The Stream, October 11: Record-Setting Hurricane Michael Plows into Florida Panhandle

The Global Rundown

Hurricane Michael makes landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm. Meteorologists predict an El Niño is likely in southern Australia, which would likely worsen the country’s prolonged drought. Turkey says it will release more water from the Ilisu dam to ease water shortages in Iraq. Officials say 20,000 villages in Maharashtra, India, are running low on water. Detroit public schools plan to spend $3.8 million to address lead and copper contamination in drinking water. A rare drought lingers in eastern Nepal, forcing farmers to search for work in neighboring India.

“Water scarcity and drought were something alien to us a few years ago but they have become a new normal now.” –Ravi Ale, a farmer in Nepal, who will leave for India next month in search of work. Drought is uncommon in eastern Nepal, but the current dry spell has lasted for more than a year. Now, after meager monsoon rains and a poor harvest, many farmers are migrating to India. Reuters Africa

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By The Numbers

$3.8 million Amount that Detroit, Michigan, public schools will spend on a long-term solution to lead and copper contamination in much of the district’s drinking water. By summer 2019, the district plans to install 818 hydration stations and filters. MLive

In context: Detroit Schools Shut Off Drinking Water After Finding Elevated Levels of Lead, Copper.

155 miles per hour Maximum recorded wind speeds of Hurricane Michael, which made landfall as a Category 4 storm in the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday. The hurricane was one of the strongest storms ever to hit the continental U.S., and the most powerful to make landfall in the Panhandle in 167 years of record-keeping. Coastal cities are in shambles and hundreds of thousands of households are without power. The New York Times

Science, Studies, And Reports

There is a 70 percent chance of El Niño weather conditions in Australia this year, which could potentially lead to more heat, bushfires, and drought, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. The parched country recently endured its driest September on record. The Guardian

On The Radar

Turkey has agreed to release more water from the Ilisu dam in order to ease shortages in downstream Iraq. Turkey has been filling a reservoir behind the dam since July, a move that has caused increased water scarcity in Iraq. Reuters

Spotlight: India

Follow The Stream for daily coverage on India’s water crisis.

Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, India, announced that 20,000 of the state’s villages are running out of water. Maharashtra has received less than 75 percent of normal rainfall in recent months. The government will decide by October 31 whether to declare a drought. NDTV

Kayla Ritter

Kayla Ritter is a recent graduate of Michigan State University, where she studied International Relations and Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. She is currently based in Manton, Michigan. Kayla enjoys running, writing, and traveling. Contact Kayla Ritter