Hiromi Sato (Project week 2 & 3)
First published on June 15, added some viz in July.
Nao Goto, a father of two kids, made a perfect plan for his family trip to Anaheim. His family packed everything needed during the journey and drove 400 miles from San Francisco. Then he realized he had forgotten important stuff, bathing suits. "It's too hot to live without bathing in water."
On June 15, Anaheim reached a record high at 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Southern California was experiencing a week-long heatwave. Some researchers estimate the cause of the heatwave is dry weather.
According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, all 58 California counties have had some level of drought since mid-May, while the whole U.S. is less than 50%. More than 70% of counties in California are getting into the most severe drought level, called "Exceptional Drought." The areas classified that hadn't shown up since 2017.
There will be negative impacts on the yield of popular crops like strawberries and vegetables, while water shortage would be a headache for Californians. The latest data updated on June 15 shows seven counties such as Napa and Sonoma recorded “Exceptional Drought” for every checkpoint in these counties.
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/0hCh3/6/
Many people are also concerned about wildfires, which have become critical issues, especially in recent years. According to Cal Fire, 3270 wildfires were reported as of June 20, since the beginning of 2021. It is 25% more than the same period last year.
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/o4TDp/3/
So far, the area burned has been limited to 16,451 acres, but major wildfires usually occur between August and November. The deadliest Camp Fire in the state's history, with 85 fatalities, occurred in November 2018. In August 2020, lightning across the state triggered several large wildfires. The area burned over the past five years is twice the size of Los Angeles County.
https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/ApTzg/1/
On June 15, Governor Newsom declared California's full reopening. It was the most significant milestone in a year-long battle with COVID-19. However, Californians who have started to go out can't be relaxed. A severe summer is coming soon.
https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/6834040/embed
source: drought monitor