EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME CLIMATE HAZARDS
DROUGHT
RECORD HEAT
DEADLY WILDFIRE
MASS EVACUATION
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 101
.
1 Dead, 2 dozen homes destroyed, 1,000 evacuated
A ferocious wildfire has killed at least one person, destroying 2 dozen homes on 4,000 acres, and affecting more than 6,000 people. Authorities issued mandatory evacuations for at least 1,000 residents in the burn area, in Logan County, just north of Oklahoma City.
Central Oklahoma, including the area consumed by the deadly wildfire, has experienced its second-driest 6-months on record, with just 5 inches of precipitation (rain and melted snow), which is about 28 percent of the average for the region.
Critical Fire Weather Conditions Continue across SW U.S.
Red Flag Warnings
Red Flag Warnings remain in effect across Southwest, Great Plains, as another day of dangerous fire weather conditions continues across the U.S. Southwest and Great Plains, according to NWS forecast.
Drought, Record Heat
Drought, record heat, “long duration single-digit humidity,” and strong, gusty winds of over 50mph have combined to create extensive critical fire-weather conditions across a vast region, prompting the the National Weather Service (NWS) to raise Red Flag Warnings across much of the Southwest and into the Great Plains.
Critical Fire Weather
“Elevated to critical fire weather conditions continue across most of the Southwest into the Great Plains, with an area of Extremely Critical risk highlighted in extreme south central Kansas into the eastern Texas Panhandle. Record heat, gusty winds and low relative humidity values will continue the high fire danger through at least Wednesday,” NWS forecast.
U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap) for May 6, 2014. UPDATE.
Hundreds of Active Wildfires
Up to 600 active wildfires are currently burning across the continental U.S., according to the USFS.
Wildfires in California
“Over the last several months we have seen an unseasonable number of wildfires across Northern California,” according to a fire chief for Cal Fire.
At least 900 wildfires consumed more than 2,400 acres in Northern California during the first 100 days this year. The average for the period is about 340 wildfires burning 1,000 acres.
Fire Earth 