The New York region is facing a series of fires of rare vigor for the northeastern United States, due in particular to a particularly long period of drought which is also putting water reserves to the test.
“The reality is that the drought we are experiencing is just one example of the impact of climate change on our territory today, not in the distant future, but here and now”New Jersey Democratic Governor Phil Murphy said during a meeting with the press.
Since Friday, firefighters from New York and New Jersey have been battling fires that have burned thousands of acres around the Jennings Creek forest river, an hour's drive from Manhattan's skyscrapers.
The fires caused the death of an 18-year-old New York State parks employee on Saturday, probably killed by a falling tree while he was participating in operations.
Driven by winds and low humidity, fires have multiplied since the beginning of October and have burned three times as many hectares, nearly 4,500, compared to 1,600 on average in New Jersey. For New York State, these are the worst fires since 2008, said Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul.
The lack of rain doesn't help. While Hurricane Helen devastated areas further south in late September, killing at least 101 people in North Carolina, New York and its region did not experience significant rain during the months of September and October, and still not in November.
“It has been more than 20 years since we have measured such an episode of drought in the northeast of the United States”underlines to AFP Brian Fuchs, climatologist at the National Center for the Study of Drought at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
A helicopter drops water to put out a fire in the Greenwood Lake area, New York, November 13, 2024 / Bryan R. SMITH / AFP
Local authorities have asked the population to save water. All 8.5 million New Yorkers are being asked to report any open fire hydrants, take showers more quickly and only flush toilets if necessary. Barbecues in public areas have also been banned, while fires, quickly brought under control, also broke out this weekend in Prospect Park, the large green lung in the heart of Brooklyn.
“A very dry winter awaits us”
New York is supplied with water by reservoirs around the region's rivers, which reached 62% of their capacity on Wednesday, compared to 79.2% in normal times.
“Unfortunately, it appears that these unseasonably dry conditions are unlikely to end any time soon, as all indications are that a very dry winter lies ahead.”declared the governor of New Jersey.
Like Phil Murphy, other officials have attributed this drought to climate change.
For Brian Fuchs, an episode of drought is not totally unusual in the northeastern United States. “But temperatures are higher because of climate change. And these higher temperatures can contribute to droughts not seen in the past.”he explains to AFP.
“We are moving more and more quickly from very wet to very dry periods, and vice versa”he adds.
