The final day of spring in the United States was characterised by wildfires necessitating mass evacuations in New Mexico, a tropical storm pummelling Texas’s coastline, and a heat dome warning impacting 80 million individuals from the east coast to the Great Lakes area. Weather experts predicted a minimum of 20 record-breaking daily temperatures as a heat emergency was declared by New York governor, Kathy Hochul.
Emergency measures, including the activation of the national guard in two cities, were taken, with Hochul highlighting the I-90 corridor from Buffalo to Albany as a high-risk area. These locations are typically linked to severe winters. She warned constituents through county emergency management personnel about potentially dangerous heat levels.
Governor Hochul cautioned that ‘real feel’ temperatures would exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit from that day onwards. She urged people to remain indoors, to use air conditioning where possible, and for those without air conditioning to seek refuge in public buildings or local cooling centres, insisting upon proactive planning.
Most governmental buildings closed on Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth, marking the official end of slavery in the country.
Preceding the formal start of the US summer on Thursday, serious weather conditions coincided with a plea from a consortium of environmental and health organisations. They are advocating for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to classify the dangers of extreme heat and the destructive smoke from wildfires as “major disasters”, a term reserved for effects of floods and tornadoes.
The granting of said status would free up financial resources to help communities at risk prepare for forthcoming emergencies by either establishing cooling centres or installing air conditioning in educational institutions.
The coalition warned that heat-related illnesses had led to 2,300 deaths and 130 million Americans had received heat notifications the previous year. The petition highlighted that these punishing conditions disproportionately impact impoverished communities.
“In the last few years, the number of extreme heat events has escalated, affecting millions of employees and communities. These events have affected a broad spectrum of workers and residents – from agricultural workers planting in deadly dome heat conditions and postal workers going in and out of red-hot vehicles, to warehouse workers dealing with unparalleled indoor heat amidst physically strenuous work. In cities, heat disproportionately affects communities of colour due to the concrete heat islands and past discriminatory housing policies known as redlining.
Yemen’s fishermen are now suffering from both conflict and intense weather.
A situation unfolded in Ruidoso, a mountain town in New Mexico, this Monday night, highlighting the extensive risks of raging wildfires. Two separate fire incidents merged, rapidly consuming an area of around 20,000 acres within a few hours. Over 8,000 residents had no choice but to leave the town immediately.
In Canada, a city ravaged by a wildfire in 2016 has been ordered to evacuate due to an approaching fire.
Steve Jones, a local who owns a mountain cabin, spoke to a CBS News channel, “The fire that appeared as a small puff of smoke quickly turned into an all-consuming blaze. As we drove away from the house, I thought that if it survived, it would be God’s will. If not, so be it.””