Wildfire Destroys Dozens of Buildings, Forces Mass Evacuations in Washington

Red Flag Warnings in effect across much of Washington State, as wildfire forces 1,000 people to flee

A fast-moving wildfire fueled by high temperatures and strong winds has destroyed dozens of building, including homes, in Wenatchee in central Washington, about 200km east of Seattle.

The so-called Sleepy Hollow fire ignited in grass just outside Wenatchee on Sunday afternoon forcing residents of about 450 homes to flee.

The blaze had consumed more than 3,000 acres, as of posting.

State of Emergency

Gov. Inslee declared a statewide drought emergency for Washington in May due to the snowpack being at historic lows, dwindling rivers and irrigation districts being forced to cut off water to farmers.

Statement from Gov. Inslee about the Sleepy Hollow fire in Wenatchee

“Yet again, our state is experiencing a catastrophic wildfire that has displaced families and shut down businesses …”

Read statement here!

Heightened Seismicity near L’Esperance Rock, Kermadec Trench

10th Significant quake strikes near L’Esperance Rock, Kermadec Trench

At least 10 significant quakes, measuring between 4.7Mw and 6.0Mw, have struck the Kermadec Trench, near L’Esperance Rock, since May 24 (UTC).

EQ Details [USGS/EHP]

• 5.2 120km SE of L’Esperance Rock (32.216°S, 178.019°W) 2015-06-28 12:53:49 UTC 10.0 km
• 4.7 123km E of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-27 23:29:33 UTC 10.0 km
• 4.8 113km SE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-26 07:17:43 UTC 10.0 km
• 4.8 115km SE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-26 02:51:56 UTC 10.0 km
• 5.0 119km SE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-25 22:57:15 UTC 10.0 km
• 5.0 141km SE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-25 19:18:05 UTC 10.0 km
• 5.1 118km SE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-25 19:14:06 UTC 10.0 km
• 6.0 101km SE of L’Esperance Rock (32.081°S, 178.136°W) 2015-06-25 18:45:57 UTC 10.0 km
• 5.0 East of the North Island of New Zealand 2015-06-24 22:06:28 UTC 10.0 km
• 5.0 138km SSE of L’Esperance Rock, New Zealand 2015-06-24 09:00:44 UTC 30.2 km

Major Disaster Declared for Arkansas

Arkansas Declared Federal Disaster Area

Arkansas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4226)

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Nebraska in the areas affected affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of May 7 to June 15, 2015.

Areas worst affected by the extreme weather events—severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding—include Crawford, Garland, Howard, Jefferson, Little River, Miller, Perry, Sebastian, and Sevier counties.

Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the territory and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

This is the 22nd Major Disaster Declaration proclaimed for a U.S. state/territory, so far this year. Additionally the federal government has issued three Fire Management Assistance Declarations.

Related Links

• Major Disaster Declared for Nebraska June 26, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for West Virginia – (4th major disaster in 2 months) May 22, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index