How Terrain in Texas Hills Turned Stalled Rainstorm Into Flood Disaster
The weather system that caused the flooding was fueled by moist air from the coastal plain that swept up the Hill Country's steep cliffs, condensed overhead, and for hours cascaded down those same cliffs. Narrow canyons then funneled the coursing water into creeks and rivers that rose and turned into deadly flash floods.
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Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
National Weather Service issues extreme heat watch for Oregon's Willamette Valley
The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat watch for the Willamette Valley from July 15-16. Dangerously hot conditions with temperatures between 95 and 105 degrees are possible across much of northwest Oregon, including the northern and central Willamette Valley. The highest chances are in the Portland/Vancouver metro area and Columbia River Gorge. Low temperatures between 65 to 70 degrees may occur in the evening of July 15, which would limit overnight relief. Both daily high and nightly low temperatures are considered when determining an extreme heat watch should be issued, according to Lee Picard, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Portland. "(A low of) 65 is an important threshold for us," he said. "If it doesn't go below that, it's difficult for people to cool down overnight." An extreme heat watch doesn't mean extreme heat will definitely occur, Picard said. It is issued ahead of time, in this case six days in advance, to allow people to prepare for a potentially dangerous event. High and low temperatures factor into an index known as HeatRisk, which provides a forecast of heat-related impacts in a 24-hour period. The formula accounts for climatic factors as well, like how unusual extreme heat is during a particular time of years. If the HeatRisk in an area falls into the two highest categories, major or extreme, it meets the criteria for a hazardous event. "A watch is when a hazardous event is possible. We usually say about 50% likely that it will occur," Picard said. Heat related illnesses increase significantly during extreme heat events, the National Weather Service said. The agency advised people to drink plenty of fluids and to stay out of the sun in a cool place during the heat of the day and check up on relatives and neighbors. For those without air conditioning, people should use fans to keep air moving and keep windows closed during the day and open at night, unless air quality is degraded due to wildfire smoke. "Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles," the alert from NWS said. "Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes." Rose Shimberg is an outdoors journalism intern at the Statesman Journal. Reach her at rshimberg@ This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: NWS issues extreme heat watch for Oregon's Willamette Valley
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales could have warmest day as heatwave peaks
Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales could have their warmest days of the year so far on Saturday, as the third heatwave of the summer peaks. Although England will be hot, with highs of 34C possible in parts of the Midlands and South East, temperatures are not expected to break the country's current record for 2025 of 35.8C recorded in Kent at the beginning of July. Amber heat health alerts are in place for the Midlands and southern and eastern England until 9am on Monday, warning of the potential for a rise in deaths, particularly among those aged 65 and over or with health conditions. On Friday, Wales recorded its hottest day of the year with 32.4C in Cardiff's Bute Park and even the Scottish Highlands had very hot weather, with a high of 28.9C in Aboyne, a village in Aberdeenshire. In England, temperatures reached 34.7C at Astwood Bank, near Worcester, on Friday. Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst told the PA news agency: 'Yesterday was Wales' highest temperature of the year so far, so it'd be a similarish value, so we'll keep an eye on that today. 'And then Northern Ireland and Scotland, I think the highest of the year is just shy of 30C so for both of them, it could be slightly higher than those values. 'So quite, quite possible to see the highest temperatures of the year so far for parts of Northern Ireland and Scotland and Wales too, but England unlikely.' The average temperatures for this time of year across the UK range between 18C and 22C. Mr Dewhurst said the 'vast majority' of the country is in for a sunny Saturday, with the exception of the eastern coast of the UK which may be a little cooler and cloudy at times. 'So anyone wanting a bit of relief from the heat, then all coastal stretches are cooler but particularly the east coast today,' he told PA. Fire chiefs have urged people to stay safe as they warned of the increased risk of wildfires and drowning. The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) asked people not to enter water to try to cool down and urged parents and carers to ensure children are supervised around water at all times. Phil Garrigan, NFCC chairman, said: 'We are urging people to take simple but vital safety precautions to protect themselves and their loved ones during this period of hot, dry weather. 'Our experience tells us that wildfires can start in an instant and escalate rapidly. That's why we're asking everyone to stay alert and act responsibly.' HM Coastguard also issued safety advice for people heading to the coast, as data from the water incident database shows most drownings happened in July over the last three years. As well as the amber alerts, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has yellow alerts in place until Monday for the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber. Yorkshire Water brought in restrictions on using hosepipes for activities such as watering the garden, cleaning cars and filling paddling pools, on Friday, as part of efforts to protect supplies in the face of yet more dry weather forecast for the coming weeks. South East Water said demand for drinking water had reached 'record levels since May', adding: 'This situation has left us with no choice but to restrict the use of hosepipes and sprinklers, so we can help our reservoirs and underground water storage recover.' It means customers in Kent and Sussex are banned from using a hosepipe to water gardens and plants, clean vehicles, fill swimming pools or ponds or clean paths, walls or windows from July 18. Those who ignore the bans could face fines of up to £1,000. The London Fire Brigade said it has responded to 24 wildfires this year, five of which occurred this week, including one in Manor Park, east London, on Friday, where 70 firefighters fought to tackle a grass fire on Wanstead Flats. The risk of wildfires in London is currently rated 'severe' by the Natural Hazards Partnership. National Rail has warned train passengers that the hot weather may cause disruption this weekend. 'Heat can cause overhead lines to expand and sag, rails to buckle, and also line-side fires,' it said on its website. Meanwhile, the RNLI warned beachgoers that, despite the heat, there is still a risk of cold water shock. Ross Macleod, the charity's water safety manager, said: 'Even in hot weather, the seas around our coasts are cold enough year-round to trigger cold water shock, while waves and rip currents can overpower even the most experienced water users.'
New York Times
44 minutes ago
- New York Times
Floods Are Inevitable. Catastrophe Is Not.
Images and stories of the devastation wrought by the July 4 flood of the Guadalupe River in Texas will stay with many of us for a long time. There has been an outpouring of compassion and sorrow for those who have died, remain missing or have lost their homes and possessions. There has also been a healthy dose of scrutiny of the shortcomings in early warning systems, government response and evacuation efforts — some of which have been blamed on the Trump administration's bludgeon of cuts across emergency services, weather reporting and scientific agencies. But even with a flawless response, the storm that roared through that night would most likely have claimed many lives. The rest of us might now do well to look past the astonishment, sympathy or blame, and consider how to avoid or minimize similar hazards in the future. What happened in Central Texas is only the latest in a long series of horrific floods, and they're getting worse. In Ellicott City, Md., a flood level expected only once in 1,000 years occurred twice in a three-year span, in 2016 and 2018. In 2022, flash floods in Kentucky displaced thousands of people who had no flood insurance. In February of this year, devastating floods occurred in Kentucky, West Virginia and Tennessee. We should no longer be surprised by the inevitable. We are living in a new age of flooding. We can no longer deny the increasing danger posed by these floods. Nor can we afford to continue believing we have the solutions to stop or contain the rise of water. The best option to save American lives is reducing our vulnerability and exposure to these floods. That means preventing unnecessary new development on floodplains, and amping up efforts to help people move their homes from high-risk areas to safe territory. This starts with the protection of floodplains, the natural areas that have been shaped over time to absorb floods when they occur. Human development on these spaces destroys their ability to absorb excess water. To prevent it, we must implement adequate zoning policies that limit construction there. This is the least costly option for preventing flood damages from getting worse. Likewise, relocation of flood-prone homes to higher ground has been an important strategy for decades. But there is still a huge investment poured into trying to prevent flooding damage from occurring, building levees to try to keep floods away from our homes and using emergency relief checks and insurance subsidies to pay victims for losses after they occur. Billions of dollars are spent to protect those who have homes and businesses in flood zones — and then billions more are spent on recovery efforts when those protections fail. The Natural Resources Defense Council analyzed thousands of data points and determined that for every $1.72 FEMA spends helping people move away from the paths of floods, $100 is spent to rebuild properties. We are essentially paying people to stay. Our response to floods has been inadequate, if not misdirected. And now, owing to the heating climate, floods will be growing irrevocably worse, more widespread and longer in duration. We've failed to halt the losses and the threats of the past. Lacking a major course correction, we're destined to fail worse in the future. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
