Destructive, Deadly, and Record Weather Persists
More than 1,400 tornadoes have been reported this year in the United States鈥攁 record number compared to historic data鈥攚ith 70 of those categorized as F2 or greater, according to聽. In total last year, 1,197 tornado reports were confirmed, with an additional 97 preliminary tornadoes yet to be verified for the Oct. 1 to Dec. 31 period. This was above the 1991-2010 U.S. annual average of 1,251 tornadoes. Further, last July saw 111 confirmed tornado reports compared to 116 so far this July.
On Monday, thunderstorms and tornados in the Midwest have left more than 500,000 without power,聽聽reports. The National Weather Service in Chicago said: 鈥淭his storm is producing聽multiple tornadoes at the same time!鈥 Tornadoes also touched down in Chicago on Sunday, marking a previously rare event. Before Sunday, only six tornadoes had been reported in the last 70 years in Chicago. A tornado also was confirmed in Des Moines, Iowa.
In Texas, approximately 150,000 people are still without power, mostly in the Greater Houston area, eight days after聽Hurricane Beryl made landfall. At least 13 people in the Houston area are believed to have died as a result of the hurricane,聽听谤别辫辞谤迟别诲.
The U.S. also is experiencing a聽historically hot summer and has been the hottest summer on record for roughly 100 U.S. cities nationwide,聽听谤别辫辞谤迟别诲. Heat is also suspected in the deaths of more than three dozen people in the U.S. this July鈥攚hich is likely an underestimate鈥攚ith many of those deaths occurring in the West where cities have set record high temperatures.
Those temperatures have fueled wildfires in the West. On Tuesday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek聽聽over the threat caused by wildfires burning tens of thousands of acres. At least eight wildfires were burning in the northwestern state early Tuesday, according to聽. The largest fire鈥攖he Cow Vally Fire鈥攈as consumed more than 132,500 acres and is only 5% contained.
Last week, California also reported its first fatality attributed to a wildfire this year, according to聽. So far this year more than 3,800 wildfires have occurred across the state, with 226,542 acres burned and 154 structures damaged or destroyed. That鈥檚 compared to just 10,080 acres at this time last year鈥攁nd the five-year average of 38,593 acres burned. California鈥檚 largest fire this year, Lake Fire in Santa Barbara County, has burned 38,653 acres and is 38% contained, Cal Fire reported.