A state of emergency has been declared in Louisiana since Tuesday due to the risk of flooding, while California is facing fires that are ravaging thousands of hectares and have already destroyed dozens of homes.
The United States is in the grip of extreme weather events. Hurricane Francine continues to move through Louisiana in the south of the country on Thursday, sweeping the coast with violent winds and bringing with it heavy rains that raise fears of dangerous flooding. “Francine continues to move inland in southern Louisiana”the American Hurricane Center (NHC) said in its bulletin overnight, calling on the local population to stay indoors “away from the windows”. “Heavy rain and gusty winds extend across the New Orleans metropolitan area”the agency further specified.
Francine made landfall Wednesday afternoon as a Category 2 hurricane on a scale of 5, before being downgraded to Category 1. “Conditions are expected to continue to deteriorate over the next few hours.”the NHC warned. Images broadcast by local television stations or circulating on social networks show flooded streets and damaged buildings and collapsed trees. More than 260,000 homes were without power in the evening, according to the website poweroutage.us. New Orleans was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
Even before the hurricane made landfall, heavy rain had begun to fall on the coast in the Mississippi Sound region. The hurricane could bring up to 12 inches of rain in some areas, leading to possible flash flooding, including in cities, officials warned. Sea levels could temporarily rise by as much as 10 feet, the NHC said.
In Louisiana, many communities have issued evacuation orders. President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency in the state on Tuesday, a move that will release federal funds to help local authorities. Members of the state National Guard said they are ready to respond with 32 helicopters, 387 vehicles and 87 vessels mobilized to provide assistance. Some 1.1 million liters of water are stockpiled and ready to be distributed if needed, they reported on X.
According to forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) at the end of May, the hurricane season in the North Atlantic – which runs from early June to late November – is expected to be particularly turbulent this year, particularly because of the heat of the oceans, which fuels hurricanes. This season has already been marked by three hurricanes, including Beryl and Debby, which have caused several dozen deaths.
“Our house is going to burn”
On the other side of the United States, it is fire that threatens. The governor of California declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in Los Angeles and neighboring counties to fight the “Bridge Fire” and in Orange and Riverside counties to fight the “Airport Fire,” according to a statement released Wednesday. The “Bridge Fire,” one of three uncontrolled fires raging near the second largest city in the United States, has already destroyed dozens of homes and razed nearly 20,000 hectares in the heights of Los Angeles in 24 hours.
North of the Californian megalopolis, residents of the towns of Wrightwood and Mt Baldy were ordered to evacuate their homes. At least 33 homes and several cabins were destroyed by the fire, which also swept through a ski resort, according to authorities. “Our house is going to burn”local resident Jenny Alaniz told KTLA radio through tears. An AFP reporter in Wrightwood saw the carcasses of burned-out buildings and cars. The fire, which broke out Sunday, had already devoured 1,600 hectares of land by Tuesday, a figure that had increased tenfold to 20,000 hectares by Wednesday.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said three people, including a member of his squad, were trapped in a remote area near Mt Baldy. “Our air rescue team is preparing to hoist them out of there once the smoke clears.”he said, adding that rescuers were also trying to reach them by road in 4x4s.
Heat wave over 43°C
To the northeast of the megacity, another fire, the “Line Fire,” has razed 14,000 hectares. Residents of mountain villages were asked to evacuate their homes while several roads were blocked. A thirty-year-old, suspected of being at the origin of this fire, was arrested Tuesday, according to court documents. To the southeast of Los Angeles, a third fire, the “Airport Fire,” continued to rage Wednesday. This fire has so far razed more than 8,900 hectares. According to local firefighters, seven people were injured in the fire that occurred Monday.
“California is deploying all available resources to fight these devastating fires.”said Gov. Gavin Newsom, who visited a command post for the Line Fire on Wednesday. More than 5,700 personnel have been mobilized to fight the three fires, his office said. The spread of the fires has been exacerbated by a heat wave that has hit the region, with temperatures exceeding 43 degrees Celsius in some places in recent days. However, temperatures began to drop on Wednesday. With global warming, the western part of the North American continent is increasingly hit by extreme weather events such as heat waves, droughts and wildfires.
