Climate Change

Fire crews have been working for the last two days trying to contain several wind-driven wildfires that have burned thousands of acres and threatened dozens of structures across Eastern Washington.

These wildfire smoke episodes are disasters as serious as hurricanes, floods or heat waves, and come with a steep human toll. Whether in the East or in the West, they are just one tragic example of how climate change is coming.

The ALERTCalifornia network has the capability to funnel data to researchers studying the multiple environmental causes of wildfires, while also granting the public and first responders real-time visual access to detect threats.

As a strategic partner for Louisiana State University's Institute for Energy Innovation, ExxonMobile will collaborate on research into carbon capture, advanced recycling, batteries and solar power.

"When that smoke does mix down back closer to the surface, like we’re seeing today, the pollutants and particulate matter in the smoke coming down close to the surface will degrade the air quality."

The fires burn so hot and so thoroughly that they’ve altered the nature of New Mexico's forests, burning stands of trees and creating more of a forest of shrub fields and grasslands and leading to more fuel for fires.

Other states involved include: Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Kentucky, North Dakota, South Carolina, Montana and Idaho. More than a dozen Louisiana parishes and flood control districts are also listed as plaintiffs.

The return of what used to be the largest lake west of the Mississippi has captured our attention as one of the most dramatic climatic events of 2023. Yet the flooded crops and tenuous levees at Tulare Lake represent only a fraction of the statewide and nationwide landscape.

For those living in hotter areas of the city and where there are fewer shade trees and for those with little money to pay for air conditioning, the condition will only worsen with climate change.

"The current disaster recovery system is as useful as a screen door during a hurricane. Our bipartisan legislation changes the status quo and empowers states to tailor response to the communities based on the disaster at hand."

Just as homeowners are realizing the increased risks of going without flood coverage, FEMA has released data showing that coverage costs are exploding for properties in coastal areas most vulnerable to flooding.

The Casa Romantica landslide is the latest in a season of crumbling cliffs in California following a winter of remarkably wet and powerful storms. More than 700 landslides were reported statewide in January alone, according to the California Geological Survey.

Once the state confirms the numbers, it will go through a process, including submitting the report to Gov. Janet Mills to see whether the state applies for a federal disaster declaration.

At the 42nd National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Weekend, U.S. Fire Administrator Lori Moore-Merrell spoke alongside Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas about the increasing risk of fire on homeland security.

In case either medical center does flood, a plan has been put in place for other local hospitals to take in patients who might have to be evacuated, said the county's director of emergency services.

Tsunami preparedness in Washington has grown in recent years, and for good reason. Washington state has more than 3,000 miles of coastline that is home to 58 coastal communities and sees millions of visitors annually.

Washington's Department of Natural Resources will deploy 21 “stations” to monitor for smoke and heat in a two-year pilot. Each station has two cameras that continuously rotate 360 degrees.

The Marin County Fire Department and the College of Marin will collaborate initially on designing the project, which uses a renovated building, as well as a new facility for housing firefighters and equipment.