mud in Hilary while extreme heat strikes elsewhere

This week, veteran National Weather Service meteorologist Alex Tardy navigated the treacherous, boulder-strewn Whitewater River channel in this area and reported on video that Tropical Storm Hilary wreaked havoc on steep mountains throughout the area, not just those that typically receive precipitation.

The downpour, along with the mud and debris that surged down the river bed, flooded Southern California’s national parks, downtown Los Angeles, numerous residences, and highways, including an elderly care facility where people were stranded for the whole night. (Photo: Flipboard)

This summer has seen us lurch from one catastrophe to the next

USA Today reported that the rain, along with the mud and debris that roared down the river bed, inundated national parks, downtown Los Angeles, roads, and numerous homes throughout Southern California, including an elder care facility where residents were trapped overnight. They were rescued three at a time in a huge earthmover bucket, as Desert Sun photographer Taya Gray documented.

To borrow a line from a popular song, this summer has seen us lurch from one catastrophe to the next. Even before the Maui wildfires and Hurricane Hilary, extreme rains, tornadoes, and hail helped the United States establish a record for $1 billion catastrophes until early August, according to Janet Loehrke and Dinah Pulver of USA Today.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, at least 15 weather-related incidents have already cost more than $1 billion in damage this year. A warming world implies that we need to be ready for the effects of climate change that are happening right now, according to Sarah Kapnick, NOAA’s chief scientist. The disasters total more than $39.7 billion.

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President Joe Biden visited Maui’s wildfire-ravaged areas

In an article from Flipboard, although hurricanes, heat waves, and flash floods have always occurred in the late summer, scientists have long projected that they will become more severe as long as greenhouse gases that trap heat are continued to be pumped into the sky. Although it takes time to establish a connection between global warming and particular occurrences, it is becoming more likely that we will all face a rough ride. According to Rice, additional developing effects include increasing coastal floods on sunny days, as well as ever-larger wildfires and smokeier skies.

This week, President Joe Biden visited Maui’s wildfire-ravaged areas despite criticism that he continued to travel soon after the fire. However, as Maureen Groppe and Francsca Chambers describe for USA Today, state and municipal officials have come under a lot of fire following the catastrophic fire.

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