Sierra Club is reporting that July was the hottest month ever recorded in the U.S., according to Yale Climate Connections. The New York Times is reporting that the West and Puerto Rico are facing a disastrous drought, with Lake Mead and Lake Powell — the nation's two largest reservoirs — drying up to record lows.
Sierra magazine is reporting that a federal review panel recommended slashing staff at the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA. It said these cuts would raise the damage threshold required to trigger federal aid and push disaster response onto states, many of which lack the budget or staff to handle it alone. The Sierra Club said the Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, which studies and forecasts severe weather, and the National Weather Service, or NWS, which relays essential information to forecasters, emergency managers and the public.
The Associated Press is reporting that approximately 7 in 10 Americans believe the federal government should play a major role in tracking and warning people about extreme weather.