Maui Wildfire Latest – National Weather Outlook For August 10, 2023

by | Aug 10, 2023 | Weather

National Weather Forecast

At least scattered areas of showers and storms will be possible across a good portion of the nation on Thursday, with severe storms possible in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northern Plains. Highs once again reach record levels from Texas to Florida with heat index values over 110F for some.

The heaviest rain across the lower 48 through the end of the week will be in parts of the mid-Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley and parts of the Southeast, where at least 2-4” of rain will be possible.

_______________________________________________

At least 6 dead as Maui wildfires overwhelm hospitals, sever 911 services and force people to flee into the ocean

More from CNN: “At least six people have died as a result of the fires raging on Maui, the island’s mayor, Richard Bissen Jr., said at a Wednesday news conference. “I’m sad to report that just before coming on this, it was confirmed we’ve had 6 fatalities,” he said. “We are still in a search and rescue mode.” Several people are also unaccounted for, Bissen added. He did not offer further details about the deaths. The wildfires torching the idyllic Hawaiian island are raging out of control, but the true scope of devastation remains unknown. That’s because the infernos have knocked out cell service, hindered emergency communications and trapped residents and tourists on the island, is home to about 117,000. … The fires are so catastrophic, some people have hurled themselves into the ocean to escape the flames. And Hawaii’s governor, who was on a personal trip this week, said he was rushing back to the state Wednesday.”

‘This is going to get worse before it gets better’: Panama Canal pileup due to drought reaches 154 vessels

More from CNBC: “The number of vessels waiting to cross the Panama Canal has reached 154, and slots for carriers to book passage are being reduced in an effort to manage congestion caused by ongoing drought conditions that have roiled the major shipping gateway since the spring. The current wait time to cross the canal is now around 21 days. The Panama Canal is a critical trade link for U.S. shippers heading to Gulf and East Coast ports. The U.S. is the largest user of the Panama Canal, with total U.S. commodity export and import containers representing about 73% of Panama Canal traffic. Forty percent of all U.S. container traffic travels through the canal every year, about $270 billion in cargo. The massive pileup is a result of water conservation measures the Panama Canal Authority deployed in late July due to drought.”

Minnesota electric co-ops seek $970M in federal clean energy funds

More from Energy News Network: “A consortium of Minnesota electric cooperatives is preparing to apply for $970 million in federal funding that could help propel rural utilities toward the state’s 100% clean electricity target. The state’s largest generation and transmission cooperative, Great River Energy, convened the group, which so far includes more than half of its members. The utilities are collaborating on an application for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Empowering Rural America, or New ERA, program. The $9.7 billion program, created under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, is designed to help rural electric cooperatives pay for clean energy, carbon capture, energy storage and transmission projects. It represents the largest federal investment in rural electricity since the 1930s.”

_______________________________________________

Follow me on:

Thanks for checking in and have a great day!

– D.J. Kayser