Natural Hazard

High winds and unusually dry conditions are fueling the Los Angeles infernos

Thu, 2025-01-09 13:18 — mike kraft

California wildfire season should be over. So why is L.A. burning?

Unusually dry conditions and hurricane-force seasonal winds are fueling multiple fast-moving and destructive wildfires in Los Angeles County. Gusts that reached over 145 kilometers per hour (90 miles per hour) quickly drove the blazes into urban areas, forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate from their homes and killing at least 5 people as of JAn. 8. ...

One of the big reasons the Los Angeles–area fires are growing so out of control is that Santa Ana winds are blowing across the region. These winds typically occur in the fall and winter, and they involve dry wind blowing from inland, high desert areas toward the California coast. Along the way, the wind blows over mountain ranges. As the wind descends the mountains, it becomes compressed due to the increased atmospheric pressure and warms. That in turn lowers the relative humidity of the already dry desert air, making it better at desiccating vegetation that can fuel fires.

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Canada's forest fires undermine its efforts to fight climate change and be a major oil nation

Fri, 2023-11-10 18:03 — mike kraft

Canada says it can fight climate change and be major oil nation. Massive fires may force a reckoning Thousands of wildfires in Canada have incinerated an area larger than Florida since May. Early estimates say the fires have released into the atmosphere more than three times the carbon dioxide that Canada’s entire economy does in a year. AP News

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Hawaii wildfires: How the Maui fire started and what we know about the Lahaina blaze

Fri, 2023-08-11 10:58 — mike kraft

Hawaii wildfires: How did the Maui fire start and what we know about the Lahaina blaze? Wildfires on Hawaii's Maui island and Big Island have killed at least 55 people, forced thousands of residents and tourists to evacuate, and devastated the historic resort city of Lahaina. Here are some key questions and answers about the disaster. Jonathan Oatis Reuters

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COLUMN: Rethinking Disaster Readiness Before a Potentially Active Summer

Sun, 2021-05-23 14:16 — mike kraft

COLUMN: Rethinking Disaster Readiness Before a Potentially Active Summer - Homeland Security Today As we have seen with the ongoing COVID-19 response, the private sector truly controls a community’s destiny. Homeland Security Today

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WEATHER ADVISORY -URGENT

Tue, 2013-11-26 16:45 — debbiefook

Tue Nov 26 15:57:54 2013
STATUS: Open - Active
PROGNOSIS: Monitoring
Weather-Nor-Easter
Citywide

(OEM WEATHER DISTRIBUTION LIST)

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEW YORK NY
345 PM EST TUE NOV 26 2013

...STRONG WINDS EXPECTED FROM LATE TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MAINLY
IN AND NEAR NEW YORK CITY AND COASTAL SECTIONS OF SOUTHEAST NEW
YORK AND CONNECTICUT...

NORTHERN MIDDLESEX-SOUTHERN FAIRFIELD-SOUTHERN NEW HAVEN-HUDSON-
SOUTHERN WESTCHESTER-NEW YORK (MANHATTAN)-BRONX-
RICHMOND (STATEN ISLAND)-KINGS (BROOKLYN)-NORTHERN QUEENS-
SOUTHERN QUEENS-
345 PM EST TUE NOV 26 2013

...WIND ADVISORY NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO 9 AM EST
WEDNESDAY...

* LOCATIONS...NEW YORK CITY...HUDSON COUNTY...SOUTHERN
WESTCHESTER COUNTY... COASTAL SOUTHEASTERN CONNECTICUT...AND
NORTHERN MIDDLESEX COUNTY.

* HAZARDS...STRONG WINDS.

* WINDS...SOUTHEAST 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH.

* TIMING...STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FROM LATE TONIGHT INTO EARLY
WEDNESDAY MORNING.

* IMPACTS...POTENTIAL FOR DOWNED TREE LIMBS AND POWER LINES...AND
POSSIBLY A FEW TREES...CAUSING PROPERTY DAMAGE AND POWER
OUTAGES.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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Jamaica Bay Greenway Coalition Meeting -- Saturday Nov. 2, 10:30 am at Ryan Visitor Center Floyd Bennett Field

Sat, 2013-11-02 09:32 — debbiefook

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello Canarsie,

I hope you are all well. I am happy to invite you to the next Jamaica Bay Greenway Coalition meeting, which will be held on November 2, 10:30 am at the Ryan Visitor's Center. This will be a very special coalition meeting because as Alice Friedman (from NYCDOT Greenways Department) will join us to introduce DOT's Jamaica Bay Greenway Implementation project and planning process. This is an amazing first step to begin to address some of the greenway issues that have been discussed in previous meetings and workshops. Also, during this meeting we wanted to focus sometime to defining our role(s) in this process as well as how we all mutually benefit from coming together.

As was discussed in the last meeting, we ask that you think about the following and come prepared to discuss:

o Your interests & goals for being part of this project & Coalition

o How you feel the Coalition can help your goals

o What you can do to contribute to the Coalition

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Wednesday, 11/6, join the climate change and vulnerable populations discussion at the Brooklyn Historical Society,

Fri, 2013-11-01 14:25 — debbiefook

Brooklyn Long Term Recovery Group

FREE This Wednesday, 11/6, join the climate change and vulnerable populations discussion at the Brooklyn Historical Society, 6PM-7:30PM. The focus will be on Red Hook, Sunset Park and Williamsburg.

http://www.marfadialogues.org/participants/center-for-social-inclusion/

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Welcome to Flood Zone NYC

Fri, 2013-10-18 11:25 — debbiefook

follow this link to flood zone maps
http://www.floodzonenyc.com/

Flood Zone NYC was born out of a frustration with the official NYC hurricane evacuation zone tool by Dr. Hanley. The official tool takes too many steps to find the most important information and difficult to know what to do with information if you are in a flood zone.

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Canarsie Community <Light our Way to Recovery> October 29, 2013, Canarsie Park 6:30pm

Thu, 2013-10-17 14:09 — debbiefook

Light Our Way To Recovery is a candlelight commemorative gathering of the constituents of the Canarsie community, one of the many disaster impacted communities on the Eastern USA coastline. This event is given in remembrance of those persons who lost their lives as a result of Hurricane Sandy; to honor the people who volunteered and who continue to help; to highlight the need for support for Canarsie disaster victims who continue to struggle to rebuild, recover and survive the emotional maelstrom caused by the life changing events of October 29th 2012.

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