
Which cities are experiencing poor air quality from wildfires? See maps
As of Tuesday afternoon, July 15, Detroit, Michigan was the 10th most polluted major city in the world, according to IQ Air. Canadian cities Montreal and Toronto ranked 15th and 16th, respectively.
There were more than 500 active fires in Canada as of Tuesday, July 15, with 141 being classified as "out of control" and 123 as "under control," according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC). Most of those fires, 121, were in Manitoba, followed by 100 in Yukon.
In the United States, there are 102 wildfires actively burning, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. A majority of those wildfires are in Alaska.
Map of wildfires in US, Canada
Which cities may see smoke from wildfires?
According to IQ Air, the following major cities are affected by wildfire smoke:
Air quality concerns throughout the week
The National Weather Service has issued air quality alerts for parts of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, New York, Vermont and Colorado.
"An Air Quality Alert is in effect through Tuesday evening for the Chicago metro area in Illinois and in northwest Indiana due to unhealthy ozone levels and some lingering effects of Canadian wildfire smoke," the National Weather Service's Chicago office posted on X.
CONTRIBUTING: Janet Loehrke, Ramon Padilla, Yoonserk Pyun, USA TODAY
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28 minutes ago
Tropical rainstorm to drench Gulf Coast as renewed flood threat hits Northeast and Midwest
A tropical threat on the Gulf Coast has a 40% chance for development into a tropical depression in the next 48 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center. The system, which could currently be considered a 'tropical rainstorm' or 'tropical disturbance,' is likely to bring heavy rain to the central Gulf Coast for days -- especially to the state of Louisiana. The disturbance is expected to move along the coast, but the closer it stays to shore, the less chance it will have to grow into a tropical depression or storm since these weather patterns need time over water to develop, though a change to a more southerly track would give it a chance to gain steam. A flood watch will go into effect at 1 p.m. this afternoon for portions of Louisiana and Mississippi and is expected to last at least through Friday night, with the eastern part of the watch in effect until at least Saturday evening. This tropical disturbance is expected to produce long duration heavy rainfall and, if it develops into a tropical storm, it would be designated by the name Dexter. Rainfall totals are generally expected to be between 2 and 6 inches, but the National Weather Service is highlighting some localized areas expected to receive as many as 15 inches in the region. Elsewhere, heavy showers and thunderstorms are expected today for Ohio, West Virginia all of Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey with rainfall rates of potentially more than 2 inches per hour on Wednesday and Thursday. Storms are expected to begin around 2 p.m. in Ohio and then move east in a very scattered fashion through the afternoon, evening and overnight. A flood watch is already in place for central and northern New Jersey where 1 to 2 inches of rain could fall in a 1-to-3-hour period, likely in the evening or overnight hours for this location. A severe risk for damaging wind and tornadoes, along with flash flooding, is in place for portions of Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan on Wednesday, including Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay and Peoria. A flood watch is already in place for Green Bay where they are expecting 2 to 3 inches of rain over a short time span, with locally higher amounts possible, and storms may reach Chicago, Milwaukee and Green Bay around 4 p.m. local time. Heavy thunderstorms are also possible late tonight from Kansas to northern Missouri, with rainfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour possible. Meanwhile, 70 million Americans are under heat advisories coast-to-coast, with dangerously hot conditions expected today for people in the Northwest, South and Northeast. For the Northwest, a heat advisory is in place from northern California to northern Washington as Portland, Oregon, could reach near 100 degrees and Seattle, Washington, could hit the low to mid 90s -- temperatures that are 10 to 15 degrees above average. A heat advisory is in effect for parts of the South from Louisiana to Illinois, with a heat index up to 105 to 109 possible, including New Orleans, Memphis, Little Rock and Shreveport -- temperatures that are 5 to 10 degrees above average. The United States is now heading into the hottest part of the year, climatologically, and this weekend looks seasonally hot across the nation, with above average heat possible next week, especially for the Midwest, South and East, meaning temperatures in the upper 90s and lower 100s, with humidity making things worst for these regions.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How climate crisis makes rainstorms that flooded New York more common
Monday night's downpour was one of the most intense rainstorms in New York City history, the kind of storm that's now happening much more often due to climate warming. More than 2in of rain fell in New York City's Central Park in the 7pm hour on Monday evening, part of a regional downpour that filled the city's highways and subway tunnels and prompted several water rescues. Rains were even more intense elsewhere in the region. More than 2in of rain fell in just 30 minutes in Brewster, New York, in the Hudson Valley. In Union County, New Jersey, more than 6in of rain fell in little more than an hour and at least two people died as the vehicle they were traveling in was washed off the road. Phil Murphy, the New Jersey governor, declared a state of emergency due to the heavy rainfall and advised people to avoid unnecessary travel. 'Jersey is FLOODING. I've never ever seen the highways flood. This is crazy. The climate crisis is literally outside right now,' wrote one person from New Jersey on social media. The rains came as the result of what the National Weather Service called a 'quickly evolving scenario' as a slow-moving cold front began interacting with extremely moisture-laden air drawn westward from the warmer-than-normal Atlantic Ocean. The NWS had given the hardest-hit regions, including New York City, advanced notice with numerous flood warnings. Intense periods of rain like the one on Monday have been causing increasing problems throughout the region as the climate changes. NYC now endures one extra day of heavy rain each year, on average, compared with the late 19th century. A widely shared video appeared to show floodwaters erupting from the sewer system like a geyser at the 28th Street station in midtown Manhattan, pouring into a stalled subway car filled with people. 'What happened last night is something that is a reality for our system,' said Janno Lieber, CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, in an interview with a New York City television station. 'The storm water system gets backed up and gets overwhelmed and tunnels into the stations.' While the city's subway systems are designed to drain a maximum of 1.75in of rainwater per hour, the 2.07in of rain was the sixth-highest hourly total since New York City weather records began in 1869 and the most intense rainstorm since the remnants of Hurricane Ida in September 2021. Ida caused 14 deaths in the north-east, most of whom died in flooded basement apartments. A rainstorm exceeding the subway design limit had never been recorded before 1991 but has happened six times since then, including Monday's rains. A study published last year showed rainstorms like the one during Ida are now between four and 52 times more likely due to the climate crisis. A separate study in 2021 found a similar result and also found that rainstorms in the north-east region are the fastest increasing in the nation. Over the past three years, Eric Adams, the New York City mayor, has allocated more than $1bn to stormwater improvements in the city. Still, that amount is far lower than what experts say is needed to update the city's ageing infrastructure for the current climate reality, not even what is expected in the future. 'We have an infrastructure that was designed for an environment we no longer live in,' Rohit Aggarwala, New York City's chief climate officer, told the New York Times. In addition to the rising impact of freshwater floods, the region also has to deal with a simultaneously increasing threat from the expanding Atlantic Ocean. The city's flood resiliency plan anticipates it will need $46bn to protect against a one-in-100-year storm. The flooding in New Jersey comes as the state is contemplating sweeping changes to expand its flood zones and require new properties to be elevated if they are built in areas likely to flood at least once in the next 100 years. Related: Are we heading for 'managed retreat'? Everything you need to know about floods Research published this month shows wintertime storms in the north-east are also getting more destructive as sea levels rise and the receding Arctic sea ice helps morph weather patterns into more exaggerated and powerful iterations. The most destructive recent example of this kind of storm was Superstorm Sandy, a hybrid nor'easter and hurricane that filled New York City's subway tunnels with saltwater and caused $19bn of damage in the city. As climate warming continues, it's likely that flooding is going to keep getting worse. Rainfall intensity in the north-east could increase by a further 52% by the end of the century, according to a recent study. The heavy rains in north-east US come as several other parts of the country, including central Texas, endure one of the most intense flood seasons in recent memory. According to statistics compiled by meteorologist Michael Lowry, the NWS has issued more flood warnings this year than in any other year since that type of warning began in 1986. On Monday alone, 96 flood warnings were issued – the most for any July day on record. Eric Holthaus is a meteorologist and climate journalist based in Minnesota


New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Flood Season
The rainwater flowed into my central New Jersey home on Monday night, carving rivulets across my floor that grew into streams and then ponds. My sump pump was quickly overmatched; so was my wet vac. A second pump, which I hoped would drain pooling water through a window, shot a geyser of brown basement liquid into my face. My battle against the elements left me with a sore back and a cellar full of sopping mementos, musical instruments and holiday decorations. But I got off easy. The flash floods did far more damage just a few towns over. There, roads became rivers. Two people died when fast-rising waters carried their car into a stream. 'Water has killed more people in my time as governor than any other sort of weather event,' Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, lamented yesterday. He blamed climate change. Many factors influence the weather, and scientists don't like to say that climate change caused this specific storm or that one. But researchers know that climate change is causing heavier rainfall in many storms — the warmer the atmosphere gets, the more moisture it can hold and release. Extreme rainstorms have become more common around the world. The last month has brought a rush of the resulting floods. Over a single week, the water surged in New Mexico, Illinois, North Carolina and Texas, where the deluge killed more than 130 people. Are you safe? Flash floods are the hardest disasters to prevent. What should you know about your neighborhood's flood risk? Claire Brown, who covers the climate, talked to experts about why you may be at more risk than you think, what you can do about it and how local governments are adapting. FEMA's flood maps. The agency publishes maps that inform zoning regulations and building standards. They also affect which homeowners have to buy flood insurance. (Search for your address here.) But experts worry that these maps underestimate the risk of sudden and intense storms that lead to the rapid rise of rivers — such as the one that inundated Camp Mystic in Texas this month. By one estimate, more than twice as many properties are prone to once-in-a-century floods as FEMA maps suggest. As many as 440,000 homes across the country may be underinsured for flood risk. Where else to look. The government frequently updates maps of current and past floods and runs a water prediction service. The National Weather Service is refining a tool to visualize floods at street level. Real estate websites like Zillow, Redfin and also use models from an independent research firm to share flood-risk data on listings. States adapt. Many are bolstering their warning systems and building infrastructure. New York City, for example, is building a 2.4-mile system of flood walls and floodgates designed to protect the East Side of Manhattan. 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It comes as many voters are desperate for generational change after watching their leaders dismiss their concerns about Joe Biden's age. We plan to continue answering questions in the New York Today newsletter until the election in November. Submit your own here, and sign up here to get that newsletter delivered to your inbox. For more Mamdani told a group of business leaders that he would discourage use of the phrase 'globalize the intifada,' a rallying cry for opponents of the war in Gaza that has been seen as a call to violence against Jews. Andrew Cuomo, who will run as an independent against Mamdani, is test driving a warmer, friendlier version of himself. Read his interview with The Times. Public media is a public service. To abandon it would take away nonpartisan local news that the private sector can't provide, the Editorial Board writes. Here's a column by Bret Stephens on Mamdani. 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And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@