The latest in a spate of catastrophic weather catastrophes to hit the U.S. on a day when floods inundated communities in Kentucky and sweltering heat suffocated Phoenix and Miami was a big Pfizer pharmaceutical plant in North Carolina that was severely damaged by a tornado. The pharmaceutical company Pfizer reported that a sizable complex was damaged by the tornado that ripped through the Rocky Mount region, but it stated in an email that there were no reports of major injuries at the plant.
Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone stated, "I've got reports of 50,000 pallets of medicine that are strewn across the facility and damaged through the rain and wind." The Pfizer plant keeps vast supplies of medication that were tossed about by the hurricane. In Nash County, where the sheriff's office also confirmed damage to a number of properties, Pfizer is among the county's top employers.
While this was going on, other parts of the United States continued to experience record-breaking heat and rising floodwaters, with rescue workers in Kentucky removing people from homes and automobiles that were flooded by rain in Phoenix and setting a new record for the hottest day ever recorded in Phoenix. For a huge portion of the country, forecasters indicated there was little hope of relief from days of catastrophic weather.
Heat indexes of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) have been experienced in Miami for weeks, and this weekend's forecast calls for even higher temperatures. When waves of thunderstorms brought flash floods, meteorologists in Kentucky issued a "life-threatening situation" warning for the towns of Mayfield and Wingo. In an effort to aid affected towns as new storms loomed, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear issued an emergency declaration on Wednesday.
Additionally, the National Weather Service issued flash flood watches and warnings for a portion of the states bordering Kentucky. In a region where the Ohio and Mississippi rivers meet, forecasters predict up to 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain could fall on Kentucky, Illinois, and Missouri. The storm system will then move through New England on Thursday and Friday, where the ground is still wet from recent flooding.
Tuesday, a mother and her 5-year-old daughter died after being carried downstream by a high river in Connecticut. Two kids missing since Saturday night's flash flood in southeast Pennsylvania are still being sought after. Phoenix, meanwhile, set a new record for a warm low temperature on Wednesday morning with 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 degrees Celsius), increasing the risk of heat-related disease for locals who were unable to cool off sufficiently over night. The previous high temperature record was 96 degrees Fahrenheit (35.6 degrees Celsius) in 2003, according to the weather agency.
In Maricopa County, where Phoenix is located, heat-related fatalities are increasing. Six more heat-related deaths occurred last week, increasing the year's total to 18 so far, according to public health officials' report on Wednesday. Another 69 deaths are being investigated for possible heat-related causes.
With 19 consecutive days of temperatures of at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius), Phoenix, a desert city of more than 1.6 million people, set a new record for American cities on Tuesday. According to weather expert Christopher Burt of the Weather Company, Phoenix has never had a series of 110°F (43.3°C) days or 90°F (32.2°C) nights longer than any other major city, which is classified as the 25 most populated in the U.S.
Phoenix, Arizona, on Tuesday, at 3 p.m., recorded a temperature of 117 degrees (47.2 Celsius). The normally bustling city became a ghost town since so many people were forced to stay home. Miami saw heat indices above 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40+ Celsius) for the 16th day in a row, the longest streak in the nation. In June 2019, five days were the previous record. The National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Pine stated, "And it's only looking to get worse as we get closer to the end of the week and the weekend." A heat index threshold of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) has also been observed for 38 straight days in the area.
According to atmospheric scientists, the same global warming that is causing the Southwest to experience oppressive heat is also increasing the frequency of this type of catastrophic rainfall because as the temperature rises, clouds store more moisture, which leads to more destructive storms.
The Shetucket River in Sprague, Connecticut, was flooded from recent New England rains when a mother in her 30s and her young daughter were found unconscious and taken downstream, according to Connecticut state fire officials.
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