Wildfires rage across the Carolinas; South Carolina governor issues state of emergency
Dozens of wildfires raged across North and South Carolina on Sunday, prompting officials to issue evacuation orders and open emergency shelters as both states and much of the Eastern Seaboard contended with dry conditions and gusty winds.
In South Carolina, 175 wildfires burned across the state, scorching over 4,200 acres of land and straining firefighting resources, according to the state fire marshal's office. Response operations were ongoing in various areas, including Horry, Spartanburg, Union, Oconee, and Pickens counties.
The largest of the brush fires erupted Saturday in Carolina Forest, a community west of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The fire exploded in size overnight, forcing residents in at least a half dozen neighborhoods to flee their homes, officials said.
As of 5:30 p.m. local time Sunday, the fire grew to more than 1,600 acres and was 30% contained, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. By 7:30 p.m., some residents who were forced to evacuate were allowed back in their homes, Horry County Fire Rescue said in a statement.
Dramatic videos show the inferno nearing homes as flames whipped furiously, sending stacks of smoke into the air. Officials said no structures have been destroyed and no injuries have been reported.
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency Sunday to unlock funds and resources for the ongoing response effort. A statewide ban on outdoor fires remains in effect, he said.
"This state of emergency ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need,' McMaster said in a statement.
The South Carolina National Guard said it was assisting the South Carolina Forestry Commission and the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources with wildfire containment in Horry County on Sunday. The state National Guard prepared two Blackhawk helicopters, which can carry about 600 gallons of water.
In an update Sunday night, the Horry County Fire Rescue said residents in neighborhoods that were evacuated due to the Carolina Forest-area wildfire are allowed to re-enter their homes. As of 7:30 p.m., no structures have been impacted by the wildfire and no injuries were reported.
"Residents can expect to see first responders in the affected areas for an extended period of time," the department said. "Smoke will also be visible for an extended period of time. Folks traveling across the area are asked to use caution as smoke may reduce visibility, particularly after dark."
International Drive, which runs through the Carolina Forest, remains closed at the fire gates, according to the Horry County Fire Rescue. The department advised motorists to use alternative routes of highways 501, 22, and 31.
About 410 personnel and at least 127 fire apparatus have been involved in the fire response, according to the department.
Jason Daily, 52, was home in western Myrtle Beach when he received an evacuation order on his phone Sunday morning. Living in a coastal city prone to hurricanes, he already had a go-bag with important documents ready, but he still needed to get his two African serval cats, Cage and Raven, into their kennels.
Within 30 minutes, he packed the animals into his truck and headed to the nearby town of Conway, where his contracting business has a shop. There, he let the cats out and started a barbecue in the parking lot for evacuees.
On Saturday, he heard about the fast-moving fire and began seeing smoke outside his windows. Taking one step outside, it was "all you could smell," he said.
Daily, a retired fireman, has lived in Horry County for decades. He said this fire is the worst he's seen in the area since 2009, when a massive blaze consumed over 19,000 acres of land and destroyed 76 homes, including some of his friend's properties.
"I'm worried about our home, but it's just belongings that can be replaced," said Daily, who has been offered a few places to stay if he's not able to return home Sunday. "Everything important to me is out of the house."
In North Carolina, a wildfire burning in the Blue Ridge mountains was threatening the communities of Saluda and Tryon, which are located near the South Carolina border.
The so-called Melrose Fire burned 400 acres of land as of Sunday afternoon and remained uncontained, according to Polk County Emergency Management. "As of right now, evacuations are still voluntary for those in the affected areas of this fire," the agency said.
The state's forest service said its personnel, along with local firefighters, were battling the blaze from the air and the ground.
The fire department in Saluda said in a statement on Facebook that the fire appeared to have been started "by a downed power line."
Myrtle Beach, a coastal city home to nearly 40,000 people, has not had any damage from the large blaze spreading in eastern South Carolina, though it's close enough to see the smoke.
The blaze has scorched over 1,200 acres in Carolina Forest, a community just west of Myrtle Beach, where residents in several neighborhoods fled their homes.
The Myrtle Beach Fire Department is one of more than 30 agencies helping Horry County Fire Rescue battle the blaze.
The National Weather Service issued advisories on Sunday from Georgia to New Jersey warning of an increased risk of wildfires.
"The combination of dry fuels & low relative humidity continues to raise concerns for dangerous fire behavior on Sunday," the weather service office in Columbia, South Carolina. "While winds will be lighter, the dry conditions are forecast to continue being a problem."
The weather service issued a special weather statement for the elevated risk of the spread of wildfires in central and southern New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, and northeastern Maryland.
"Minimum relative humidity values will be near 20% combined with northwest winds near 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph," said the weather service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. "These conditions could support the rapid spread of any fires that ignite, which could quickly become difficult to control."
The Georgia Forestry Commission said it responded to 137 wildfires that burned more than 2,300 acres across the state on Saturday. The agency warned that while conditions were expected to improve on Sunday, residents should remain "extremely cautious with anything that may start fires outdoors."
Two wildfires were burning in New Jersey, including one in Mercer County and another in Salem County.
As of Saturday night, the Salem County fire burned about 50 acres and was 85% contained, according to the New Jersey Forest Fire Service. No structures or roads were impacted.
The Mercer County Fire scorched more than 270 acres and was 80% contained by Sunday morning, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service said. The agency said 30 residential structures and four commercial structures had been threatened.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wildfires rage across North and South Carolina, forcing evacuations
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CBS News
30-07-2025
- CBS News
Tsunami risk appears to pass for U.S. after massive Russian earthquake; South American countries issue new warnings
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded struck Russia's Far East early Wednesday, sending tsunami waves into Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast and Japan. Several people were injured, none gravely, and no major damage has been reported so far. The 8.8 magnitude temblor struck off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, an isolated strip along the Pacific Ocean, overnight. Residents of the peninsula fled inland as 16-foot waves caused flooding. Immediately after the earthquake, Hawaii issued a tsunami warning and evacuation orders, but by Wednesday morning, the warning was downgraded to an advisory and evacuation orders were lifted on the Big Island and Oahu. Japan's Meteorological Agency also lowered its alerts to advisories. States on the U.S. West Coast were placed under a tsunami advisory that remained in effect Wednesday morning. But U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the worst was over. "We were fully deployed and ready to respond if necessary but grateful that we didn't have to deal with the situation that this could have been," she told reporters in Chile, where she is meeting officials. Experts had warned earlier that the effects of the earthquake may continue through Wednesday. "A tsunami is not just one wave," said Dan Snider, the tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska. "It's a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that's where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there." "In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they're going to be moving back and forth for quite a while," which is why some communities may feel effects longer, he said. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, which lifted the Hawaii warning, had forecast that the estimated arrival time of the first tsunami waves there would be 7:17 p.m. Tuesday local time (1:17 a.m. Wednesday ET). Officials urged people to move inland and shelters were opened in many parts of Hawaii. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said that Black Hawk helicopters had been activated and high-water vehicles were on standby in case authorities needed to conduct rescue operations. So far no damage has been recorded, but it will take two to three hours of observation before authorities will be able to determine whether the event has passed, Green said. Green said data from Midway Atoll, a small island between Japan and Hawaii, measured waves that were about 6 feet from peak to trough. He warned that waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller. Cars jammed streets and highways in Honolulu, even in areas away from the shore, as people tried to evacuate. Jimmy Markowski, who was visiting Honolulu's Waikiki Beach, said that the roads on the island were packed. "We decided to go to elevated ground," Markowski told "CBS Mornings." "We passed a few other gas stations, you couldn't even get in 'em." CBS Honolulu affiliate KGMB-TV reported that the first waves coming ashore were relatively small, though they came at high tide. Flooding was reported in numerous shoreline areas, including parking lots and boat harbors. The PTSC said the Hilo, Hawaii, gauge recorded a tsunami height of 4.9 feet relative to normal sea levels and the Kahului, Maui, gauge recorded a tsunami height of 4 feet. At around 10 p.m. local time, Pacific Tsunami Warning Center director Chip McCreery said wave heights appeared to have peaked. The Oregon Department of Emergency Management said on Facebook at around 3 a.m. local time that small tsunami waves were expected along the coast and urged people to stay away from beaches, harbors and marinas and to remain in a safe location away from the coast until the advisory is lifted. "This is not a major tsunami, but dangerous currents and strong waves may pose a risk to those near the water," the department said. A tsunami warning was posted for a portion of the California coast near the border with Oregon, but was later lowered to an advisory. California Gov. Gavin Newsom posted a statement on X saying the state's Office of Emergency Services was coordinating with local officials in Northern California, from Cape Mendocino to the Oregon border. The advisory extended along the whole California coast. Dr. Lucy Jones told CBS News Los Angeles that experts with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were predicting waves of about a foot for most of Southern California. The National Weather Service said on X that tsunami waves arrived in Monterey around 12:48 a.m. PT. Other cities along the California coast reported small to moderate-sized tsunami waves. A video shared by the National Weather Service Bay Area showed boats bobbing up and down in a harbor as they were rocked by small tsunami waves. The National Weather Service in Eureka, California, said around 4 a.m. local time that Crescent City had seen tsunami waves of about 3.5 feet, with activity building as the region approached a minor high tide. High tide could lead to more flooding. Crescent City has seen dozens of tsunamis since the 1930s, including a 1964 event that killed 11 people and destroyed hundreds of buildings. The National Weather Service Bay Area warned that even if the waves are small, they can cause "seriously dangerous" currents. The first waves also may not be the highest, the agency said, warning people to avoid coastal areas until told it's safe. On Alaska's Aleutian Islands, officials recorded waves up to 1.4 feet above tide levels. The quake was centered about 74 miles east-southeast of the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed and experts predict aftershocks of up to 7.5 for at least a month, according to the Russian News agency TASS. The temblor appeared to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off northeastern Japan in March 2011 that caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world. Earlier this month, five powerful quakes — the largest with a magnitude of 7.4 — struck in the sea near Kamchatka. The largest was at a depth of 12.4 miles and was 89 miles east of the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. The Kremlin said regional authorities on Kamchatka were well prepared for the quake. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted that the warnings were issued timely and people were quickly evacuated from dangerous areas. He added that the buildings proved resilient to shocks. A video released by a Russian media outlet showed a team of doctors at a cancer clinic on Kamchatka holding a patient and clutching medical equipment as the quake rocked an operating room, before continuing with surgery after the shaking stopped. Officials said the doctors will receive decorations. Tsunami heights of about 9 to 13 feet were recorded in Kamchatka. Severokurilsk Mayor Alexander Ovsyannikov said the port in the city was flooded by tsunami waves, washing fishing boats into the sea. He said no major damage was recorded. Authorities on the Kamchatka peninsula lifted the tsunami warning for the area, some 11 hours after the quake hit. Russian authorities said several people were injured, without giving a figure. The risk of aftershocks and waves remains, officials said. On Wednesday, lava began to flow from Klyuchevskaya Sopka, the largest active volcano in the northern hemisphere. The 15,584-foot volcano, located in the east of Kamchatka, last erupted in 2023. Observers heard explosions and saw streams of lava on the volcano's western slopes, the Kamchatka branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences' geophysical service said. Scientists have anticipated an eruption, with the volcano's crater filling with lava for several weeks and the mountain spitting out plumes of ash. "The Klyuchevskoy is erupting right now," the Russian Geophysical Survey said on Telegram, posting photos of an orange blaze on top of the volcano and adding that "red-hot lava is observed flowing down the western slope. There is a powerful glow above the volcano and explosions." Sometimes described as the "land of fire and ice," Kamchatka is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world. It has about 300 volcanoes, of which 29 are active, according to NASA Earth Observatory. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japanese and U.S. seismologists said. The U.S. Geological Survey later updated its strength to 8.8 magnitude and a depth of 13 miles. People went to evacuation centers in affected areas of Japan, with memories fresh of the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that caused reactor meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. The tsunami alert disrupted transportation, with ferries, trains and airports in the affected area suspending or delaying some operations. Waves of about 2 feet were recorded on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and at least one person was injured. Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency said nearly 2 million residents are now under evacuation advisories in more than 220 municipalities along the Pacific coast as of midday Wednesday. Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said waves could remain high for at least one day, and he urged evacuees to take precautions and stay well hydrated in the summer heat. He told evacuees they might not be able to return home by the end of the day on Wednesday. No abnormalities in operations at Japan's nuclear plants were reported on Wednesday. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant, heavily damaged by the 2011 tsunami, said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter on higher ground at the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure safety. China's Ministry of Natural Resources' Tsunami Warning Center issued an alert for parts of the country's east coast along Shanghai and Zhejiang provinces. The warning forecasted that waves could reach between one to three feet. The provinces are already under an alert as Typhoon CoMay is expected to land in the Zhejiang province on Wednesday. Some tiny and low-lying Pacific island chains are among the world's most imperiled by tsunamis and rising seas due to climate change. People were urged to stay away from coastlines until any wave surges passed late Wednesday in Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Federated States of Micronesia and Solomon Islands. Philippine authorities advised people to stay away from the beach and coastal areas. "It may not be the largest of waves, but these can continue for hours and expose people swimming in the waters to danger," Teresito Bacolcol of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology told The Associated Press. Elsewhere, a tsunami of under a foot was forecast to hit parts of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Mexico's navy warned that tsunami waves will start reaching the northern coast in Ensenada, near California, at around 02:22 a.m. Wednesday local time, and waves could progress along the Pacific coast to Chiapas state, around 07:15 a.m. local time. In Chile, tsunami warnings were upgraded to their highest level on Wednesday morning. The alert covers most of the nation's 4,000-mile Pacific coastline. The country's Education Ministry also canceled classes along much of the coast. New Zealand authorities warned of "strong and unusual currents and unpredictable surges" along all coastlines of the South Pacific island nation. The emergency management agency said people should move out of the water, off beaches and away from harbors, marinas, rivers and estuaries. There are four levels of tsunami alerts: warning, advisory, watch and information statement, according to the National Weather Service. A tsunami warning is the most severe. It means residents should take action due to a coming tsunami that may cause widespread flooding. A tsunami advisory means there's the potential for "strong currents or waves dangerous to those in or very near the water," according to the NWS. A tsunami watch advises those to be prepared because a distant earthquake has occurred and a tsunami is possible. The lowest level of alert is a tsunami information statement from the NWS, which advises people to "relax" since an earthquake has occurred, but there is no threat or it was very far away.
The Hill
30-07-2025
- The Hill
Hawaii downgrades tsunami warning
Hawaii lifted an evacuation order Wednesday morning after being struck by waves from a tsunami following an 8.8 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Russia. The earthquake sent shockwaves through Japan, Hawaii and the West Coast of the U.S. An advisory order remains in place for the islands, warning local residents to take heed of harsher winds and rip currents in the ocean. 'A tsunami is not just one wave. It's a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water,' Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska, told The Associated Press. 'But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that's where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there,' he added. The Department of Transportation canceled all flights to and from Maui on Tuesday as Hilo International Airport was also closed and baggage operations at the Daniel K. Inouye International Airport were temporarily suspended. Although the Hawaii evacuation order has been lifted, authorities are encouraging those returning to remain vigilant. 'As you return home, still stay off the beach and stay out of the water,' said James Barros, administrator of the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, per the AP. Black Hawk helicopter crews were activated by Gov. Josh Green (D-Hawaii) to ensure vehicles were prepared to rescue any individuals caught in the water. However, Hawaii was not the only U.S. state impacted by the Russian earthquake. Northern California saw waves up to 5.7 feet while water reached a foot above tide level in Alaska, the news wire reported. Seattle also felt rougher currents due to the aftershock of the earthquake. 'Due to a massive earthquake that occurred in the Pacific Ocean, a Tsunami Warning is in effect for those living in Hawaii. A Tsunami Watch is in effect for Alaska and the Pacific Coast of the United States. Japan is also in the way,' President Trump wrote late Tuesday in a post on Truth Social.
Yahoo
30-07-2025
- Yahoo
8.8-magnitude quake sends small tsunami into coasts of Russia, Japan and Alaska
One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded has struck Russia's far east, an 8.8-magnitude tremor that caused tsunami waves in Japan and Alaska and prompted warnings for Hawaii, North and Central America and the Pacific islands south toward New Zealand. Ports on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia near the quake's epicentre were flooded as residents fled inland, and white waves washed up to the shore in northern Japan. Cars jammed streets and major roads in Honolulu, with standstill traffic even in areas away from the shoreline. People were advised to move to higher ground around much of the Pacific and warned that the potential danger may last for more than a day. Most places where tsunami waves have already washed ashore have reported no significant damage so far. A tsunami height of 10-13ft was recorded in Kamchatka, 2ft on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, and up to 1.4 feet above tide levels were observed in Alaska's Aleutian Islands. The impact of the tsunami could last for hours or perhaps more than a day, according to Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the National Tsunami Warning Centre in Alaska. 'A tsunami is not just one wave,' he said. 'It's a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour – as fast as a jet aeroplane – in deep water. 'But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that's where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there. 'In this case, because of the Earth basically sending out these huge ripples of water across the ocean, they're going to be moving back and forth for quite a while,' which is why some communities may feel effects longer, he added. Hawaii governor Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is between Japan and Hawaii, measured waves from peak to trough of 6ft. He said waves hitting Hawaii could be bigger or smaller and it is too early to tell how large they would be. A tsunami of that size would be akin to a 3ft wave riding on top of surf, he said. 'This is a longitudinal wave with great force driving through the shoreline and into land,' he said at a news conference. Mr Green said Black Hawk helicopters have been activated and high-water vehicles were ready to go in case authorities need to rescue people. 'But please do not put yourself in harm's way,' he said. The quake at 8.25am Japan time (12.25am BST) had a preliminary magnitude of 8.0, Japan and US seismologists said. The US Geological Survey later updated its strength to 8.8 magnitude and the USGS said the quake occurred at a depth of 13 miles. The quake was centred about 74 miles east-southeast from the Russian city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, which has a population of 180,000, on the Kamchatka Peninsula. Multiple aftershocks as strong as 6.9 magnitude followed. The first tsunami wave hit the coastal area of Severo-Kurilsk, the main settlement on Russia's Kuril Islands in the Pacific, according to the local governor Valery Limarenko. He said residents were safe and staying on high ground until the threat of a repeat wave was gone. About 2,700 people were evacuated to safe locations on the Kuril Islands. Buildings were damaged and cars swayed in the streets in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Russian news agencies quoting the regional Health Ministry saying several people sought medical help in Kamchatka after the earthquake, but no serious injuries were reported. The earthquake appears to be the strongest anywhere in the world since the 9.0 magnitude earthquake off north-eastern Japan in March 2011 that caused a massive tsunami that set off meltdowns at a nuclear power plant. Only a few stronger earthquakes have ever been measured around the world. The tsunami alert disrupted transportation in Japan, with ferries, trains and airports in the affected area suspending or delaying some operations. A tsunami of 2ft was recorded at Hamanaka town in Hokkaido and Kuji port in Iwate, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Several areas reported smaller waves including 8in in Tokyo Bay five hours after the quake. In Japan's northern coastal town of Matsushima, dozens of residents took refuge at an evacuation centre, where water bottles were distributed and an air conditioner was running. One person told NHK she came to the facility without hesitation based on the lesson from the 2011 tsunami. Japanese nuclear power stations have reported no abnormalities. The operator of the Fukushima Daiichi plant damaged by the 2011 tsunami said about 4,000 workers are taking shelter on higher ground at the plant complex while monitoring remotely to ensure plant safety.
