Tropical Storm Nicholas to Drench Texas and Louisiana
Extreme Weather and Climate Updates
Sept. 13, 2021, 3:03 p.m. ET
Sept. 13, 2021, 3:03 p.m. ET
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Weather-weary Texans braced for another storm on Monday, setting up barricades and shutting down schools as Nicholas, a tropical storm that could soon approach hurricane strength, traveled along the state’s Gulf Coast.
As of Monday afternoon, the center of the storm was just offshore, moving north over the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters said it was expected to land on the coast of central Texas by Monday evening.
Nicholas was expected to bring more than a foot of rain to parts of coastal Texas, the National Hurricane Center said. Warnings of a dangerous storm surge extended east to Louisiana, where people are still recovering after Hurricane Ida battered the southern reaches of the state two weeks ago.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the coast of Texas, from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Sabine Pass, Texas, about 90 miles east of Houston, the hurricane center said. A hurricane watch is also in effect for the coast of Texas from the San Luis Pass, which is near Galveston, to Port Aransas, just east of Corpus Christi, the center said.
As officials warned that the rain could worsen later in the day, Texans near the Gulf Coast braced for flooding.
“This is a storm still with some unpredictability,” Sylvester Turner, the mayor of Houston, said in a news conference on Monday. “But we know this is going to be primarily a rain event.”
He encouraged people to stay off the roads starting on Monday evening, adding that barricades had already been erected in dozens of locations throughout the city.
Schools in the Houston Independent School District, the largest public school system in Texas, have canceled classes for Tuesday. And the Port of Houston announced that it would halt operations at its container terminals on Monday afternoon and keep them closed at least through Tuesday morning.
High-water vehicles were stationed across Galveston County on Monday to prepare for possible flooding, said Zach Davidson, the spokesman for the office of emergency management there.
Rain was sporadic as of Monday afternoon, he said. Residents should find safe places to stay by 7 p.m. and should remain cautious through the evening — even if the streets look manageable in their own neighborhoods, he added.
“It may be all right where you are, but if you get on the road to go somewhere else and those roads get flooded, it becomes a very dangerous situation,” Mr. Davidson said.
The hurricane center warned on Monday afternoon that the “combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline.” It also warned of possible life-threatening flooding along the upper Gulf Coast, near the cities of Freeport and Lake Jackson.
The forecast evoked memories of 2017, when Harvey, the wettest tropical cyclone on record in the United States, brought more than 60 inches of rain in eastern Texas, triggering deadly flooding and causing catastrophic damage.
Nicholas formed on Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico, the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. It could produce rainfall totals of eight to 16 inches, with isolated amounts of up to 20 inches, across portions of coastal Texas lasting through the middle of the week, the hurricane center said.
In southwest Louisiana and parts of eastern Texas, the storm could produce rainfall totals of five to 10 inches, which could cause “considerable flash and urban flooding,” the hurricane center said.
Nicholas is expected to strengthen over the Gulf, and it could be near hurricane strength by the time it reaches the northwestern part of the Gulf Coast on Monday night or early Tuesday morning, the center said.
At 1 p.m. Central time on Monday, the storm was moving northward at about 12 miles per hour, with maximum sustained winds near 60 m.p.h.
How to Decode Hurricane Season Terms
How to Decode Hurricane Season Terms
Karen Zraick and Christina CaronReporting on the weather 🌬️
What is “landfall”? And what are you truly facing when you’re in the eye of the storm?
During hurricane season, news coverage and forecasts can include a host of confusing terms. Let’s take a look at what they mean →
It has been a dizzying couple of months for meteorologists as the arrival of peak hurricane season — August through November — led to a run of named storms that formed in quick succession, bringing stormy weather, flooding and damaging winds to parts of the United States and the Caribbean.
Tropical Storm Mindy hit the Florida Panhandle on Sept. 8, just hours after it formed in the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Larry, which formed on Sept. 1, strengthened to a Category 3 storm two days later and then weakened. It struck Canada as a Category 1 hurricane and caused widespread power outages in Newfoundland.
Ida battered Louisiana as a Category 4 hurricane on Aug. 29 before its remnants brought deadly flooding to the New York area. Two other tropical storms, Julian and Kate, both fizzled out within a day at the same time.
Not long before them, in mid-August, Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in the Florida Panhandle and Hurricane Grace hit Haiti and Mexico. Tropical Storm Henri knocked out power and brought record rainfall to the Northeastern United States on Aug. 22.
The links between hurricanes and climate change are becoming more apparent. A warming planet can expect to see stronger hurricanes over time, and a higher incidence of the most powerful storms. But the overall number of storms could drop, because factors like stronger wind shear could keep weaker storms from forming.
Hurricanes are also becoming wetter because of more water vapor in the warmer atmosphere; scientists have suggested storms like Hurricane Harvey in 2017 produced far more rain than it would have without the human effects on climate. Also, rising sea levels are contributing to higher storm surge — the most destructive element of tropical cyclones.
A major United Nations climate report released in August warned that nations had delayed curbing their fossil-fuel emissions for so long that they could no longer stop global warming from intensifying over the next 30 years, leading to more frequent life-threatening heat waves and severe droughts. Tropical cyclones have likely become more intense over the past 40 years, the report said, a shift that cannot be explained by natural variability alone.
Ana became the first named storm of the season on May 23, making this the seventh year in a row that a named storm developed in the Atlantic Ocean before the official start of the season on June 1.
In May, scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast that there would be 13 to 20 named storms this year, six to 10 of which would be hurricanes, and three to five major hurricanes of Category 3 or higher in the Atlantic. In early August, in a midseason update to the forecast, they continued to warn that this year’s hurricane season would be an above-average one, suggesting a busy end to the season.
NOAA updated its forecast in early August, predicting 15 to 21 named storms, including seven to 10 hurricanes, by the end of the season on Nov. 30.
Last year, there were 30 named storms, including six major hurricanes, forcing meteorologists to exhaust the alphabet for the second time and move to using Greek letters.
It was the highest number of storms on record, surpassing the 28 from 2005, and included the second-highest number of hurricanes on record.
Jacey Fortin, Christopher Mele and Daniel Victor contributed reporting.
— The New York Times
NEW ORLEANS — Even as blue tarps cover damaged roofs across Louisiana and more than 100,000 people remain without power, a new tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to bring more wind and rain, most likely slowing the state’s recovery from Hurricane Ida and threatening residents who are already vulnerable.
Louisianans are dreading the arrival of Tropical Storm Nicholas, which is expected to hit Texas on Monday morning and then push northeast along the Louisiana coast on Monday night, just over two weeks after Hurricane Ida tore through the state. Forecasters say that more than a foot of rain could drench some areas.
“The neighbors and all of us, we’re feeling pretty anxious watching this other depression out there,” said Valerie Williams, as she nervously watched the cloudy skies on Sunday afternoon from her home in Luling, about 30 minutes west of New Orleans. Her husband and son installed a tarp on her roof after Hurricane Ida’s winds damaged it. “We don’t need another one — we really don’t,” she said.
Ida left New Orleans without power for more than 50 hours. Power has been restored in all but a sliver of the city, but roughly 118,000 electric customers outside New Orleans are still in the dark.
Entergy, the largest electric company in the state, has said the new storm has the potential to delay how quickly those residents get power back. New Orleans and Southeast Louisiana, which was hit hardest by Ida, could receive up to four inches of rain, while the southwestern part of the state could see up to 10 inches.
In Texas, the damage is likely to be worse. Forecasters are warning of the potential for major flooding in cities from Brownsville, Texas, to Lake Charles, La., a city of 85,000 people.
Gov. John Bel Edwards of Louisiana declared a state of emergency on Sunday night. “All Louisianans should pay close attention to this tropical system,” he said. Officials in Calcasieu Parish, which borders Texas and includes Lake Charles, established several sandbag-filling sites so that people could fortify their homes.
Mr. Edwards warned that the new storm would quite likely cause the worst damage in the southwestern portion of the state, where many residents are still recovering from Hurricane Laura in August 2020 and flooding this past May, when streets appeared like rivers and cars were almost entirely submerged. But Mr. Edwards said residents in other southern parts of the state were also in danger, including those who had sustained damage from Ida.
In Southwest Louisiana, many homes are still covered in blue tarps after Hurricane Laura wreaked havoc there. Overall, more than 52,000 state residents have requested free installation of durable tarps through Blue Roof, a program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The installations are performed or overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The program is just ramping up, but Col. Zachary L. Miller of the corps’s Ida recovery mission said he had hoped to attach all temporary roofs within 60 days.
Now, he said, Nicholas may delay workers’ efforts. “We understand the sense of urgency homeowners feel,” he said. “And we also understand more rain can mean more damage.”
When the remnants of Hurricane Ida pummeled the East Coast earlier this month, bringing heavy rains in a short period of time, dozens of people died as rushing water deluged basement apartments and overtook cars. Flash floods can develop quickly, within hours or even minutes; and they often catch people off guard, killing an average of 88 people in the United States each year.
“Flash floods occur when there’s just too much water coming in too fast,” said Bonnie Schneider, a meteorologist and author of “Extreme Weather.” And climate change is compounding the risks: Warmer air holds more moisture, Ms. Schneider said, which can lead to heavier, more intense rainfall.
Though flash floods are scary, experts say you can increase your odds of survival by staying informed and having a plan. Here’s what to do in advance — and in the moment — to get through a flash flood safely.
Before a storm
Make a plan. Long before rain is on the radar, the first step is to come up with a plan for how your family will communicate, meet and evacuate if there’s a flash flood emergency. How will you escape from your home if needed? Who will be responsible for the kids? Where will you meet if your family becomes separated? The American Red Cross has printable templates to help guide your conversation.
You’ll also want to evaluate the flood risks to your home, work and school, as well as the routes between them. The flood maps developed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency are a good place to start. (If you live in a flood zone, you might also want to consider purchasing flood insurance.)
Prepare a ‘go bag’ now. If you need to leave your home in a hurry, it’s crucial to have an easily accessible emergency kit packed with supplies. Consider adding shelf-stable food; water or a portable filtration system; a change of clothing; a headlamp or flashlight with batteries; a phone charger; face masks; cash and a first-aid kit. If you have pets, don’t forget food, leashes and portable bowls for them, too. Ready.gov also advises creating “password-protected digital copies” of important paperwork, like birth certificates, identification cards, insurance policies, wills, deeds and titles.
If this seems like overkill, it’s not, said Dr. David Markenson, chief medical officer at American Red Cross Training Services. “The human-nature side is obviously not to worry,” he said. And many people think, “‘It’s not going to happen to me.’”
But having a plan can help you make better choices in an emergency, said Sabine Marx, director of research at Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness. As she described it, she wouldn’t want to “have to come up with this decision on the spot when I’m also possibly fearing for my life.”
During a storm
Stay alert. If a storm is in the forecast or underway, pay attention to local weather alerts via your phone, radio or TV. In the case of a power outage, a battery-operated radio can come in handy.
And understand the difference between the various alerts. If there’s a “flash flood watch,” according to the National Weather Service, flooding is not guaranteed, but conditions are favorable enough for it to be possible, so be prepared to change your plans.
A “flash flood warning” means a flash flood is imminent or already occurring, and you should immediately move to higher ground if you’re outside or in a basement apartment.
The most dire alert is a “flash flood emergency,” which indicates that not only is flooding occurring, but it’s posing a severe threat to human life. New York City received its first notification of this type during heavy rainfall caused by Hurricane Ida.
Be prepared to evacuate. If there’s a chance you may have to evacuate, gather essential items that are not already in your “go bag” — driver’s licenses, credit cards, medications and key documents — and seal them in a waterproof pouch. (A plastic freezer bag works just fine.) Make sure your phone is charged and, if you have time, unplug small appliances so they won’t get fried by electrical surges. Move valuables to a higher floor (if you have one).
If you live in a basement apartment, be extra vigilant when it comes to monitoring rainstorms, said Julie Munger, founder of Sierra Rescue International, an organization that has trained swift-water rescuers for 35 years. If you believe you may be in danger, she recommended immediately moving to a higher floor or evacuating to another location. (To find an emergency shelter, text SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362.) FEMA warns against climbing into a closed attic, as you could become trapped by rising floodwaters. If necessary, climb onto the roof.
If you find yourself in the worst-case scenario, with water rushing into your apartment, you need to act fast, Ms. Munger said. “Don’t wait, don’t grab anything, just exit,” because if you can’t get out, she added, your only option is to “hope that the water doesn’t fill up the apartment completely.”
According to Dr. Markenson, it’s essential to follow updates closely, since conditions can change rapidly. If you’re told to evacuate, do it. Check road closures on your state’s department of transportation website before heading out if there’s time, and take an alternate route if you encounter a flooded road.
The biggest issue with flash floods, Dr. Markenson said, is that people don’t always evacuate when they’re told to do so. But by trying to ride it out, he warned, you’ll endanger yourself and rescuers.
Avoid floodwaters when possible. The best thing to do is avoid all floodwaters if you can — or, as the National Weather Service’s grim catchphrase urges: “Turn Around Don’t Drown.” It takes just six inches of fast-moving water to knock you off your feet, so unless you’re ordered to evacuate, staying where you are is usually the safest choice. (Flash floods generally pass quickly.)
The most immediate risk of entering floodwaters is drowning, but you may also expose yourself to various harmful things floating around the water itself, like human, animal and industrial waste; physical objects like cars, lumber and other debris; stray animals like rodents and snakes; and downed power lines.
If you’re caught in your car
Sometimes flash flooding happens when you’re out and about, and you may suddenly find yourself in a life-threatening situation. Nearly half of all flash flood deaths are vehicle-related, which is why you should never ignore barriers or attempt to power through flooded areas. “Don’t drive into a flooded street, period,” Ms. Munger said. “There really is no better advice.”
Not only is it difficult to gauge water depth and road conditions, but just 12 inches of water can float your car and 18 inches can carry off your SUV or pickup truck. “Everybody tends to underestimate the force of the water,” Ms. Munger said. “It takes very little current to wreak havoc.”
That said, if your car does get taken by floodwaters, first, roll down your windows, said Lynn Burttschell, an emergency medical worker, rescue swimmer and founder of Wimberley Rescue Training. If they won’t budge, he recommended breaking the glass with an escape tool (like the one in this Wirecutter guide, which you can store in your glove compartment) or using the metal pole of your headrest as a ram. Opening the windows is important, Mr. Burttschell said, because “if the water continues to rise, then that car fills up and becomes more of a rock instead of a bobber floating downstream.”
Then, unbuckle your seatbelt and grip it as you climb onto the roof and call 911, Mr. Burttschell advised. Do your best to remain with the car until help arrives. Lie down on the roof to keep yourself stable, and don’t tie yourself to the car, in case it rolls.
During his 32-year career, Mr. Burttschell has found that people who stay with their cars survive at much higher rates than those who abandon them, simply because it’s easier for emergency services to spot a vehicle than a person. “I really don’t ever recommend leaving the vehicle,” he said. To make yourself more noticeable, you can also turn on your hazard lights, activate your car’s alarm with your key fob and, if possible, honk the horn.
If you’re walking, hiking or camping
If you happen to get caught in a flash flood while on foot, run perpendicular to the water and “get to the highest point possible,” Ms. Munger said — whether that means heading into the nearest building and racing up the stairs, climbing a tree or clambering onto a truck. The bigger and heavier the object, the better, she said, since it will be less likely to float away.
If you do get swept away, don’t attempt to stand up, as you risk trapping your foot in a drain, fence or other object. Instead, Ms. Munger advised swimming perpendicular to the current, as you would with a riptide, until you get to safety. Since you’ll be fighting against drainages, debris and the current, she warned this is extremely difficult, even for strong swimmers. “People need to realize that most people who lose their footing in a flash flood don’t get out,” she said.
As for camping or hiking, Ms. Munger advised researching the region’s weather patterns and forecast before setting out. If there might be a rainstorm upstream of your destination, she suggested camping above any rivers, rather than beside them. If water starts to rise where you are, head immediately to higher ground.
If you’re on the subway
The subway is “the last place you want to be” during a flash flood, Ms. Munger said. “Because eventually, if the storm drains are overwhelmed, there’s no other place for the water to go.” Your best defense, in other words, is to avoid it altogether.
If you do find yourself underground during a flood, Ms. Munger urged exiting the station as swiftly as possible — even if that means forcing your way up flooded stairs. If you’re on a train that is stuck, don’t leave it until you’re instructed to do so, said Eugene Resnick, a spokesman for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority in New York.
Take flash floods seriously
While some of these steps may sound inconvenient, the reality is that following them could save your life. “You never want to be in a position where you’re looking back, or others are looking back, and saying: ‘Why didn’t you just heed simple advice?’” Dr. Markenson said.
Or, as Ms. Munger put it: “It’s going to be much more of a hassle and much more tragic when you don’t make it home.”
Susan Shain is a freelance journalist and future New York Times fellow based in Madison, Wis.
— Susan Shain
A mandatory evacuation notice blared from Joyce Lindahl’s phone one day in July as the Dixie fire bore down on her home in Northern California. But her biggest concern was an hour away.
Chuck Lindahl, her brother-in-law, is paralyzed from the neck down, and his professional caregivers live in places where residents had already been ordered to evacuate. If his family also had to leave the area, he would be left alone. “Without caregivers, I’m out of luck,” he said.
Plumas County had a plan for Mr. Lindahl in case of fire, but his home wasn’t in the mandatory evacuation zone yet — and officials needed to focus their limited personnel and rescue equipment elsewhere, the county’s Office of Emergency Services said.
So Ms. Lindahl and her family scrambled to figure out how to safely evacuate her brother-in-law and shelter him on their own.
As wildfires burn with greater size and intensity across the American West, forcing thousands of people to evacuate their homes each year, communities in the danger zone are struggling to protect their disabled and older residents.
This is a particular problem in Northern California, where some of the biggest blazes are now burning, including the Dixie fire, the second largest in state history. The region is home to a significant population of people with disabilities — the percentage in the area is roughly twice the state average — many of whom live in largely rural areas that lack the critical infrastructure and resources needed to support them during disasters.
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The Camp fire wiped out the town of Paradise in 2018, killing at least 85 people — the majority of whom were older or disabled, according to Butte County data. The next year, a state audit found that the county, which includes Paradise, had not adequately prepared to protect people with “access and functional needs,” and that the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services had not provided enough guidance to local officials about how to develop emergency plans for them.
Since then, a growing number of California communities have partnered with local disability organizations to develop better plans to alert, evacuate and shelter vulnerable populations. But plenty of weak spots remain, and officials acknowledge that many people could still find themselves in danger.
“We tell people the most important thing is you need to have a plan for yourself,” said Shelby Boston, director of the Butte County Department of Employment and Social Services, which works with people with disabilities. “Even with all of the plans that the county put in place, there is no guarantee that a deputy or law enforcement or fire personnel is going to make it to your door. That’s the reality.”
Because of his condition, Mr. Lindahl needed a special van in order to evacuate — but his had been stolen a few weeks before the fire.
After spending all day on the phone with Plumas County emergency management officials to try to get a new vehicle to evacuate her brother-in-law, Ms. Lindahl said she received an unexpected call: Someone had found the stolen van in San Jose, five hours away, and reported it to the police.
A family friend drove the van to Mr. Lindahl’s home, and his family was able to transport him to a rehabilitation and nursing center in a nearby county.
Shelters are another concern. Some counties in Northern California don’t have assisted-living facilities that could care for someone like Mr. Lindahl. Many of the shelters across the region are older and lack needed features like ramps, backup power sources or accessible bathrooms.
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Evacuees are also staying longer in shelters — another challenge for those with disabilities, who can have complex medical needs that aren’t fully met in a shelter. Data from the American Red Cross shows that from 2014 to 2018, the average length of time that someone evacuating from a large disaster spent in a shelter was about 19 days. But in the past few years, that average has increased to about 30 days. After the Camp fire, shelters were open for 100 days.
Because of this, the Red Cross has focused on making long-term infrastructure investments such as backup solar power, disaster training and backup battery installation for people who rely on electricity for their medical devices in hard-hit places like Northern California, said Brad Kieserman, the vice president for disaster operations and logistics at the organization.
Out of 2,059 community health centers throughout California, an analysis by Direct Relief, a nonprofit humanitarian organization, shows that 61 percent lack a form of backup power. In Butte County, there are no community health centers with backup power, the analysis found.
The challenge of evacuating and caring for people with disabilities is not new. A large number of the more than 1,800 people killed during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 were older and disabled.
In response, Congress passed a law in 2006 requiring the Federal Emergency Management Agency to appoint a disability coordinator and develop guidelines to better serve people with disabilities. However, an accountability report published in 2019 showed that the agency had failed to provide comprehensive disability training to its staff. And the agency’s emergency preparedness report that year made no mention of those with disabilities.
A FEMA spokeswoman, Jaclyn Rothenberg, said that under President Biden, the agency was focused on strengthening its relationships with disability organizations as a way of improving preparedness.
Similarly, California is encouraging state officials to meet regularly with disability organizations, according to Vance Taylor, chief of the Office of Access and Functional Needs at the state’s emergency services agency. Such organizations can offer expertise and assistance during evacuations — including by providing power wheelchairs, motorized lifts, ventilators or other supplies.
As a result of guidance from local disability organizations, Plumas County has set up an emergency transportation service for anyone who has a disability or who otherwise cannot drive, and Butte County now keeps a list of people who may need help in a crisis and sends law enforcement deputies to their homes during evacuations.
Carolyn Nava, an advocate with the nonprofit Disability Action Center, which serves Northern California, said that her organization has been running its own emergency response training. Fires can be unpredictable, she said, with each one having its own “fingerprint,” which makes it extremely difficult for both organizations and individuals to plan and prepare.
“You learn so much with each fire,” she said. “There’s absolutely no way to look at all possible elements.”
For example, one person Ms. Nava’s organization serves needed a backup battery for a medical device because of a power outage from the Dixie fire. The fire had cut off the center’s access route, so the center had to figure out a way to get the person safely to a hotel instead.
“The scope of what we are engaged in in this territory is beyond comprehension and the solutions are not going to be easy,” Ms. Nava said. “The solutions in many cases are still being resolved, still being talked about.”
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Charles Nutt, 46, learned during the Camp fire in 2018 that he was not prepared to evacuate. Mr. Nutt, who has an intellectual disability, rushed to grab his clothes and medications just as towering flames took over his street in Paradise. In the chaos of his escape alongside his stepson, who has autism, and six dogs, he forgot the machine that he needs to help him breathe while he sleeps.
“I was just praying to God that we would get through there,” he said. “We didn’t have a plan to get out.”
Since that fire, Mr. Nutt has attended emergency planning training and has started training other disabled individuals. He now has three go-bags packed at all times, emergency alerts set up on his phone, and a backup battery and generator for his breathing machine.
“I feel stronger that I know what to do in case of a fire,” Mr. Nutt said. “I won’t be scared next time, because I’ll be prepared.”
Dixie. August Complex. Not Creative.
The top three finishers in the Belmont Stakes? No, those are the names of wildfires that have burned across the American West in recent years.
Unlike hurricanes, which are given human names from a list chosen in advance by the World Meteorological Organization, wildfires get their names in a much more intuitive way: Whatever makes it the easiest for firefighters to find a blaze and for nearby residents to consistently track the fire’s path.
Some of those burning right now include the South Yaak fire in Montana (after the Yaak Valley), the Tamarack fire in California (after a town) and the nation’s largest blaze this year, the Dixie fire (after a nearby road).
Usually, fires get their names based on where they originate, fire officials have said. They’re named for winding rural roads, nearby landmarks or mountain peaks.
Although the Dixie fire started some distance from where Dixie Road appears on maps, Rick Carhart, a Butte County spokesman for Cal Fire, California’s state fire agency, said it demonstrates how “remote and inaccessible” the blaze was for firefighters.
“Even though it didn’t start on the side of Dixie Road, it was the closest thing,” he said. Mr. Carhart noted that Dixie Road appears close to Camp Creek Road, after which 2018’s deadly Camp fire was named.
Lynnette Round, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire, said that also means multiple blazes can end up with the same name.
There has been more than one River fire, for instance. And in 2017, during a busy year, the blaze that came to be known as the Lilac fire in San Diego County was actually the fifth one to be given that name.
Ms. Round said the first fire officials on the scene often name a blaze, and the moniker is almost never changed.
“If it changes, you’ll confuse people,” she said. Residents who have fled their homes might not know which fire they should be paying attention to if names shift. And fire officials might get confused about where to send resources.
Sometimes, fires burn together and effectively merge. If that happens, as it did with the Dixie fire and the Fly fire, officials will typically start using the larger fire’s name for both.
Last year, unusual lightning storms sparked many fires across California. “When they all run together, they become a complex fire,” Ms. Round said.
Such was the case with the August Complex, the largest fire on record in California, which burned more than a million acres last year. It ignited in August, heralding the early start of a record-breaking fire season.
Occasionally, there won’t be a significant landmark close to a fire’s ignition point. So officials will get creative. (Or not.)
That’s how, during the summer of 2015, officials named a blaze in southeast Idaho “Not Creative,” according to reports. A spokeswoman for the Idaho Department of Lands told NPR the name was selected after a long day of firefighting.
Some of the largest wildfires in U.S. history are burning across the American West this year, charring vast swaths of forest land and threatening communities. This interactive map built by The New York Times, using government and satellite data, is tracking wildfires as they spread across Western states. Check back regularly for updates.
As large swaths of the West dry out and burn, scientists say climate change is playing an increasing role in the earlier fire seasons, the deadly heat waves and the lack of water.
The record-high temperatures that assaulted the Pacific Northwest in late June and early July, for instance, would have been all but impossible without climate change, according to a team of researchers who studied the deadly heat wave.
Heat, drought and fire are connected, and because human-caused emissions of heat-trapping gases have raised baseline temperatures nearly two degrees Fahrenheit on average since 1900, heat waves, including those in the West, are becoming hotter and more frequent.
“The Southwest is getting hammered by climate change harder than almost any other part of the country, apart from perhaps coastal cities,” Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist at the University of Michigan, recently told The New York Times. “And as bad as it might seem today, this is about as good as it’s going to get if we don’t get global warming under control.”
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/09/13/us/climate-change/
