When the Santa Ana winds start gusting in Southern California, the air blows hot and dry and the risk of wildfire skyrockets. But in Tesia Villegas’ neighborhood in Covina, California the wind’s first blast in mid-October was startling and unusual, with trees and branches crashing to the ground. “One of[…]
All posts under Deep Dive
The race to slow stormwater and predict future rain
High on a hill above the village of Cross Plains, Wisconsin the rain came down in sheets against the windows of the house where I was staying. As I listened to the wind thrash tree branches, I’d never been more grateful to be on high ground. After a few hours[…]
How will plants and their pollinators face a warmer world?
Twice a day, Lorne Covington walks his dogs around his 20 acres in Skaneateles, New York. Covington’s lot is mostly wooded, with a four-acre wildflower meadow. Typically in July, he sees wasps, carpenter and bumble bees buzzing around the flowers. This summer the buzzing was for all practical purposes non-existent.[…]
416 Fire makes Coloradans wonder if wildfires have limits
The flames still raging in Colorado’s 416 fire are raising questions and increasing concerns as firefighters weigh options ahead in a warming climate. Heidi Steltzer lives close enough to the 416 Fire blazing through Colorado’s San Juan Mountains that she can see it from her window. “Our house is distant[…]
When the river runs dry: Seeking collective solutions to Southwestern droughts
Santa Fe resident Susan Swartz knew early in 2018 that the drought in her community would be punishing this year. Winter never came, and in its absence, there was no snowmelt to feed the Rio Grande River in New Mexico. By mid-April, a ten-mile stretch two hours south of Swartz’s[…]
Floods and drought force Kenyans to cope with climate change
On May 10, 2018, a dam burst near the city of Solai in Western Kenya killing over 45 people. Weeks of heavy rain had already displaced tens of thousands of Kenyans, and the dam failure brought the death count to over 100. A week earlier and three hours to the[…]
Is climate change to blame for a whack spring?
Ann-Marie Taranto, a teacher in Raleigh, North Carolina, and her class of second and third graders noticed wild temperature swings during the end of February and first two weeks of March. In one February week, high temperatures fluctuated between 70°F and 46°F. “There were a lot of birds on the[…]
Summer storms reveal that New Orleans has more than just a pump problem
Constanza Porche, a bus driver for Tulane University, travels all over town. On August 5, 2017 at one point along her route uptown, it started raining and Porche soon began to see water spouting out of the manholes on the street. Some streets stayed clear of water while others were quickly submerged.[…]
Wilder Winters: How a warming Arctic may be driving snowstorms and cold on the East Coast
Vicky Autrey’s town in eastern North Carolina started off the new year cold and snowy. A little snow isn’t unheard of in Spring Hope, North Carolina. Autrey said that her town, located 30 miles northeast of Raleigh, can usually expect a few dustings a year. The most recent winter storm[…]
Can A Saltier Sea Predict Spring and Summer Floods in the Gulf South and Midwest?
New Orleans is no stranger to downpours and flooded streets. But this year, residents found themselves even wetter than usual. Brooke Perry has lived in New Orleans for five years. Her home is in the Gentilly neighborhood, which stretches from below sea level to the shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Some[…]
Was your autumn weird – again? You’re not alone.
At Brenda Whittaker’s home in Guelph, Ontario, the usually vibrant red and orange colors of her maple trees seemed dull this fall. Born and raised in Guelph, she has watched autumn change for 62 years. Whittaker wonders if warmer temperatures during the past few months are to blame for the[…]
How Climate Change is Fueling Wildfires and Hurting Your Lungs
Residents of Portland, Oregon knew they were in trouble when the sky got so hazy from smoke that the sun turned red. For weeks, people like Michelle Nicola, a Portland middle school teacher, lived enshrouded in smoke from a nearby wildfire. “It’s like living in the middle of a bonfire,”[…]
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