fire and storm
fire and storm
Embedded Files
2020 has been plagued by tragedy- and these natural disasters are no exception
California Wildfires
Right now, the west coast of the U.S. is burning at a rate never seen before. In northern California, Oregon, and Washington state, wildfires are raging all throughout the western coast, causing a massive amount of damage to forests and homes. Oregon is a generally dry state during July through August. This along with the high winds on Labor day helped spread fires all across the state.
Ann McGowan lives right outside of Portland Oregon and had lived there for about four and a half years. She was forced to evacuate on September 9 during a stage two evacuation that stated wildfires were near her house and it would be wise to leave. The following day, a stage three evacuation was issued by the Oregon government.
“I’m kinda scared,” said McGowan. “Its kinda hard to leave your stuff behind.”
The Marion & Clackamas County fires are three separate fires that are encircling around the Schreiner Peak Oregon, causing damage from every direction. Residents right now aren’t allowed to go back to their homes until fire officials announce that it's safe to do so. Right now, many people are stuck waiting to see how bad their area has been hit by the fires. These fires have kindled all sorts of emotions from people affected by the burning rage of these flames. Right now, McGowan hopes to return back to her home and come back to a safe environment.
A slightly happy and scary experience McGowan had since her run with the fires, was the acclaimed orange skies over the west coast.
“Its pretty wild, it's almost fascinating to see how the environment works that way,” said McGowan. “But it's kinda scary to see just how long its hovering over the city.”
Picture taken by McGowan of the red skies above her home
Gender Reveal Fires
On September 5, a couple was hosting a gender reveal party at El Dorado Ranch Park in Yucaipa, California. However, after lighting explosives to reveal the gender of their baby, the dry brush on the ranch soon caught fire and started spreading flames all across the park. Initially, the family tried to put out the fire using nearby water bottles, but that did little to stop the oncoming disaster.
Right now, the El Dorado fire still burns. The fire has burned roughly 18,500 acres of land and damaged sixteen structures, 6 of which have been homes. 3,467 people have been evacuated due to the fire, and firefighters continue to fight to contain the spread. About 63% of the fire has been contained, but this is not the end. Fire investigators have said that at least three laws that were violated during the party, and the level of recklessness will determine whether charges against them are filed as misdemeanors or felonies if the party were to go to court. The person who ignited the pyrotechnic device could be charged with arson. Though this has been a crazy event, this isn’t the first time it's happened.
Back in 2017, off-duty US Border Patrol agent Dennis Dickey shot an explosive target with a high-powered rifle in Green Valley, Arizona as part of another gender reveal stunt. The explosion caused nearby grass to ignite, and Dickey’s gender reveal party had to leave early as the flames grew in size. After a week of firefighting, 46,991 acres of land burned with the fires. Dickley was sentenced to five years probation and a fine of $8,188,069 in restitution.
Hurricane Sally
Hurricane Sally made landfall over Gulf Shores Alabama on September 16 with wind speeds reaching 105 mph. The hurricane has been tracked for the past six days, forming over the Bahamas and slowly moving toward the U.S. Last Friday, many reports came out about the extent of the damage in Alabama and Pensacola. In Alabama, two people have been confirmed dead. During the height of the hurricane, up to 30 inches of rain fell onto southeast Alabama and the panhandle. Severe flooding occurred in parts of Pensacola, with waters rising up to 2 feet. A section of the Pensacola Bay Bridge collapsed from high winds and constant rain. Sally caused many trees to fall over, bridges to break, and 440,000 businesses and homes to lose power, totaling around $29 million in damages.
Rescuers have had a hard time in the aftermath of Hurricane Sally. Many rivers flooded from excess rain and roads were closed from the debris of trees and boats, making it hard for people to get to those in need. Rescuers have used high-water vehicles and boats to get to houses in Escambia County because the flood waters were so bad that cars just couldn’t get through. Overall, Hurricane Sally was the first hurricane to make landfall in Alabama since hurricane Ivan in 2004. Hurricane Sally damaged over 2,000 power lines, and restoration of power is expected to take several weeks. In the meantime, high winds and flooding closed countless streets and roads, slowing down the recovery process.
This is Spartacus’ first year on The Edge staff. He spends most of his time playing baseball in Palm Bay and listening to music. This year in journalism, he hopes to have fun while writing stories in class.
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