Could this Hawaii community be the next Lahaina? Some residents fear a similar wildfire fate
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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Tourists, residents evacuated from Grand Canyon due to wildfires
Fast-spreading wildfires have forced the evacuation of part of the Grand Canyon, with the US National Park Service ordering visitors and residents away from its northern rim. "Due to the advancing Dragon Bravo Fire within Grand Canyon National Park, all North Rim residents are now in 'GO' status and should evacuate the North Rim immediately," the National Park Service said in an X post on Friday afternoon. The Dragon Bravo Fire, which was sparked by lightning and has been burning since July 4, was 150 acres (61 hectares) in size Friday evening and zero percent contained, a US government incident report said. Park Service staff had already cleared the North Rim, which is less popular with tourists than the South Rim, of some 500 visitors late Thursday. Day-use access to the area was also closed due to a larger blaze called the White Sage Fire, which was burning outside the Grand Canyon National Park. However, it was approaching Jacob Lake, Arizona, a small settlement known as the gateway to the North Rim. About 10,973 acres (4,441 hectares) have been scorched by the White Sage Fire which is zero-percent contained, according to authorities, who released images of large columns of smoke rising above the scrubby desert. Jon Paxton, press officer for the Coconino County sheriff's office, told AFP that a hotel and some businesses had been emptied. "Most of the folks we evacuated were campers," he said. "This area is high desert and mostly open forest for camping." - Started by lightning - The White Sage Fire was also started by lightning, during a thunderstorm on July 9. "Crews encountered very extreme fire behavior due to the dry conditions (and) gusty and erratic winds inhibiting the ability for fire fighters to safely engage the fire," the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) said. One of the greatest wonders of the natural world, the Grand Canyon is the result of the Colorado River eating away at layers of red sandstone and other rock for millions of years, leaving a gash up to 18 miles (30 km) wide and more than a mile (1.6 km) deep. Park Service advised against any hiking into the canyon, due to extreme heat and wildfire smoke. A 67-year-old man died on Tuesday while attempting to reach the river in hot conditions. Last year almost five million people visited the world-famous site. Another popular site, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park in Colorado, was also closed Friday because of a wildfire. rfo-bgs-ksb/aks
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
CWG Live updates: Standard July with heat and storm chances this weekend
Welcome to updated around-the-clock by Capital Weather Gang meteorologists. Happening now: If you like July weather, this one's for you. Highs around 90, plenty of humidity and a couple late-day storms. What's next? A better chance of showers and storms Sunday may keep everyone below 90. We are near and above that mark into next week. Today's daily digit — 6/10: Probably a touch less comfortable than yesterday, which means heat indexes in the mid- to upper 90s in the afternoon. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Saturday): Mostly to partly sunny with some of those bubbly afternoon clouds. A couple of storms could form in the late-day heat, especially west of the city. Highs reach the upper 80s to lower 90s in most spots. Winds are light out of the southeast. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: Any storms die off with sunset. Muggy and warm through the evening, with lows settling in the 70 to 75 range. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow (Sunday): Similar to today, but probably a bit cloudier. Sun gives way to a higher afternoon storm chance. Any storms could produce heavy rain and isolated damaging wind gusts. Temperatures should reach the mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Showers and thunderstorms are possible through late evening, ending by the early overnight. Maybe some patchy fog with lows again largely 70 to 75. Confidence: Medium-High A look ahead Showers and storms are a good bet Monday. With a front closer to the region, activity might be more widespread than prior days. With the high humidity in place, downpours are again a threat. Highs should mainly end up in the mid-80s. Confidence: Medium Sunnier again Tuesday with lower odds of storms. This summer, you can never bet against a storm or two, though. Highs mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium Near and above 90 should be the rule Wednesday through Friday. Nothing extreme, but pretty standard midsummer. Confidence: Medium Today's daily digit — 6/10: Probably a touch less comfortable than yesterday, which means heat indexes in the mid- to upper 90s in the afternoon. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Saturday): Mostly to partly sunny with some of those bubbly afternoon clouds. A couple of storms could form in the late-day heat, especially west of the city. Highs reach the upper 80s to lower 90s in most spots. Winds are light out of the southeast. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: Any storms die off with sunset. Muggy and warm through the evening, with lows settling in the 70 to 75 range. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow (Sunday): Similar to today, but probably a bit cloudier. Sun gives way to a higher afternoon storm chance. Any storms could produce heavy rain and isolated damaging wind gusts. Temperatures should reach the mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium-High Tomorrow night: Showers and thunderstorms are possible through late evening, ending by the early overnight. Maybe some patchy fog with lows again largely 70 to 75. Confidence: Medium-High A look ahead Showers and storms are a good bet Monday. With a front closer to the region, activity might be more widespread than prior days. With the high humidity in place, downpours are again a threat. Highs should mainly end up in the mid-80s. Confidence: Medium Sunnier again Tuesday with lower odds of storms. This summer, you can never bet against a storm or two, though. Highs mid-80s to around 90. Confidence: Medium Near and above 90 should be the rule Wednesday through Friday. Nothing extreme, but pretty standard midsummer. Confidence: Medium
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Around the World, Flash Flood Disasters Are the ‘Hardest Kind to Prevent'
Officials in Texas are under scrutiny for a string of refusals to fund early warning systems for flash floods in an area where sudden, intense rainfall is frequent. Those measures could have included river gauges and warning sirens that could have alerted people that their lives were in imminent danger. The floods that raged down the Guadalupe River eight days ago killed at least 121 people, including at least 36 children. But global experts in early warning systems said that there are few examples of places around the world that have mastered the choreography of forecasting and communication needed to prevent loss of life in extreme rain events. And in many cases, like in Texas this month, accurate forecasting alone is not enough to prevent calamity. 'Flash floods are the hardest kind of disaster to prevent,' said Erin Coughlan de Perez, who studies disaster risk management at Tufts University. She said that both rich and poor countries have grappled with funding for systems that ultimately either fail or create enough false alarms to erode public confidence. For instance, in Valencia, Spain, a lack of sufficient warnings contributed to a catastrophe where more than 200 people died in flash floods last year. An alert system was in place, but was not activated until it was already too late. 'When the alert came, my grandpa had already drowned,' one resident told The Times. 'There's a major 'cry wolf' issue because flash floods are so hard to predict,' Dr. Coughlan de Perez said. 'And they are pretty infrequent in most places, so it's hard to motivate investment. But of course, with climate change, they are also getting stronger and more common.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
