40 million in West face scorching heat; 30 million under flood watch in East
John Bacon and Doyle Rice, USA TODAY Published 9:59 a.m. ET July 24, 2018 | Updated 5:29 p.m. ET July 24, 2018
Heavy rains drenched much of the Northeast for a fourth consecutive day Tuesday, swelling rivers and flooding roads, while the western U.S. endured scorching temperatures and heat warnings.
About 40 million people from Washington state to Arizona were under an excessive heat warning or advisory Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service said. About 32 million people were under a flood watch, most of them in the East.
Phoenix hit 113 degrees by early afternoon Tuesday, with Wednesday's forecast also calling for a high of 113. Monday's high was a record 115, the weather service said.
Maricopa County public health officials said people should take the heat warnings seriously, noting 155 people died in the Phoenix area last year from heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Death Valley will see highs above 120 the next couple of days, with nighttime temperatures dropping to only about 100.
Southern California also was locked in a pattern of triple-digit temperatures, and people were urged to ease off the air conditioner and other appliances during peak power usage from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday.
In the normally mild Northwest. Portland, Oregon, was under a heat advisory, with temperatures expected in the mid-90s through Thursday.
Rain and floods continued in the mid-Atlantic and East. Tuesday's rain pushed Baltimore to its wettest July on record, with more than a foot of rain this month. Washington, D.C., could also set a record for its rainiest July by next week.
continues at usatoday.com |
