Tropical Storm Harold plows over Texas, causes flash floods, power disruptions, and tornado warnings.

As it barrels across Texas, Harold has reduced to a tropical depression, but it is still generating flash flooding and tornado warnings as it makes its way toward Mexico with hurricane-force winds.

Tropical Storm Harold

Harold, a tropical storm with sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts as high as 67 mph, made landfall as the first storm in the United States on Padre Island, Texas, just before 10 a.m. CT (11 a.m. ET) on June 1, 2023.

At 5 p.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center issued an alert saying that the storm’s sustained winds had increased to 30 mph and that all tropical storm advisories along the Texas coast were being lifted.

In the next few hours, the storm’s center will continue to move towards northern Mexico from its current location around 15 miles east of Laredo, Texas.

Tropical Storm Harold

As Harold moves westward, it will continue to pound parts of southern Texas and Mexico with heavy rain and powerful gusts. According to poweroutage.us, as of Tuesday night, the winds have caused power outages for about 20,000 people in Texas.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Harold is expected to bring South Texas anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of rain, with local maximums closer to 7 inches. Rainfall totals of 4 to 6 inches are predicted for much of Mexico.

Up to 10 inches of rain is expected to fall tonight in northern Mexico.

Tropical Storm Harold

The southern coast of Texas will continue to have dangerous surf and rip currents through Tuesday, and tornadoes are also possible. Several tornado warnings were issued by the National Weather Service in South Texas on Tuesday afternoon.
As the state of Texas struggles through one of its hottest, driest summers on record, the storm is making its way over the southern part of the state.

According to the National Weather Service, Corpus Christi, Texas, has gotten more rain in the past few hours than it has all summer. From Tuesday morning to early Tuesday afternoon, widespread rainfall of 1 to 2.5 inches occurred across the area and points south.

Tropical Storm Harold, Parts of the drought-stricken state may receive relief from the rainfall brought by this tropical cyclone, although regions experiencing extreme or exceptional drought in Central Texas may not.

Tropical Storm Harold

Ahead of Harold’s arrival, Texans made preparations. Governor Greg Abbott of Texas sent in the Texas National Guard and swift water rescue boat units. Authorities claimed that Riviera, Baffin Bay, and Loyola Beach were evacuated voluntarily, while the RV Park at Naval Air Station Kingsville was ordered to evacuate.

Tropical Storm Harold, Life-threatening flooding and mudslides are expected to hit Hispaniola on Wednesday as a result of Tropical Storm Franklin. Heavy rains will also be brought to Puerto Rico by the storm.

On Tuesday afternoon, Franklin was centered over the Caribbean Sea, about 230 miles south-southwest of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, with sustained winds of 50 mph.

Early Tuesday afternoon, the storm veered to the north and is expected to stay that way until it makes landfall on Hispaniola on Wednesday.

Tropical Storm Harold, Flash flooding and mudslides are possible when Franklin dumps a lot of rain over Hispaniola on Tuesday and Wednesday. Localized 15-inch downpours are probable. Through Thursday, Puerto Rico could see up to 6 inches of rain, but the island will avoid the worst of Franklin.

The height of hurricane season in the Atlantic has arrived. On Saturday night and Sunday morning, three separate tropical systems developed. This makes Harold the fourth such case in as many days. After causing flooding in Texas, Harold has been downgraded to a tropical depression. How Canadian Wildfires effected recently.

Malaria Cases, five people in the United States have contracted malaria via mosquito bites in the past two months, marking the first local transmission of the disease in the country in 20 years.

According to a health notice released by the CDC on Monday, four instances have been found in Florida and one in Texas.

The malaria parasite is transmitted to humans.

The malaria parasite is transmitted to humans via the bites of infected mosquitoes. Fever, chills, and other flu-like symptoms can affect infected patients. People infected with it can suffer serious consequences and even die if they don’t get treatment. Children in sub-Saharan Africa have borne the brunt of the mortality toll in recent years.

Doctors are being warned to be on the lookout for signs of infection from the tropical mosquito that causes malaria. This mosquito thrives in warmer climates, such as those found in the southern United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged them to also consider getting their hands on the intravenous medication that is the standard treatment for severe malaria in the United States.

After receiving treatment, the organization reported that those affected “are improving.”

The majority of the roughly 2,000 annual occurrences of malaria in the United States occur among foreign visitors from malaria-endemic regions.

There have been eleven mosquito-borne malaria outbreaks in the United States since 1992. In 2003, there were a total of eight confirmed cases in Palm Beach County, Florida.

–Definition and brief explanation of malaria.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to humans through the bites of infected female mosquitoes. These parasites belong to the Plasmodium genus and can cause severe illness and even death if not promptly treated. Malaria is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where it remains a major public health concern. 

– Overview of its global impact

Malaria has a significant global impact, affecting millions of people each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were an estimated 229 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2019, resulting in approximately 409,000 deaths. The disease not only poses a threat to human health but also has economic consequences, as it hinders productivity and development in affected regions. Efforts to control and eliminate malaria have been ongoing, but challenges such as drug resistance and mosquito vector control remain obstacles.

– Importance of understanding and addressing

include the need for continued research and development of effective treatments and prevention methods. Additionally, education and awareness campaigns are crucial in ensuring that individuals in at-risk areas have access to information on how to protect themselves from mosquito bites and seek prompt medical attention if they experience symptoms. By addressing these challenges and implementing comprehensive strategies, we can make significant progress in reducing the burden of malaria globally. 

II. Causes and Transmission

Malaria is primarily caused by the bite of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes. These mosquitoes carry the Plasmodium parasite, which is responsible for causing the disease. The transmission of malaria can also occur through blood transfusions, organ transplants, or from a mother to her unborn child. It is important to understand these causes and modes of transmission in order to effectively combat the spread of malaria.

– Explanation of the parasite responsible for malaria (Plasmodium)

Plasmodium is a single-celled parasite that multiplies in the liver of humans and then infects red blood cells. There are several species of Plasmodium that can cause malaria, with Plasmodium falciparum being the most deadly. The parasite’s life cycle within mosquitoes and humans is complex, involving different stages and modes of reproduction. Understanding the biology and behavior of Plasmodium is crucial for developing effective prevention and treatment strategies against malaria. 

For malaria induced Diarrhea please read the article.

Canadian Wildfires, CHICAGO (AP) The Great Lakes region, as well as parts of the central and eastern United States, are experiencing poor air quality due to the smoke drifting in from the current wildfires across Canada.

According to the EPA’s AirNow.gov website, the air quality in Chicago, Detroit, and Milwaukee on Tuesday afternoon was “very unhealthy,” making those cities among the worst in the United States.

Canadian Wildfires restricted people to their homes.

As haze blankets the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, a record 23rd air quality alert has been issued for much of Minnesota since Tuesday. All of Michigan has been issued an air quality alert by the state’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

A state-wide air quality advisory was also issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

People of all ages and health statuses in Chicago were urged by city officials to spend more time indoors.

Canadian Wildfires, “Just driving into the zoo… you could just see around the buildings, kind of just haze,” said Shelly Woinowski, a visitor to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Chicago air quality Categorized unhealthy.

Chicago air quality, when Shelly Woinowski arrived at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, she noticed that “you could just see around the buildings, kind of just haze” as they drove in.

Several day cares in the Chicago region have informed parents that their children would be kept indoors on Tuesday owing to the bad air quality, and at least one youth sports organization has said that it has rescheduled some of its programs to keep the kids indoors.

Canadian Wildfires, While Mayor Brandon Johnson put it in a press release, “as these unsafe conditions continue, the city will continue to provide updates and take swift action to ensure that vulnerable individuals have the resources they need to protect themselves and their families.”

The Federal Aviation Administration requires 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) of visibility for flights, and the visibility was reduced to three-quarters to 1.5 miles (1.2-2.4 kilometers) due to hazy skies in the Milwaukee area, according to the Executive Director of Flight for Life Wisconsin, Leif Erickson.

Bryan Jackson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, has reported that smoke from fires in northern Quebec and low pressure over the eastern Great Lakes has spread across northern Michigan, southern Wisconsin, and Chicago.

Jackson also noted that the smoke would be blown further south into Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky by a north wind later on Tuesday and throughout the night.

Since the beginning of the year, 76,129 square kilometers (29,393 square miles) of land, including forests, have burnt across Canada, as reported by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre on Monday. According to the National Forestry Database, the previous record was 75,596 square kilometers (29,187 square miles) in 1989.

There are now 490 fires burning in the United States, 255 of which are deemed to be out of control.

Officials in Quebec warned on Tuesday that recent rain may not be enough to put out the wildfires that have been scorching the province’s northern regions, but that it may give firefighters a chance to move ahead of the flames.

Quebec is home to nearly a quarter of Canada’s active wildfires. Simon Legault, a meteorologist with Environment Canada, predicted that rain would cease falling on the hardest hit areas by forest fires by Wednesday morning.

The air in the northeastern United States and the Great Lakes region became a yellowish grey earlier this month due to large fires blazing across swaths of Canadian woodlands, prompting warnings for people to stay indoors and keep windows closed.

Canadian Wildfires

Wildfire smoke contains tiny particles that can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat, and even the heart and lungs, making it difficult to breathe. Experts advise staying indoors as much as possible to reduce exposure to harmful particles in the air.

Jackson said that danger remains until the fires are extinguished. Smoke is possible if the wind has any northerly component.

Early in June, Vice President Joe Biden of the United States released a statement highlighting the fires as a reminder of the effects of climate change and noting that hundreds of American firefighters and support personnel have been in Canada since May.

According to Joel Thornton, professor and chair of the department of atmospheric sciences at the University of Washington, a warming globe would cause hotter and longer heat waves, leading to larger, smokier flames.

Priti Marwah, who was about to begin a run along the city’s lakefront on Tuesday, calls the haze there “bad.”

Canadian Wildfires

The odor is “like, you can smell it bad,” she remarked. This is going to be a risky day for me because I usually run 100 miles per week. I can feel it in my lungs just by parking in that lot and walking out.