Important Takeaways:
- Parts of western North Carolina, still reeling from devastating floods driven by Hurricane Helene in September, are now under siege from wildfires.
- Firefighters converged on rural Polk County to battle at least three blazes that have scorched over 5,700 acres, destroyed at least three homes and multiple other buildings, and forced mandatory evacuations. The fire response effort has been hindered by regional impacts from Helene, as debris remains in forests and some roads.
- The two largest blazes in what’s known as the Black Cove Complex fires have burned more than 5,500 acres in Polk County and were 0% contained late Monday, the state Forest Service said. Both have been burning since Wednesday and gained ground Monday despite the efforts of 263 firefighters from North Carolina and eight other states.
- “The Black Cove Fire is moving into Henderson County along Big Hungry Creek Road, where firefighters are attempting to slow the spread of the fire and protect structures,” the Forest Service said in a late-afternoon update Monday.
- Dry conditions that have prevailed in the area for weeks are expected overnight and later in the week, along with windy conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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Important Takeaways:
- Three wildfires in western North Carolina are proving challenging for firefighters to beat because of rough terrain and debris left behind by Hurricane Helene.
- The Black Cove, Deep Woods and Fish Hook fires continue burning in Polk County, an area devastated by Helene almost six months ago.
- The Black Cove Fire, which began last Wednesday, has burned 2,076 acres and had no containment as of Sunday afternoon. Fire officials said it was started by a downed power line.
- Meanwhile, the Deep Woods Fire is the largest at 1,802 acres and also remains 0% contained.
- Officials said evacuation orders are in place for several areas surrounding the Black Cove and Deep Woods fires. The communities under evacuation orders in Polk County are near the Henderson County line.
- Emergency management officials in Henderson County issued a voluntary evacuation notice on Sunday to residents in the Laurel Mountain View Road and Boulder View Road areas because of the fires in neighboring Polk County.
- The Fish Hook Fire has burned 199 acres and is 50% contained. Officials said at least six structures have been lost in the fire.
- An air crew from the National Guard joined efforts to douse the Persimmon Ridge Fire in Greenville, South Carolina, according to the South Carolina National Guard. The fire, which erupted on Sunday morning, had spread to around 100 acres. The cause of the fire has not been reported.
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Important Takeaways:
- Cleanup and recovery operations are underway across the central and eastern U.S. in the wake of a powerful storm system that swept across the nation, producing violent tornadoes, a dust storm, wildfires and blizzard conditions that have left at least 40 people dead.
- The multiday severe weather outbreak began to unfold Friday and lasted through the weekend, pounding communities with thunderstorms that packed hurricane-force wind gusts, torrential rain and lightning that knocked out power to hundreds of thousands of utility customers.
- In total, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) said more than 1,000 storm reports were received during the multiday severe weather outbreak.
- The FOX Forecast Center has confirmed at least 56 tornadoes in 10 states so far, including EF-3 and EF-4 tornadoes, and storm survey teams from the National Weather Service will be out in full force to inspect damage and determine the intensity and path of additional twisters.
- President Donald Trump released a statement on Sunday saying he was monitoring the situation and said his administration stands ready to assist as recovery operations begin.
- Trump said the National Guard has been deployed to Arkansas, and his administration “is ready to assist state and local officials, as they help their communities to try and recover from the damage.”
- He asked people to join him and First Lady Melania Trump in praying for those impacted by the deadly storms.
- One of the deadliest crashes was reported along Interstate 70 near the Kansas-Colorado state line, where a dust storm, which is believed to have dropped visibility to nearly zero, is being eyed as a contributor to the fatal crash. Troopers said at least 71 vehicles were involved in the incident, and at least eight people were killed as a result.
- To the south, in Texas and Oklahoma, a similar situation unfolded.
- Four people were killed and multiple people were injured in crashes across Oklahoma and Texas as a powerful dust storm fueled by 60-85 mph wind gusts dropped visibility to nearly zero along highways and interstates on Friday afternoon.
- While many parts of the U.S. were preparing for severe weather, to the north, winter weather was a concern.
- Residents across the northern Plains and parts of the Midwest faced the powerful winter storm that unleashed strong winds, blowing snow and plummeting temperatures, creating near-blizzard conditions and hazardous travel.
- The FOX Forecast Center said wind gusts up to 50-60 mph were expected from the Rockies and High Plains to the western Great Lakes.
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Important Takeaways:
- Incoming heavy rain from an atmospheric river-fueled storm that slammed into the West Coast early Wednesday is threatening mudslides and debris flows in Southern California and has already prompted evacuations in the Los Angeles area.
- But that’s not all this storm is capable of — its reach and impacts will only get more extreme as the week continues.
- The cross-country storm will strengthen into an unusually intense March powerhouse by the end of the week and will put millions at risk of wildfires, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, powerful wind gusts and blizzard conditions.
- A level 2 of 4 risk of flooding rainfall is in place from Santa Barbara to Los Angeles, including areas scorched by the Palisades and Eaton fires, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The storm’s relatively quick pace could help limit widespread flooding in California, but recently burned areas remain at a higher risk for flooding and debris flows.
- Evacuation warnings were issued for other parts of Los Angeles County Tuesday due to the risk of debris flows from the Palisades, Eaton, Franklin and Kenneth burn scars, according to the county’s emergency alert service.
- Places in the mountains could see half a foot or more of snow, with a few inches also falling at lower elevations and potentially in some valleys.
- By late afternoon, widespread strong winds will begin from Nevada and Arizona to the Rockies with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph possible – especially in mountainous terrain – as the storm starts to strengthen. These wind gusts, combined with rain and snow, could create hazardous travel conditions.
- More than 800 miles of the central US, from western Texas through Nebraska, are under a level 2 of 3 fire weather risk, according to the Storm Prediction Center. Any spark could turn into a wind-driven blaze in these conditions.
- [By Friday] Strong winds that could disrupt travel and damage power lines will whip across the central US, turning from breezy in the morning to fierce by the day’s end.
- Widespread gusts of 40 to 50 mph are likely by late afternoon, with stronger gusts past 65 mph possible from New Mexico and Texas through Oklahoma and Kansas.
- The thunderstorms will become more ferocious and expand by the late evening to pound potentially more than 900 miles of the Mississippi Valley – from Louisiana to Minnesota – into the overnight hours.
- Saturday: Severe thunderstorms, blizzard conditions hit the eastern US
- The intense cross-country storm will expand into more of the eastern US with severe thunderstorms and blizzard conditions.
- Severe thunderstorms could be ongoing in the early morning, especially in parts of the Ohio Valley.
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Important Takeaways:
- South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster (R) declared a State of Emergency in response to more than 100 wildfires breaking out in the state that had impacted 4,200 acres.
- In a press release, McMaster explained that there were “ongoing response operations to more than 175 wildfires” that had broken out. McMaster noted that due to the “dangerous wildfire conditions,” a statewide ban on burning would “remain in effect until further notice.”
- “This State of Emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,” McMaster said in a statement. “Dangerous wildfire conditions require that a statewide burning ban remain in effect until further notice. Those who violate this ban will be subject to criminal prosecution.”
- The largest brush fire in the state, which “remained uncontained at 1,200 acres” as of Sunday afternoon, was reported to have erupted in “a community west of Myrtle Beach,” USA Today reported. As result, residents in several neighborhoods were forced to leave their homes.
- Residents in the communities of Saluda and Tryon, in North Carolina, were also faced with a fire, which the Saluda Fire & Rescue Department said had reportedly been started “by a downed power line.”
- In a Facebook post from the Polk County Emergency Management/Fire Marshal, it was revealed that the Melrose Fire was “still approximately 400 acres with 0% containment.”
- As South Carolina and North Carolina are facing wildfires, the National Weather Service Columbia South Carolina warned in a Facebook post that “the combination of dry fuels & low humidity continues concerns for dangerous fire behavior today.”
- ABC News reported that a fire that broke out in Horry County, “had scorched more than 300 acres by Sunday morning,” while homes in Georgetown County were affected after a wildfire broke out roughly “35 miles south of Myrtle Beach.”
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Important Takeaways:
- A significant outbreak of severe weather, including the risk of some nocturnal tornadoes will unfold by Tuesday and continue on Wednesday which will put lives and property at risk in the central and eastern U.S.
- As an early March storm strengthens from Monday night to Wednesday night, severe thunderstorms will extend across nearly two dozen states, and associated impacts may affect 170 million people from the southern Plains to the Midwest and East, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
- The main threat from severe weather will be powerful wind gusts that can knock over trees and cut the power in some communities from Texas and Oklahoma to portions of Florida, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. There is also a risk of a dozen or two tornadoes spinning up in the strongest storms, and part of that threat will exist during the nighttime hours in the Central states.
- Wind energy from the storm will first be felt over portions of the southern Rockies and Plains beginning at the end of the weekend. Gusts frequenting 50-70 mph in the mainly clear, dry air, combined with the dry winter brush, will significantly boost the risk of wildfires through Tuesday.
- As a trailing cold front associated with the storm begins to encounter moisture from the Gulf late Monday night, thunderstorms will erupt.
- At this early stage of the severe weather outbreak, the main threat will be from powerful wind gusts during Monday night from central Texas to much of Oklahoma and southern Kansas. However, this will only mark the beginning or ramp-up phase of the severe weather.
- AccuWeather meteorologists believe there is a high risk of severe weather that represents a widespread threat from northeastern Texas to southwestern Tennessee. This area may also be the most prone to tornadoes, with that threat continuing after dark, adding to the danger.
- From Tuesday to Tuesday night, a massive area with few to numerous severe thunderstorms will extend from south Texas to Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and the Florida Panhandle. In addition to the likelihood of high winds and a few tornadoes, some of the storms will produce damaging hail and lightning, as well as flash flooding.
- As the storm lifts northward toward the Upper Midwest, the threat of severe weather will be carried into the Great Lakes region, part of the Atlantic Seaboard and the northeast Gulf coast on Wednesday and Wednesday night. There can even be thunder and lightning with gusty winds as far to the north as the St. Lawrence Valley and eastern New England.
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Important Takeaways:
- After a much quieter weekend, Southern California is experiencing a major shift in the weather pattern. The winds will peak Monday evening and overnight but extend into Tuesday morning.
- Destructive Santa Ana winds, forecast to gust up to 100 mph, are poised to grip the region on Monday, igniting fears of widespread and uncontrollable wildfires, the FOX Forecast Center noted.
- This comes as more than 14,000 structures have been destroyed since Jan. 7 in the Palisades and Eaton fires, leading to the event being labeled as one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history. The Palisades Fire has burned nearly 24,000 acres and is 56% contained. The Eaton Fire has burned over 14,000 acres and is 81% contained.
- “With Santa Ana winds back in the forecast, that is a concern,” FOX Weather Meteorologist Craig Herrera said. “Containment, a reminder, means they’ve surrounded the fire. But with winds returning, some of those embers can jump some of those fire lines, and they’ve got to be careful with this.”
- Between noon on Monday and Tuesday at 10 a.m., the National Weather Service issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” Fire Weather Warning for a large portion of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
- “Take action now to prepare your home and loved ones for another round of EXTREME WIND and FIRE WEATHER,” the agency warned on X
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Important Takeaways:
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) cut $100 million from the state’s fire prevention budget in 2024 before residents in the Los Angeles area were hit by wildfires, Newsweek reported.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) slashed almost $20 million from her city’s budget for fire services for the current fiscal year, Breitbart News reported on Wednesday.
- Newsweek’s article, published on Friday, continued:
- The 2024-25 California state budget, which Governor Gavin Newsom signed into law in June 2024, slashed funding for wildfire and forest resilience by $101 million as part of a series of cutbacks according to an analysis by the state’s Legislative Analyst’s Office.
- However overall, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE)’s wildfire protection budget has increased sharply from $1.1 billion in 2014 to $3 billion in 2023, much of which took place after Newsom became governor in 2019.
- Speaking to Newsweek, a spokesperson for Newsom said that under the governor’s “leadership” the CAL FIRE budget had doubled from $2 billion in 2018-19 to $3.8 billion in 2024-25, whilst the department’s personnel went from 5,829 to 10,741 over the same period.
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Important Takeaways:
- The New Jersey Forest Fire Service says exactly 2,283 acres burned in New Jersey and 5,000 acres scorched across state lines into New York.
- The weather is playing a major role in the fight to contain the wildfire. The Forest Fire Service says they grounded helicopters dumping water because of the wind. The rocky, hilly and forested terrain are adding to the difficulty. But this cold weather they say, actually helps.
- “As the temperatures drop humidity will come up a little bit more thus allowing the fuels to absorb a little bit the ambient moisture in the air thus allowing them to moisten a little bit and slow down fire progression,” said Christopher Franek from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
- This is still a coordinated effort. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says this is the largest wildfire to affect New York state since 2008. She’s deployed the National Guard to help.
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Important Takeaways:
- Firefighters in California gained a foothold in the battle against a wildfire north of Los Angeles while weather officials on Tuesday issued red flag warnings across the Northeast where blazes turned deadly over the weekend.
- The Mountain Fire in California’s Ventura County burned 20,630 acres of land as of Tuesday, an amount it has held near for several days after 80 mph winds fueled its explosive growth last week. As winds slowed, firefighters managed to bring the containment level to 42%, allowing officials to downgrade several evacuation orders. The fire has torched nearly 200 homes and businesses, injured six people and threatened thousands of structures.
- In the Northeast, weather officials issued red flag warnings from New Jersey to Massachusetts after a bout of modest weekend rainfall failed to douse the region’s wildfire threat.
- The rain helped firefighters gain some control over the Jennings Creek wildfire along the New Jersey-New York border, which has engulfed 3,500 acres and was 20% contained by Monday night. In anticipation of Tuesday’s winds and dry conditions, fire officials fortified control lines along the blaze’s east side.
- Some 82 brush fires were being monitored across Connecticut…
- Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont declared a Stage 2 drought advisory for all eight counties in Connecticut over the weekend, citing “far below normal precipitation levels and ongoing fire danger levels statewide,” according to a statement from his office.
- In Massachusetts, officials said firefighters were battling dozens of wildfires throughout the state. In October, the state’s Department of Fire Service recorded 200 wildland fires, a 1,200% increase from the month’s average total of 15 fires.
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