3 horrifying extreme weather scenarios the US doesn't talk about enough

[babylonsister]

3 horrifying extreme weather scenarios the US doesn’t talk about enough
Scientists say these nightmare weather events could happen at any time.
By Eliza [e-mail]@vox.com Updated Sep 13, 2019, 2:38pm EDT


Phoenix, one of the hottest and fastest-warming cities in the US, could be hit by “a [Hurricane] Katrina of extreme heat” with temperatures peaking in the 120s and lingering for two weeks. In a heat wave like this, the power grid would succumb to brownouts and blackouts and many elderly would die in their homes. (Complete story here.)

Southern California could see a wildfire that burns a total of 1.5 million acres. Smoke from the blazes could carry at least 100 miles west into Los Angeles and 100 miles south to San Diego, leading to hazardous air quality throughout the region and thousands of hospitalizations. Well over 100,000 structures would likely be destroyed and hundreds could die the flames. “The damage would likely be massive, potentially dwarfing what we have seen recently,” David Sapsis, a scientist with Cal Fire who reviewed the simulated fire, told me. (Complete story here.)

Tampa Bay is one of the areas in the US most at risk when hurricanes arrive because of its location, growing population, and the geography of the bay. If a Category 5 hurricane makes a direct hit on the bay, parts of Pinellas County — which is home to St. Petersburg — will temporarily become an island. People who choose to remain — or can’t evacuate — might be trapped. (Complete story here.)

For the Vox series, the Big Ones, we asked scientists about worst-case extreme weather scenarios for three vulnerable regions of the United States. Each of these events we described in these stories would be an outlier, a rare, extreme event, the far end of bad. But climate change is, broadly, rendering these kinds of events more severe, and in some cases more frequent, in many parts of the country.

And even if one of these events were to happen, even at a lesser degree of severity, it would still be extraordinarily costly, both in terms of human lives and other losses. The kind of event you’d wish you’d prepared for better, if you were a citizen, or a government official.

It’s clear these regions — Tampa Bay, Southern California, and Phoenix, along with countless others with similar vulnerabilities — are not doing enough to reduce the impact of these kinds of events, at this level of severity or at a milder but still damaging level. They’re still building in the path of tempests, still replacing heat-mitigating trees and soil with concrete. Government agencies are leaving millions of dead trees in the forest, ready to burn at the first spark.

more...

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/9/13/20860604/climate-change-jonathan-franzen-hurricane-wildfire-heat-wave

[bronxiteforever]

1. Kick and recommend.

[in2herbs]

2. Several years ago those of us in Phx lived through 117 degree temp., in addition to the 122 degree

day that most know about. Regular or semi-regular summer temps of this magnitude will kill all living things.

[lunatica]

3. If the climate changes permanently and these events are no longer outlier events

We will see one of those great migrations out of the extreme weather areas in this country that changes history, and not for the better.

The migration will start a vicious spiraling cycle of collateral damage consequences to livable areas. The influx of millions of weather refugees into more bearable weather areas will eventually destroy those areas too.

Take what has happened in California in the last years. Huge forest fires are decimating millions of square miles and destroying entire cities and towns. The destruction, not able to be mitigated by years of moderate weather would create desert in most of the interior of the state. The part that has been used for massive agriculture, known as the Imperial Valley will dry up because the rivers used for the crops will dwindle to a trickle or just dry up.

Even if the coastal areas maintain their present weather because they get moisture flowing from the Pacific Ocean, the overpopulation because of the millions of displaced refugees would soon destroy it too.

We’re playing Russian Roulette with a fully loaded gun.

[onethatcares]

4. I live in St Petersburg and

the level of development is insane, literally NUTZ!

and the people keep coming.....

and yes, trees are being cut down, the bay is becoming a swamp again, the heat is getting worse but the PTBs don't seem to care.

[lpbk2713]

5. You could be in a world of shit if a strong hurricane came from the north.

If you waited too long the bridges/causeways would be closed due to high winds.

[onethatcares]

6. of that I'm very aware

or if a very strong hurricane came from the southwest, the south, the east, the southeast, the west (would have to be a u turn type)

with the Skyway, the Howard Frankland, the Courtney Campbell and the Gandy as the people movers you'd have to leave 5 days early and then get stuck on I-4 in traffic in order to evacuate.

sadly, the things that brought us here are but memories now but where does one go at 70? New Joisey? (that's a joke), Montana?

[lpbk2713]

8. I don't remember the name of the hurricane ...

but a few years ago a storm was heading northward offshore and parallel with the west coast. It was projected to turn inland in the St Pete area and a lot of residents evacuated. It took everyone by surprise when it turned inland somewhere near Sarasota and the went up through the center of the state. It went right over many of the people who had evacuated from the St Pete area. I've seen more hurricanes than I care to since 1957, even a couple of tornadoes that were spawned by them.

[smirkymonkey]

7. K&R