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Emergency Alert Issued as Heat Wave Endangers Two Southwestern Counties

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LAS VEGAS — As spring temperatures began to climb in Phoenix, Dr. Jeffrey Johnston prepared for a grim summer trend featuring numerous fatalities.

In the past decade, Johnston, the chief medical examiner for Maricopa County, Arizona, has witnessed an alarming rise in deaths attributed to extreme heat. The heat-related fatalities in the county surged from several dozen in 2014 to 645 in 2023.

“The spike was so severe and prolonged that we approached it as a mass casualty incident,” he commented, referring to the recent summer.

However, Maricopa County—home to the most populated area in the desert southwest—has made significant investments in heat preparedness and mitigation strategies. Cooling centers in Phoenix are now operational every day of the week. The county has scaled up its heat safety communications efforts and appointed a full-time heat mitigation coordinator.

Consequently, there were fewer heat-related deaths last year compared to the previous year, despite experiencing record temperatures for the first time in a decade. With summer concluded, officials are reviewing the year’s achievements, and initial data indicates that the trend of decline is continuing: Maricopa County has reported 185 heat-related fatalities so far, significantly lower than the 284 reported at the same time last year.

Phoenix firefighters provide aid to a homeless individual during a heat wave in Phoenix on May 30, 2024.
Matt York/AP File

In contrast, a troubling situation is arising in Clark County, Nevada’s second most populous area, which includes Las Vegas. The fatalities from heatstroke here have more than tripled within three years, reaching a record high of 513 in 2024. While the current year’s death toll is still not finalized, it is expected that the number of heat-related deaths will be in the hundreds.

Ariel Choinard, a scientist at the Desert Research Institute in Las Vegas, noted that last summer’s extreme heat served as a major wake-up call.

“Seeing a 120-degree temperature in Las Vegas made people realize, ‘Oh my gosh, this is really serious,'” she said.

Choinard has been pivotal in local initiatives addressing heat-related fatalities in Clark County and is tracking advancements in Maricopa County. She recognizes there is still work to be done.

“They began tackling the heat issue earlier than we did here, so they have made more progress in several respects,” she remarked.

Heat causes more fatalities in the United States each year than other weather-related disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, as reported by the National Weather Service. As climate change exacerbates the frequency and severity of heat waves, these two counties in one of the fastest-warming regions of the U.S. exemplify the urgent measures needed to preserve lives in light of this escalating threat and the severe consequences of inaction.

“All of these deaths are preventable.”

Heat disproportionately affects vulnerable populations. Individuals lacking access to air conditioning, including those experiencing homelessness or residing in low-income areas or mobile homes, face heightened risks. Outdoor workers, people with pre-existing conditions, and the elderly are also at increased danger.

In Maricopa County last year, 49% of heat-related deaths were linked to homelessness, while 57% were due to substance use. Therefore, strategies aimed at preventing fatalities from extreme heat must prioritize these vulnerable groups.

Maricopa County sought to address this by expanding its network of cooling centers and hydration stations in 2023, especially after experiencing 31 consecutive days of record-breaking temperatures of 110 degrees or higher that led to a rapid increase in heat-related deaths.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

California State Police Confounded by Tickets Issued to Driverless Cars for Illegal U-Turns

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If a vehicle makes an unlawful U-turn without a driver in the seat, will it still incur a fine? This intriguing question was recently tackled by the California police department.

While conducting DUI enforcement, San Bruno officials encountered a self-driving car that performed an illegal U-turn, yet had no one behind the wheel. In a post from the San Bruno Police Station on Saturday, it was noted that police redirected traffic after halting the identifiable white vehicle from Waymo, the leading autonomous car service in the San Francisco Bay Area.

“We couldn’t issue citations as there was no human operator (our guidelines do not cover ‘robots’).” The post stated.

The department alerted Waymo about the incident, expressing hope that future programming updates will help avoid similar violations.

In a response, Waymo affirmed that its autonomous system, referred to as Waymo drivers, is “engineered to adhere to traffic laws.”

“We are evaluating this incident and remain dedicated to enhancing road safety through continuous learning and experience,” the statement sent to the Guardian read.

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Last year, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation allowing police to issue a “Notice of Violation” if an unmanned vehicle breaks traffic laws. This law will be effective starting July 2026, and it mandates businesses to install emergency communication lines for first responders.

The bill, proposed by San Francisco council member Phil Ting, came in response to multiple incidents within the city that could obstruct traffic, endanger pedestrians, and interfere with emergency responses.

The new law empowers first responders to direct companies to relocate self-driving cars away from an area, requiring them to respond within two minutes.

Addressing concerns regarding leniency from officers, San Bruno police reaffirmed that “there is a statute allowing officers to issue notifications to companies.”

Initially launched as a project under Google’s X Research Lab in 2009, Waymo Cars operate using a combination of external cameras and sensors. The company has encountered its share of challenges in the past, having to recall over 1,200 vehicles earlier this year due to software glitches leading to collisions with barriers and other stationary objects. The National Highway Traffic Safety Bureau has also initiated an investigation last year after receiving reports of 22 incidents involving Waymo vehicles acting erratically or breaching traffic safety laws.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Record Highs in Flash Flood Warnings Issued

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This summer has been notably impacted by intense rainfall and flooding. States including Texas, New Mexico, North Carolina, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey have faced significant flood events recently. Earlier this month, the nation experienced at least four rainfall events classified as 1,000-year storms within a single week.

In June, flash floods claimed at least nine lives in West Virginia after 2.5 to 4 inches of rain fell in parts of Ohio County in just half an hour.

In early July, over 120 people lost their lives in Central Texas’s Hill Country when heavy rains caused the Guadalupe River to surge near Carville in just 90 minutes.

A few days later, a devastating flash flood in a remote village in Ruidoso, New Mexico, resulted in at least three fatalities.

Earlier this week, Central Park in New York City recorded more than two inches of rain within an hour, marking the second-highest hourly rainfall in the city’s history, according to New York City’s emergency management.

Las Schumacher, the director of Colorado State University and the Colorado Climate Center for State Climate Scientist, noted that the recent flash floods can partly be attributed to the summer months being the peak time for storms.

“From June to October, we often see significant rainfall in various parts of the country,” he mentioned, highlighting that the Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 30th.

However, studies indicate that climate change is likely to exacerbate storm frequency and severity, increasing the chances of heavy rains and flooding.

“A warmer atmosphere holds a greater amount of water vapor, which contributes to rainfall,” Schumacher explained. “The evidence supporting this is very compelling.”

Despite this, the surge in warnings today compared to the past can be attributed to advancements in the ability to detect and track weather systems.

Over the past four decades, radar technology and meteorological models have seen substantial improvements, leading to an increase in the number of warnings issued during extreme weather situations.

“The systems we had in the ’80s are not comparable to those we use today,” he remarked. “With enhanced radar and a broad array of data sources, it’s expected that we’ll see more warnings simply because our technology is evolving.”

These warnings are vital not only for saving lives but also for safeguarding infrastructure like susceptible dams, levees, and drainage systems during flood events, Aghakouchak stated.

“It serves as a reminder that such events can lead to catastrophe,” he said. “The floods in Texas were a significant disaster, and we must always be prepared.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Tsunami Advisory Issued for Alaska Following 7.3 Magnitude Earthquake off the Aleutian Islands

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Alaska’s coastal regions were on alert for a tsunami Wednesday following a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit the Ariuya Islands, according to officials.

The earthquake occurred at 12:38 PM local time (4:38 PM ET), with its epicenter located 55 miles south of Sandpoint, a community on Popf Island. The quake was recorded at a depth of 12 miles.

Tsunami data was not immediately available, and effects for Kodiak Island were not anticipated until 2:40 PM local time (6:40 PM ET).

Although no large-scale flooding is expected, the Tsunami Warning Center stated that dangerous currents and waves could pose risks to those in close proximity.

The initial tsunami warning has since been adjusted to a tsunami advisory.

These advisories span various coastlines, from Unimak Pass in the Aleutians to the entrance of Kennedy, located 40 miles south of Homer.

Emergency personnel in Kodiak, a city of around 5,500 that lies about 250 miles south of Anchorage, announced that shelters would be opened and sirens sounded prior to the warning being downgraded.

“The sirens are sounding, and remain vigilant if you’re near the coast,” Kodiak Island Emergency Management advised on social media.

Emergency officials reported no threat to Anchorage, Alaska’s largest city, following the earthquake.

Debi Schmidt, the city manager of Sand Point, discussed the earthquake with NBC affiliate Ktuu, describing it as the strongest quake she had ever experienced.

“I was at home for lunch when the house began to shake; things were falling, and the cupboard door swung open,” she recounted to the station. “Fortunately, there was no damage.”

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Could this be the most remarkable withdrawal notice ever issued by the journal?

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Feedback is the latest science and technology news of new scientists, the sidelines of the latest science and technology news. You can email Feedback@newscientist.com to send items you believe readers can be fascinated by feedback.

Retract action

On February 25th, one of the most epic withdrawal notices was the joy of reading feedback. The notice of withdrawal is when it determines that a research published by a scientific journal is highly flawed and unreliable and is effectively published.

New withdrawal notice I covered five articles, not one, not two Perceptual and motor skillsby all Nicholas Gagen in Southern University of Brittany, France.

Five studies were published between 2002 and 2009. In 2007, Guéguen was the only author of “Bust size and hitchhiking: Field study” The aim is to use real experiments to show that women with big breasts are more likely to be picked up when hitchhiking. Two years later, this time with a colleague, he found it. There was a high chance that the blonde would ride it too..

With such a result, it is no wonder that Guéguen’s work has become a popular theme in news articles. Sadly, this includes New Scientist Covered in 2008 study Women (which has not yet been withdrawn) claim to be more embracing the chat upline at their peak monthly fertility.

It took almost ten years for the card house to start to shake. In 2017, researcher Nick Brown (People who write blogs as “Steamtraen”) and James Heathers I’ve started writing about Guéguen’s work. They found He was prolific and often “published more than ten prominent empirical articles a year, many of which include extensive fieldwork.” Immediately raise a question: How did he find time? They also began to doubt the great effects that are alleged.

And the card house began to crumble. 2019, International review of social psychology Added “Expression of concern” In six of Guéguen’s papers. 2022, Journal of Social Psychology Retract “” in a study that claims that men perceive women as having strong sexual intent when they wear red.Table 1 of the manuscript included four combinations of impossible mean and standard deviation considering the reported sample sizes” That same year, Scandinavian Journal of Psychology A study claiming that men are more likely to help women slaps the study expressing concern.When her hair naturally falls on her neck, shoulders and back“.

And come now Latest withdrawal. The notifications explaining them are amazing, although I take them in academic language. They warn that “low confidence that the research design was implemented as described” and that “many of the data in these articles was incredible or misanalyzed.” In other words, we didn’t think he did what he said, and in any case, he made it wrong.

The editor says Guéguen did not respond to the query. Frankly, given the nature of his work, feedback suspects that he had only one reply: “Stigma! Stigma! They all got it for me!”

It seems right to have Heathers have their final words.Unreliable, embarrassing, if you’re writing a study on Benny Hill, remember that someone will know how bad you made it…and you Also, it might be pretty ok for around seven years before you get more broad results. “

Botticelli xxx Peacock

A few weeks ago, Feedback wrote about the troublesome Scunthorpe issue: The difficulty of blocking offensive words online is often seen in completely harmless words such as the names of British towns. Three readers were able to share with us about similar experiences without falling into our email filter.

Richard Black was in the early 2000s when he asked students to help set up a Hotmail email account. (Note for younger readers: Hotmail is the old name of Outlook. It is the email system that parents use at work as Microsoft is nervous in the business software market.) Richard writes: (Note to younger readers: Yahoo… ah, in fact Yahoo is still around.) Anyway, the student’s last name was Peacock.

At about the same time, Richard Hind was “given the budget to implement an email filtering solution.” It worked pretty well, except for “some curious slang terms for ours that were deemed uncomfortable.” However, many “innocent emails” have also been suspended. The only pattern was being sent by staff to friends elsewhere. “I finally clicked,” says Richard. All blocked emails were signed with three kisses or XS.

I also give my thoughts for Patricia Finney. Blog I explained about optimism in the face of climate change in Botticelli’s reenactment The birth of Venus. Facebook refused Nude and nipples” I’m still waiting for an apology,” she says.

Sweet snack

Feedback reading mountains Thunderbird Episode, so we are reluctant to add to it. But a A series of books caught our eye by food historians. The dark history of sugar It’s about colonial adventures that support the sugar industry, not colonial adventures. With a light note, Pudding Philosophy Sounds fun and we were impressed by the title Kneading to know: The history of baking. Author of all these fever-related books? Neil Butterly.

Have you talked about feedback?

You can send stories to feedback by email at feedback@newscientist.com. Please include your home address. This week and past feedback can be found on our website.

Source: www.newscientist.com

Drought Warning Issued in New Jersey, Residents Urged to Conserve Water

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overview

  • New Jersey’s governor issued a drought warning Wednesday.
  • State officials said the state is experiencing the driest conditions in nearly 120 years, prompting an increase in wildfires.
  • The extreme drought is part of a widespread drought plaguing the Northeast.

New Jersey’s governor issued a drought warning Wednesday, stating that the state could impose mandatory water restrictions if conditions worsen.

A record dry spell has left New Jersey at its driest in nearly 120 years, leading to a significant rise in wildfires, as reported by state officials during a news conference.

The New Jersey State Forest Fire Department has battled 537 fires that have scorched thousands of acres since early October, according to Governor Phil Murphy. This number is 500 more fires than the same period last year.

Murphy urged residents to heed the drought warnings seriously and voluntarily decrease their water usage.

“Each of us needs to do everything we can to conserve water,” he emphasized.

Tim Eustace, executive director of the North Jersey Regional Water Commission, criticized the state for not declaring a drought emergency, which usually restricts non-essential outdoor water use.

“I’ve always been against using potable water to water lawns. It’s a terrible waste of resources,” Eustace stated.

His commission supplies water to around a third of New Jersey, with the main reservoir, Wanaque Reservoir, at 45% capacity as of Wednesday.

Monday at Wanaque Reservoir in Ringwood, New Jersey.
Ted Shafley/Associated Press

The state’s other major reservoir, Manasquan Reservoir, is at 51% of its capacity, while the Passaic River, a vital drinking water source, is at about 14% of its normal capacity, sufficient to meet demand, officials assured.

New Jersey American Water, serving approximately 2.9 million people in the state, issued conservation notices to customers on Wednesday. Mark McDonough, president of New Jersey American Water, clarified that the notice was described as “mandatory” to convey urgency but is not enforceable against violators.

“I’d like to limit movement if possible, but I don’t have the authority to issue tickets or inspect people’s lawns,” McDonough remarked. “If we can get our customers to focus on saving water, we can make a significant impact.”

Murphy mentioned that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s winter forecast predicts even drier weather ahead. Forecasting seasonal outlook Temperatures are higher than average, with precipitation chances remaining unchanged regardless of above or below average levels.

The dry conditions affecting New Jersey are part of a broader drought across the Northeast. In October, cities like Newark, New Jersey. Wilmington, Delaware. And Norfolk, Virginia, registered no rainfall at all. Southeast Regional Climate Center collects precipitation data nationwide. Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., set records for the most consecutive days without measurable precipitation.

Throughout the United States, October was declared One of the driest months on record according to NOAA. US Drought Monitor Data shows over half of the continental United States is facing some level of drought, with 56% of the Northeast impacted.

State climatologist Dave Robinson noted that New Jersey usually receives rainfall evenly over several months. However, some regions have not seen any measurable rainfall for 40 days, a first in nearly 150 years of record-keeping.

“We’ve experienced longer droughts before, but we’ve never encountered anything as exceptional as this prolonged dry period,” Robinson remarked.

He highlighted that New Jersey typically experiences heavy rainfall in October due to hurricanes, remnants of tropical cyclones, or nor’easters forming in the mid-Atlantic region.

Both weather patterns were absent this fall, with a ridge of high pressure dominating New Jersey and other Northeastern areas for weeks.

“There’s no significant storm to break through this ridge. It’s been a slow and frustrating process,” Robinson explained. “There are indications that the central part of the country, which has been relatively dry, is starting to see more moisture. …It appears to be gradually shifting eastward.”

November has marked the 12th consecutive month of above-average temperatures in New Jersey. Atmospheric warming can exacerbate droughts and heighten the chances of extreme rainfall.

“With a warmer climate system, there’s more energy that can hold moisture in the atmosphere. …If we can’t access that moisture source, a warmer climate will worsen dryness and lead to more severe droughts,” Robinson stated. “The system has become more volatile.”

Given New Jersey’s dry spell since mid-August, it would require several months of above-average, if not considerably above, rainfall to alleviate the drought, estimated Sean LaTourette, director of the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Some areas received about a quarter of an inch of rain on Sunday, but Murphy remarked that it was “far from adequate.”

Firefighters respond to a forest fire in Evesham, New Jersey, on November 6th.
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (via AP)

Finally, a state of drought emergency was instated in New Jersey. The last time a drought warning was issued was in 2016, lasting over six months, LaTourette indicated.

Greg McLaughlin, New Jersey Forest and Fire Department’s Office of Forests and Natural Lands manager, mentioned that the current condition measures 748 out of 800 on a scale for forest floor dryness.

“These numbers are unprecedented in the 118-year history of the Forest Fire Service,” McLaughlin remarked. “The impact of this dryness on wildfires cannot be overstated.”

The Jennings Creek Wildfire along the New York-New Jersey border continued burning on Wednesday, with containment at 30%. Over 5,000 acres were destroyed in both states. An 18-year-old New York park worker lost his life to a falling tree while battling a fire in Orange County, New York, last Saturday.

“We sincerely appreciate his dedication and willingness to protect the residents of New York and New Jersey from these deadly fires,” Murphy expressed.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

Warning Issued by Arizona Officials About Possible Deadly Hantavirus Outbreak

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Arizona public health officials are cautioning about the hantavirus, a disease that spreads from rodents to humans and has led to an increase in a deadly pulmonary syndrome. The Arizona Department of Health Services has reported seven confirmed cases and three deaths in the past six months. For more information, check out the recent health alerts.

Most hantavirus cases are seen in the Western and Southwestern U.S., with most states reporting one to four cases per year. Two cases have been reported in California this year. Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment or vaccine for hantavirus.

Arizona is recognized as one of the countries with the highest total number of reported infections. This outbreak marks the first hantavirus outbreak in the United States since 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In Arizona from 2016 to 2022, there have been 11 reported cases of hantavirus, with four cases in 2016, two in 2017, four in 2020, and one in 2022.

Dr. Aaron Glatt, chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, warns that hantaviruses can cause severe and potentially fatal respiratory infections, especially transmitted by rodents like deer mice.

San Diego County and the California Department of Public Health have also noted increased hantavirus activity this year.

Why are Arizona’s cases increasing?

The CDC has reported 850 cases from 1993 to 2021, averaging about 30 cases per year.

Changes in rodent populations affected by season and weather conditions could be contributing to the increase in hantavirus cases in Arizona. People are more likely to come into contact with rodents during the summer when they are more active.

Climate change and extreme weather events may also play a role in the spread of hantavirus.

Dr. Camilo Mora, a professor at the University of Hawaii, warns that climate change could impact the spread of disease-carrier species, leading to potential outbreaks.

Experts emphasize the need for careful handling of rodent excrement and avoidance of contact with rodents to prevent hantavirus infections.

Hantavirus Symptoms

Hantavirus particles are released into the air when disturbed, leading to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS).

HPS symptoms may appear 1 to 8 weeks after contact with an infected rodent and can progress to serious lung infections if left untreated.

  • fever
  • malaise
  • muscle pain
  • nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain

Approximately 38% of people with pulmonary symptoms from hantavirus may die from the disease.

How to Prevent Hantavirus

Cleaning up rodent excrement and avoiding contact with rodents are key prevention measures according to experts.

Spring cleaning activities like opening and cleaning closed spaces could increase the risk of rodent infestation and hantavirus exposure.

Proper precautions should be taken when entering closed and unoccupied spaces that may have rodents present.

Source: www.nbcnews.com