On the calendar today …
- WORKSHOP: California Water Commission: Preparing for Drought in a Non-Drought Year beginning at 12pm. You are invited to a California Water Commission workshop to explore ways that the State can adapt to the changing hydrology and ongoing weather extremes. Following three years of severe drought, California experienced a winter of extreme wet weather this year. Being able to endure the next severe drought is dependent upon making smart, preemptive water management decisions during non-drought years. In support of Action 26.3 in California’s Water Resilience Portfolio, the Commission is developing proposed strategies to protect communities and fish and wildlife during drought. At the workshops, the Commission will gather information regarding the impacts of drought on communities and species and will discuss drought strategies. The public is encouraged to share their ideas and opinions. The Commission hopes to hear from a diverse set of participants. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Go with the flow: keeping California wet: How California’s water planners keep taps flowing and farms growing
“Not everyone who works for the U.S. Geological Survey studies rocks or dirt, and that’s especially true for hydrologic technicians. These government workers actually study water, oftentimes from the air using what’s called a streamgage cableway. California has one of the longest cableways on the West Coast: the Bend Streamgage Cableway over the Sacramento River. It’s located near the town of Bend about 45 miles south of Lake Shasta in Tehama County and its sole purpose is for the collection of water flow data. The main function of a streamgage is to record how much and how fast water is moving. The USGS manages more than 11,800 streamgages across the U.S. but if you ask hydrologic technician Brandon Ledbetter, he will tell you the streamgage cableway is a pretty big deal — at least in California. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Recycled water could recharge aquifers in the Central Valley
“Drawing out too much groundwater, or overdrafting, is a serious problem in California. As a result, groundwater sustainability agencies are considering using recycled municipal wastewater to recharge aquifers. In our study, we employ suitability mapping and the models C2VSimFG and Ichnos to identify appropriate areas for managing aquifer recharge with recycled water in California’s Central Valley. The factors that influence suitability include soil properties, proximity to recycled water sources, and the residence time, or amount of time that recharged water spends underground. There are many suitable areas in the Central Valley that are immediately adjacent to water recycling facilities. However, adequate supply is an issue in most locations. Roughly half of the groundwater sustainability agencies in critically overdrafted basins of the Central Valley have enough potentially suitable locations to meet their recharge goals, but not all of them have access to enough recycled water. The methods demonstrated here can serve as tools for agencies considering using recycled water for aquifer recharge.” Read the full article from UCANR here.
Yolo County files lawsuit alleging state CEQA violations
“Yolo County officials announced Tuesday its filing of a lawsuit against the California Department of Water Resources in connection with certain undisclosed aspects of the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage Project. Filed in Yolo Superior Court, the action asserts that DWR violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) by failing to disclose the conveyance capacity of operable gates at the Fremont Weir. County officials called the lawsuit “necessary to safeguard the interests of Yolo County residents, protect agriculture and maintain transparency throughout important projects,” according to a news release. … ” Read more from the Davis Enterprise.
SEE ALSO: Yolo County Files Lawsuit Against California Department of Water Resources Challenging Undisclosed and Harmful Features of the Yolo Bypass Salmonid Habitat Restoration and Fish Passage Project, press release from Yolo County, includes a copy of the legal filing
What climate change means for California’s biggest dairy district
“For Joseph Goni, a fourth-generation dairy farmer in Tulare County, California, the region’s historic floods were part of family lore. As such, his grandfather, who lived through the 1955 deluge, often stressed the proper maintenance of the berms protecting the ranch from the nearby Tule River — a lesson echoed by his father, who faced a similar event in 1983. … All told, one official estimate pegs the dairy industry’s losses at $10 billion. While the lake has drained down to about 168 square miles, a chilly spring also kept the high-elevation snowpack at a slow melt, helping to avert an even greater calamity in the low-slung basin. Yet, as whole farming communities dig themselves out of the muddy ruins, the growing uncertainty of climate change is darkening a cloud over the future of the region’s largest industry — one valued at nearly $2 billion annually. … ” Read more from Who What Why.
SEE ALSO: Tribes and dairy farmers made a model renewable energy program. It’s about to get even better, from KNKX
Water Board extends protest period for Sites Reservoir
“The protest period for the proposed Sites Reservoir has been extended by the State Water Resources Control Board. Originally, the deadline for submitting protests against the project was August 1. An announcement last week noted that protests will now be accepted by the Division of Water Rights through August 31. A copy of the protest must also be sent to the Sites Project Authority. The North Delta Water Agency made a request for an extension last month. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
California will cap hundreds of orphaned oil wells, some long suspected of causing illness
“California state regulators announced on Tuesday their plans to cap orphaned oil wells across the state, including wells in a South Central residential neighborhood near USC that caused health complaints from residents for years. The effort is part of a new push to close problem sites that have posed health risks to communities across the state, oftentimes disadvantaged neighborhoods in close proximity to oil drill sites. California Gov. Gavin Newsom earmarked $100 million in the state budget to address the issue. … Improperly abandoned wells can leak methane and potentially leak harmful chemicals into the groundwater. State regulators will target more than 370 wells in their first phase of the new push, which will cost about $80 million, according to CalGEM. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In commentary today …
Modesto Irrigation shouldn’t make sweetheart deals with our precious water
Garth Stapley writes, “A dozen years ago, a hot debate raged across Modesto over the idea of selling a relatively small amount of irrigation water to San Francisco. Some saw the proposal as a convenient way to raise $115 million that could be used for much-needed upgrades and repairs to Modesto Irrigation District canals and pipelines. Opponents saw it as giving away Modesto’s lifeblood, a precious and finite community resource — “our water.” They painted proponents as greedy traitors, and ultimately prevailed when then-board members, after nearly a year of arguing, finally agreed to drop it and forget the whole thing. The most vocal opponent, board member Larry Byrd, crowed at the time about having “save(d) the community.” Byrd, the current MID board president, now wants to sell far more water to farmers outside of MID boundaries on the east side of Stanislaus County, near his own ranch, at a price far below market value. … ” Continue reading at the Modesto Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Weather what?
Allison Harvey Turner, Chief Executive Officer of the Water Foundation, writes, “Nature wins. If we let it. That is what I observed when I recently visited the Dos Rios Ranch Preserve. Last December the land was dry, with just a small stream moving through it. But a few weeks later nature took over, unleashing a series of storms that transformed the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers into a huge, vibrant wetland. It was a sight to behold. … The Dos Rios Ranch Preserve is a public-private floodplain restoration project that was developed to improve habitat for fish and wildlife. What makes it particularly exciting is, in the course of restoring nature, Dos Rios serves other important roles, such as reducing flood risk in downstream communities, conserving fresh water, and providing health and economic benefits to nearby communities. Alongside these functional benefits, this project exemplifies the wisdom of advance planning and investment in multi-benefit water resources management. … ” Continue reading at the Water Foundation.
Dr. Valerisa Gaddy writes, “As a Diné water quality scientist who grew up on the Navajo Nation, which spans Arizona, New Mexico and Utah, the topic of Arizona drought is often discussed in my professional and private life. The beginning of 2023 was the 20th year of continued litigation in which the Navajo Nation is trying to obtain rights to the Colorado River in Arizona v Navajo Nation. The Navajo Nation has never had the infrastructure or support to have reliable access to clean water. In fact, our tribe has as many as 60,000 members who do not have access to running water. In March 2023, the Navajos took their water rights case to the U.S. Supreme Court and argued to have the U.S. determine the Navajos water needs and rights. However, on June 22, 2023 the Supreme Court voted 5-4 that the U.S. owes no “affirmative duty” to the Navajo Nation to secure water, reversing a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. The majority ruled that the 1868 Treaty of Bosque Redondo established no federal obligation to do so. What does this mean for the Navajo tribe? … ” Read more from Environmental Health News.
Golden State natural resources’ biomass boondoggle
Rita Frost, a Forest Advocate with the NRDC, writes, “Golden State Natural Resources’ (GSNR) proposed wood pellet project threatens to create ongoing logging demand in California forests and spread the biomass industry’s harmful legacy—all too familiar in the Southeast—into local communities. If approved, two GSNR facilities would be built in Tuolumne and Lassen counties and produce up to one million tons of wood pellets every year for export to global markets in Europe and Asia. There, they would be burned in industrial power plants to produce electricity. GSNR maintains that its project will help to protect California’s forests and benefit rural communities—as well as combat climate change—but the science and past experience with similar projects elsewhere in the United States and in Canada show this is simply not true. … ” Read more from the NRDC.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Public comments periods open for two changes at PG&E’s Potter Valley Project
“The Potter Valley Project has two deadlines for public comment coming up next month. One is a proposal for a flow variance, which takes into account recent developments with the embattled water diversion facility. The other is garnering statewide interest in PG&E’s request to transfer its non-nuclear generating assets to a subsidiary called Pacific Generation. That includes all its hydropower projects, some of which, like the one in Potter Valley, are running under expired licenses and are slated for decommissioning. Potter Valley has not been able to generate electricity since December of 2021, due to a broken piece of equipment in the powerhouse. … ” Read more from KZYX.
12 water restoration projects funded from cannabis enforcement settlement
“In last week’s meeting, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors approved 12 restoration projects with a focus on erosion control. The funding came from a 2019 settlement between Humboldt County and Friends of the Eel River, who say erosion is the biggest environmental harm that comes from cannabis production in the Eel River watershed. Alicia Hamann, executive director of Friends of the Eel River, said the environmental nonprofit had to hound Humboldt County to get the program finalized. “We had a really difficult time ensuring that they were following through and complying with it. It took them several years longer than anticipated to actually implement the program,” she said. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
AT&T to pause prior plans to remove lead cables under Lake Tahoe as it works with regulators
“AT&T Inc. said in a Tuesday court filing that it would hold off on prior plans to remove lead-sheathed cables running underneath California’s Lake Tahoe amid recent reporting on the legacy cables. The company agreed back in 2021 to remove the Lake Tahoe cables, a move that AT&T’s T, -0.59% lawyers said Tuesday was “simply to avoid the expense of litigation” even though the company “has always maintained that its lead-clad telecommunications cables pose no danger to those who work and play in the waters,” according to an attachment to the latest filing with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. However, AT&T said Tuesday that given heightened attention on the cables brought about by recent Wall Street Journal reporting, it has determined that “the responsible course of action” is to allow further independent analysis of the cables rather than remove them, “and work cooperatively with regulators and other stakeholders on a risk assessment.” … ” Continue reading at Market Screener.
SEE ALSO:
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- AT&T Says Less Than 10% of Its Network Has Lead Covered Cables, from Yahoo Finance
- AT&T Pushes Back on Lead Contamination Allegations, from Telecompetitor
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Local landowners raise concerns over groundwater levels in rural Yolo County
“A lengthy public comment section occurred at the Board of Supervisors meeting last week as farmers and rural residents raised concerns over drilling new wells and the seriousness of groundwater-sustainability issues. Elisa Sabatini, the county’s manager of natural resources, kicked off the presentation during the Tuesday, July 11 meeting, updating the board on the drought and dry wells popping up around Yolo County. In July 2021, Yolo County was listed as having exceptional drought conditions. Following the wettest year in recent history, with almost eight inches of rain in January alone, the U.S Drought Monitor now shows no signs of drought in Yolo County. … ” Read more from the Daily Democrat.
NAPA/SONOMA
Updated coastal protections approved by Sonoma County supervisors
“Sonoma County supervisors unanimously approved a revised Local Coastal Plan on Monday that adds new protections for the Sonoma Coast, including one they hope might help stave off a large hydropower project recently proposed for the Fort Ross area. It was one of hundreds of measures included in the amended plan, a nearly 1,000-page document designed to safeguard coastal values and keep pace with changing concerns and conditions. Last updated in 2001, it must now be approved by the California Coastal Commission. Other new policies include a prohibition on desalination plants, except where necessary to preserve public health and safety in existing communities, and language designed to forestall new, industrial-scale wastewater or stormwater discharges into the ocean. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Few big changes as coastal plan takes shape
“Sonoma County’s coast will remain free of major new development, under a lengthy planning framework approved by the county’s board of supervisors Monday. The action was largely bureaucratic–updating planning and zoning rules for parts of the county ultimately under control of the California Coastal Commission. Generally, counties have some, but not much leeway. Local coastal plans—written by each coastal county—can each have special rules, but generally can’t be too permissive or too restrictive. Former supervisor Peter Lebeck, urged officials to keep things as they are. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
BAY AREA
San Mateo residents demand changes from city after torrential January rain, flooding
“For San Mateo resident Alex Cwirko-Godycki, 2023 got off to anything but a good start. Back on New Year’s Eve when the Bay Area was hit with torrential rains, his entire neighborhood flooded. “Cars were totaled. All of our garages were flooded. And you couldn’t see front lawns. It was basically a river,” Cwirko-Godycki said. Cwirko-Godycki estimates the damages to his property to be around $60,000. And he’s not alone. All around the city, many people faced similar issues. Rich Cranz is one of them. … ” Read more from KGO.
San Jose’s main water utility failed to report E. coli sample
“San Jose Water failed to report and conduct a formal investigation into an E. coli sample discovered at one of its wells, according to San Jose City Councilmember Rosemary Kamei. In an emailed communication sent out Tuesday afternoon, Kamei said the bacteria was detected on May 5 from a routine sample at one of the water utility company’s groundwater sites. The well was immediately taken offline while a follow-up sample was drawn and the water was not delivered to any resident’s homes, Kamei said. The councilmember said the state requires that water providers notify officials within 24 hours of any positive E. coli samples — and conduct a formal investigation within 30 days. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Underwater Junkyard: dozens of vehicles sit below the surface of the San Joaquin River in Stockton
“An underwater junkyard of sorts lies beneath the San Joaquin River in Stockton. Dozens of vehicles have been dumped or accidentally driven into the river, and the sheriff’s office says they don’t have the resources to get them out. The San Joaquin River is one of the hardest working rivers in California, generating hydropower for millions of homes and providing drinking water for even more. It’s a 330-mile highway for endangered fish like trout and salmon starting in the Sierra and ending in the San Francisco Bay, but the middle of it takes an unfortunate turn. “We get probably like three to four cars in the water every month, but this year it’s been significantly more. I would probably say about double,” said Deputy John Canepa with the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office Boating Unit. …” Read more from ABC 10.
From litigation to collaboration on the San Joaquin River
“The San Joaquin Valley is one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world, and much of its success comes from the waters of the San Joaquin River. Historically, the big challenge in managing this river was how to harness its waters for irrigation while also reducing the impacts of floods. Today, another big challenge has been added to the mix: how to undo some of the damage done to the environment and to reconnect the river to its many communities. The San Joaquin River and its tributaries—including the Merced, Tuolumne, and Stanislaus rivers—drain the west slope of the Sierra Nevada, flowing north into the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta. Before colonization, the waters fanned out across the floodplains of the valley, feeding wetlands, creating vast underground reserves of water, and fueling one of the state’s most productive freshwater ecosystems, which supported numerous tribes, including the Yokuts and Miwoks. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
You’ve never seen Friant Dam spill like this: GV Wire exclusive
“Wanting to give readers a view of the water spilling over the top of Friant Dam, I asked the Bureau of Reclamation if GV Wire could utilize drone video there. The Bureau granted our request, and the result is spectacular footage that you can view by clicking the video above or below. In addition, we received an interview with Bureau engineer Rufino Gonzalez, who is in charge of water operations at Friant Dam, as well as Bradbury Dam near Santa Barbara. In the video, he says that the amount of water released from the dam this season would be enough to fill Millerton Lake nine times.” Watch video at GV Wire.
Fresno Co. grants three-year extension to CEMEX for quarry mining
“Mining company CEMEX has been granted an extension to continue operating along the San Joaquin River for the next few years. Tuesday, the Fresno County Board of Supervisors approved a three-year extension for CEMEX to continue operating the Rockfield aggregate quarry just north of the City of Fresno. The backstory: In June, the county Planning Commission approved a four-year extension for CEMEX to continue operating the quarry, which was set to expire near the end of this month. The City of Fresno appealed the decision, necessitating Tuesday’s hearing by the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
SEE ALSO: Fresno County allows CEMEX blast mining to go forward on San Joaquin River, from Fresnoland
Forecasters say triple digits could stick around all month in San Joaquin Valley
“As temperatures climbed to 105 degrees this week, the Manchester Transit Center in central Fresno had a steady stream of late afternoon riders. The bus is the main source of transportation for Helen Hamilton, but the heat has made it difficult to get by as she battles respiratory conditions through muggy and hot air. “It’s not fun,” Hamilton said. … A relentless heat wave is expected to last in the San Joaquin Valley through July. Temperatures have come close to breaking daily records, topping out at 108 in recent days. But even if they don’t break records, forecasters said temperatures will stay above normal. … ” Read the full story at KVPR.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Low-income LADWP customers’ bills are about to rise. What help is available?
“As Angelenos wither under another hot summer, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power is shrinking a discount program that helped low-income families pay their bills. The utility has no choice; the subsidies that funded the DWP’s discounted water rates were declared illegal by a Superior Court judge in May. That discount will disappear Thursday, although others will remain in place, the DWP said in a letter to customers. The utility is appealing the ruling. In the meantime, there are a few alternative sources of aid that could mitigate the loss of the water discount. Here’s what you need to know about the coming change to your bill. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Santa Ana-Delhi Channel improvements on the horizon; public invited to open house
“On a bright, warm morning Tuesday, runners, bikers and joggers made their way down a low, curving path that led them to the Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve. Visitors followed the path across the Bayview Trail Bridge, from which ducks could be observed paddling and fish leaping in the water below. This is the site of the Santa Ana-Delhi Channel Improvement Project, and Orange County Public Works hopes both area residents and visitors to the preserve can weigh in on the upcoming infrastructure work. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SOUTHEASTERN CALIFORNIA
116 degrees at night: Death Valley’s extreme heat goes off the charts from climate change
“It was 10 p.m. and 116 degrees as a brutal wind whipped through the darkness. Here in Death Valley National Park — dubbed the hottest place on Earth — intrepid tourists waded into a hotel swimming pool seeking what little relief they could find. Park temperatures had soared to 126 degrees that afternoon, just a few degrees shy of the daily record. “I never knew such temperatures before,” said Nicolas Combaret, 40, who was visiting Death Valley from France with his wife and 5-year-old son. It was one of several stops on their tour of the Southwest. “When we saw on the news that the temperature would be 125, 126, we thought, ‘Wow, that’s impressive — it will be a good experience to live that, to feel the hottest ever here.’” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
Lake levels rise across region
“Winter storms that have dented the drought across much of California have also boosted reservoir levels in several San Diego County lakes — especially those fed by storm runoff. At Lake Hodges south of Escondido, sparkling blue water is now visible from the Interstate 15 bridge, which for years has only spanned a sad-looking forest. Lake Henshaw near Warner Springs, Loveland Reservoir near Alpine and El Capitan Reservoir near Lakeside have also seen big gains in their water levels over the past few months. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Las Vegas: ‘It’s excessive’: Homeowners push back on water district’s new fee
“The latest water bill came as a shock to Yvette Williams. Williams, who has lived in her Spring Valley home for more than two decades, had worked to reduce her water use in recent months. But her June water bill still came in at over $800. “It was double what it was last month, and the last two months are triple what my regular monthly bill is normally,” Williams told the water district’s board of directors during a public meeting Tuesday. More than half of that bill, Williams said, came from the district’s new excessive use charge, which went into effect in January in an effort to target the Las Vegas Valley’s biggest water users. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Arizona’s water challenges: What can be done?
“The omnipresent water-themed headlines tell the story … So the “it’s broken” part of the equation is pretty well established. The “how do we fix it?” part remains to be resolved as seen in this year’s annual Water Resources Research Center conference with the theme, “What Can We Do? Solutions to Arizona’s Water Challenges.” The topics were numerous. The speakers were many. All working on solution-focused discussions to bring forward ideas offering pathways to water security for all. Topics ranged from availability and quality of future water supplies to new advances in industry technology, developing new water policy, and improving farming practices. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Arizona lawmakers find common ground on water
“There’s an old saying in the arid West: Whiskey’s for drinking; water’s for fighting. There have always been plenty of fights over water. But in Arizona, recent major water measures have gained strong bipartisan agreement and brought together groups that typically square off: farmers, cities, environmentalists, developers, Republicans, Democrats. The Legislature agreed to invest $1 billion to find new water supplies for the desert state, and in a separate measure, the state is asking the federal government to investigate diverting floodwaters from the Mississippi River for use in the West. That bold plan alone tells you a lot about how big the stakes are for water. Arizona Rep. Tim Dunn (R), who sponsored the bill about the Mississippi River, knows firsthand. He’s a farmer in Yuma, a place known for growing most of the produce Americans eat in the winter. … ” Continue reading at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Controversial corporate deal gives Queen Creek more Colorado River water
“The drought has forced Arizona communities to take a hard look at their water supplies and plan for the future. The town of Queen Creek has worked to diversify its water portfolio and is getting ready to bring in additional supplies from the Colorado River. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Arizona Governor Hobbs laments Tribes’ lack of ‘seat at the table’ in American politics
“Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs addressed Navajo Nation leaders on Monday as part of an effort by the administration to grow relationships with indigenous tribes. “Since taking office in January, I’ve made it a priority to engage with Indigenous communities, because for too long you have been left without a seat at the table,” Hobbs said at the Navajo Nation Council Chambers in Window Rock. Hobbs is the first sitting governor to address the tribal lawmaking body “while in session,” and she touched on the issue of unlicensed mental health and rehabilitation facilities, rural broadband, and water. … ” Read more from The Center Square.
Despite owning river water rights, tribes largely cut off
“A little-known fact about the Colorado River is that American Indian tribes own rights to about a quarter of the river. In reality, for most tribes, they are only “paper rights” not amounting to water they can use. Stephanie Sy reports on the opportunities and impediments ahead as a megadrought afflicts the Colorado and other watersheds in the West.” Read more or watch video at KQED.
In national water news today …
Solving water challenges is complex – learn how law, health, climate and Indigenous rights all intersect in developing solutions
“In the U.S., most consumers take clean and available fresh water for granted, and water usually becomes front-page news only when there’s a crisis. And the past year has seen its share of water-related crises, whether it’s the effects of a prolonged drought in the U.S. Southwest or floods that covered more than one third of Pakistan last year. But seeing water problems as only environmental disasters does not capture the deeply interconnected nature of water in our society. To mark the release of the book “The Conversation on Water,” a collection of previously published articles on water, The Conversation hosted a webinar with experts with a range of expertise and different perspectives on water issues and potential solutions. The edited text and video clips below convey one or two of the key points each speaker made. The full webinar is available on YouTube.” Read article and watch video at The Conversation.
Farm fields don’t just feed us. They store carbon. But a big question is how much
“When Al Schafbuch cut back on plowing his Iowa fields decades ago and later began growing cover crops, he was out to save money on fertilizer and reduce erosion. He got those benefits and saw his soil change for the better, too: dark, chunky, richly organic matter that he said feels like “chocolate cake.” There’s one more big payoff that benefits everyone: tilling the soil less, and growing more cover crops, can help farmers store more planet-warming carbon in fields. More plants take in more carbon dioxide, and soil microbes breathe out less carbon when undisturbed. That can mean money for participating farmers in the form of carbon offsets — payments that companies can make that support carbon storage in farms and, in theory, balance out their emissions elsewhere. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
The world is reeling from record heat and flooding. Scientists say its the cost of climate inaction
“A strengthening El Niño is pushing temperatures in countries around the world to record highs this month, exacerbating unprecedented heat waves and triggering deadly storms in ways that scientists say wouldn’t be possible without the influence of climate change. A second weekend of torrential rain in the Northeast triggered flash floods in eastern Pennsylvania that killed five people on Saturday, according to officials, including a mother whose two young children remain missing as of Tuesday morning. California’s Death Valley reached an alarming 128 degrees Fahrenheit on Sunday, just a couple degrees shy of some of the rarest temperatures ever recorded on Earth. And on Monday, a prolonged heat wave broke several records in Phoenix, including tying the city’s record for 18 consecutive days where temperatures reached 110 degrees or above. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
