Tag Archives: Evacuations

Wildfires in California, New Mexico trigger hundreds of evacuations

Sherpa fire

By Alex Dobuzinskis

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Hundreds of people have evacuated to escape a wildfire in coastal Southern California and a larger blaze in rural New Mexico as hot weather feeds the flames, raising health concerns in other regions, officials said on Thursday.

Santa Barbara Sheriff Bill Brown told a news conference his deputies had asked occupants of 400 homes and businesses to evacuate structures in areas threatened by flames from the California fire. Campers, and horses on ranches have also been forced out, officials said.

The blaze, which ignited on Wednesday in a wilderness area northwest of Santa Barbara, has consumed chaparral and tall grass in the Los Padres National Forest, blackening some 1,200 acres (490 hectares), according to tracking website InciWeb.gov.

About 500 firefighters were trying to hold it from exploding out of control as airplane tankers and helicopters dropped water, officials said.

“There isn’t a lot of marine layer (ocean humidity) so not great conditions for firefighting,” Diane Black, a joint incident command manager, said in a phone interview.

Winds drove the so-called Sherpa Fire, named after a ranch near where it started, toward the Pacific coast, leading authorities to evacuate two state beaches and some ranch land, according to information from InciWeb.gov and the Santa Barbara County website.

The blaze also approached the 101 Freeway overnight, forcing authorities to close it until Thursday morning.

In New Mexico, the so-called Dog Head Fire which broke out on Wednesday about 6 miles (10 km) northwest of the town of Tajique has forced evacuations and grown to more than 12,000 acres (4,900 hectares).

It has burned through timber in central New Mexico, pushing heavy smoke toward cities more than 100 miles (160 km) away as flames spread through a largely unpopulated area, fire information officer Peter D’Aquanni said in a phone interview.

Torrance County Sheriff Heath White said his office was evacuating about 200 people.

D’Aquanni said that, as more than 600 firefighters tackle the blaze, winds could shift the flames to the east.

“There’s not many structures in front of that direction if it goes where we think it’s going,” he said.

The National Weather Service has issued heat advisories for Missouri and southwest Iowa, with temperatures in the mid-90s Fahrenheit (35 Celsius), climatologist Bryan Peake said in a phone interview.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis; Editing by James Dalgleish)

New Storms threaten already flooded areas in Texas

A house is flooded by water from the rain-swollen Brazos River in Richmond, Texas

By Jon Herskovitz

AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) – A new round of storms dumped more rain on flood-hit parts of Texas on Thursday, threatening to aggravate already swollen rivers, deluge homes and force more evacuations.

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flash flood warning for parts of central Texas on Thursday morning and placed most of the state on a flash flood watch due to a slow-moving storm system expected to linger through the weekend.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to tour flood-hit areas on Thursday. He declared a state of disaster in 31 Texas counties on Wednesday, mobilizing state resources to help manage the disaster.

“The state of Texas stands ready to assist all counties affected by severe weather and has dedicated the resources necessary to ensure the safety of those at risk,” Abbott said.

Six people were killed in the past week in Texas due to severe weather.

Thousands of people have evacuated their homes in low-lying areas, rivers have swelled to levels not seen in more than 100 years and emergency workers have completed hundreds of high-water rescues.

Evacuations were ordered for parts of two towns in Fort Bend County, about 30 miles (50 kms) southwest of Houston, where the Brazos River has risen to levels not seen for more than a century.

“It hasn’t been this high since 1913,” said Major Chad Norvell with the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office. “Nobody really had an idea of what it would do. It is filling areas where we didn’t expect, and some that we did.”

As much as 10 inches (25 cm) of rain could fall in the Houston area in the coming days, the NWS said, just weeks after eight people were killed in floods that hit the metro area.

This could touch off another round of flooding in the fourth most populous U.S. city, it added.

(Additional reporting by Jim Forsyth in San Antonio; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Thousands evacuated as France declares emergency over flooding

Road signs appear isolated in the rising waters from the Seine River as high waters causes flooding along the Seine River in Paris

By Michel Rose and Morade Azzouz

PARIS/LONGJUMEAU (Reuters) – Torrential rains across France forced thousands of people from their homes and saw stranded motorists rescued by soldiers as flood waters rose, while in Paris a metro line was shut and staff at the Louvre museum were told the venue was likely to close.

An 86-year old woman was found dead in her flooded house in a small town southwest of Paris late on Wednesday, apparently the first casualty from the heavy rains that caused the Loire and Seine rivers to burst their banks.

President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency in the worst affected areas and promised money to help local authorities deal with the flood damage.

“Since yesterday it’s just been a deluge,” said Jerome Coiffier, an inhabitant of Longjumeau, less than 20 km (13 miles) south of Paris, where firemen wading thigh-deep in water rescued inhabitants using inflatable boats.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited Nemours, 75 km south of Paris, where at least 3,000 out of 13,000 inhabitants were evacuated, as flood water crept toward the second story of buildings in the town center. He called the situation “tense”.

In the French capital, the Seine rose above 5 meters (16 feet), forcing the SNCF rail operator to close an underground commuter line that runs along the river and is used by tourists to reach the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

Meanwhile, Louvre museum chief Jean-Luc Martinez told employees in an internal email seen by Reuters that it was highly likely that the museum would have to shut and would then seek help from volunteers. The Musee d’Orsay said it would close earlier than planned.

In the Loire valley, the Chambord castle, a Unesco heritage site, found itself surrounded by water.

The national weather service said the greater Paris region had in May endured its wettest month since 1960.

In the Loiret region, where local officials called on the army to help evacuate motorists trapped on the A10 motorway, the floods are the most severe in 100 years.

In Paris, the Seine could peak at 5.5 meter overnight or on Friday night, the environment ministry said in a statement. The river reached a record high of 8.60 meters in 1910.

(Additional reporting by Sybille de La Hamaide and Emmanuel Jarry in Paris; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Richard Lough/Jeremy Gaunt)

Texas Brazos River surges, Houston braces for flooding

A house is flooded by water from the rain-swollen Brazos River in Richmond, Texas

By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO (Reuters) – The Brazos River in Texas surged to its highest level in more than a century on Wednesday, triggering floods in which at least six people have died.

Forecasters predicted more rain as the Brazos rose to levels not seen since 1913. The National Weather Service reported that the river hit 54.49 feet (16.6 meters) at Richmond, Texas, about 4 feet (1.2 meters) above the flood record set in 1994.

“This level of water in the river has not been seen in many of our lifetimes and we urge residents to heed these warnings,” Jeff Braun, director of the emergency management office in Fort Bend County, said on the agency’s website.

About 120 water rescues have been carried out in Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston. Evacuations were ordered over the past few days in areas spanning several counties, the website said.

A storm system dumped up to 22 inches (55.9 cm) of rain in just a few hours, killed at least six people last week, local authorities said.

In Simonton, in Fort Bend County, officials provided transportation to help residents leave their homes as well as security to prevent looting. The American Red Cross opened more shelters in the Houston area.

The National Weather Service forecast more rain for the Houston region through Sunday as a slow-moving storm system approached from the west.

Several rivers in southeastern and eastern Texas were in “major flood stage.” While relatively rare, forecasters have seen a number of such events in Texas over the past year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Burke.

More than 20 inches (50.8 cm)of rain have fallen over some parts of southeast Texas during the last month, 8 inches (20.3 cm)to 10 inches (25.4 cm) above normal, Burke said.

(Additional reporting and writing by Suzannah Gonzales, Ian Simpson and Brendan O’Brien; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Evacuations in Texas after worst flooding in 100 years

Mobile home park flooded following heavy rains in Richmond, Texas

By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Reuters) – Mandatory evacuations were ordered on Tuesday along the swollen Brazos River in Texas ahead of what could be the worst flooding in more than 100 years after at least six people died.

Forecasters predicted more rain as the Brazos rose to levels not seen in 103 years after heavy rainfall late last week and was expected to crest at about 53 feet on Tuesday, according to emergency officials in Fort Bend County, located southwest of Houston.

Jeff Braun, director of the Fort Bend County emergency management office, said many parts of the county would experience water levels “not seen in our lifetime.”

Dozens of people have been rescued from cars and homes in the past 24 hours, according to the agency’s website.

“The water level is going to stay at the same level for 24 to 36 hours before there will be a slow decrease,” Braun said. “If you flood, you’re going to have the water there for a while.”

The storm system dumped up to 22 inches (56 cm) of rain in just a few hours, killed at least six people last week, according to local authorities.

SECURITY TO STOP LOOTING

In Simonton, Texas, in Fort Bend County, officials provided transportation to help residents leave their homes as well as security to prevent looting.

The American Red Cross opened additional shelters in the Houston area.

Several rivers in southeast and eastern Texas were in “major flood stage.” While relatively rare, forecasters have seen a number of such events in Texas over the past year, said National Weather Service meteorologist Patrick Burke.

A swath of Texas including San Antonio, Austin and Houston has been hardest hit, although other areas in the state have also been affected by flooding, including Dallas-Fort Worth, Burke said.

More than 20 inches of rain have fallen over some parts of southeast Texas during the last month, 8 to 10 inches above normal, Burke said.

An area between the Texas cities of College Station and Houston received 17 inches in one extreme situation late last week, he said.

More rain is forecast this week, which could lead to additional flooding, the weather service said. Moderate and heavy rain will hit western and central Texas, then move east, drenching San Antonio, Austin and Houston on Wednesday and Thursday, Burke said.

“This will certainly prolong the problems they’re having there,” Burke said.

(Additional reporting and writing by Suzannah Gonzales; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Jeffrey Benkoe)

Hot weather, winds, complicate battle to control Alberta wildfire

An aerial view of Highway 63 south of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Canada, shows smoke from the wildfires

By Nia Williams

CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) – Hot and dry weather and strong winds were expected to push a massive wildfire near Fort McMurray, Alberta eastward on Wednesday, threatening facilities and work camps in the prized oil sands region.

The fire, which began in early May, forced the evacuation of thousands of workers on Tuesday, prolonging a shutdown that has cut Canadian oil output by a million barrels a day. It destroyed a 665-room lodge for oil sands workers, then blazed eastward toward other camps.

Winds forecast for Wednesday were expected to push the blaze further to the east, putting oil operations in its path, officials said late on Tuesday. Heat and lack of rain also are complicating efforts to control the 355,000-hectare (877,224-acre) fire, which was also stretching toward the Saskatchewan border.

“We expect the fire to spread on the easterly side,” Alberta wildfire manager Chad Morrison said on a Tuesday call.

The latest forecast showed temperatures were expected to reach a high of 24 Celsius (75 Fahrenheit) in the Fort McMurray area on Wednesday, though there was also a 60 percent chance of rain on Thursday.

The wildfire is taking a toll on Alberta’s economy, with one study estimating that the lost oil production will cut the Western Canadian province’s gross domestic product (GDP) by more than C$70 million ($53.91 million) a day.

About 8,000 workers were evacuated from camps and facilities north of Fort McMurray on Tuesday, with both Suncor Energy Inc and Syncrude, majority owned by Suncor, removing all but bare essential staff from their major operations.

None of the oil sands have caught fire, and the industry has redoubled efforts to ensure facilities are well-protected. Officials said facilities have been cleared of vegetation and have lots of gravel on site, reducing the fire risk.

The Canadian supply disruptions have helped boost global oil prices, though Brent crude prices eased on Wednesday as the lost Canadian production was tempered by rising supplies elsewhere. [O/R]

In one encouraging sign for producers, cogeneration electric plants around Fort McMurray increased their output overnight with the restart of Suncor’s Firebag units, the operator of the province’s power grid said on Wednesday.

The roughly 90,000 residents of Fort McMurray are growing frustrated over the lack of an estimate for their return to the oil sands hub, which they were forced to flee about two weeks ago.

Officials told a town hall meeting late on Tuesday that they were narrowing down return dates which they hoped to share “very, very soon,” but added that the city remained unsafe.

($1 = 1.2984 Canadian dollars)

(With additional reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver, Scott DiSavino in New York and Jeffrey Hodgson and Allison Martell in Toronto; Editing by Paul Simao)

Sri Lanka’s torrential rains drive more than 130,000 from homes

People walk through a flooded road after they moved out from their houses in Biyagama

COLOMBO (Reuters) – Flash floods and landslides in Sri Lanka, triggered by more than three days of heavy rain, have forced more than 130,000 people from their homes and killed at least 11, disaster officials said on Tuesday.

Troops have launched rescue operations in inundated areas of the Indian Ocean island, with boats and helicopters pulling more than 200 people trapped in the northwestern coastal district of Puttalam to safety, officials said.

“This is the worst torrential rain we have seen since 2010,” said Pradeep Kodippili, a spokesman for the disaster management center. Nineteen of Sri Lanka’s 25 districts have been hit.

Heavy rains have also struck the neighboring Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. More than 100 houses were damaged in coastal Kerala and about 50 families had been shifted to a relief camp in the state capital, Thiruvananthapuram, a state official said.

The weather department has forecast heavy rains across Tamil Nadu over the next two days and warned fishermen not to go out to sea.

Flooded roads and fallen trees led to traffic jams in the Sri Lankan capital, Colombo. Trains were halted as water submerged railway tracks, officials said.

Flooding and drought are cyclical in Sri Lanka, which is battered by a southern monsoon between May and September, while a northeastern monsoon runs from December to February.

(Reporting by Ranga Sirilal; Writing by Shihar Aneez; Editing by Nick Macfie)

More evacuations as wildfire in Canada shifts north

Smoke and flames from the wildfires erupt behind a car on the highway near Fort McMurray

(Reuters) – Canadian energy producers were hit with fresh disruptions on Tuesday after a massive wildfire burning around the oil sands hub of Fort McMurray, Alberta, shifted north, forcing the evacuation of about 4,000 people from work camps.

Suncor Energy Inc, one of the area’s biggest operators, said early Tuesday that it started a staged and orderly shutdown of its base plant operations as a precautionary measure.

Suncor said there had been no damage to its assets and that it had enhanced fire protection around the facilities.

Suncor and Syncrude Canada late Monday confirmed they had evacuated workers from the affected area.

The sudden movement of the fire prompted the evacuation of some 4,000 people from work camps outside Fort McMurray, with all northbound traffic again cut off at the city, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo said on Monday.

The entire population of Fort McMurray, about 90,000 people, was forced to flee nearly two weeks ago as the uncontrolled wildfire raged through some neighborhoods and destroyed about 15 percent of structures.

On Monday, the blaze continued to burn uncontrolled, covering 285,000 hectares (704,000 acres), officials said. By Monday evening it was moving 30 to 40 meters (98 to 131 feet) per minute and had jumped a critical firebreak north of the city to push into the oil sand camp areas.

Roughly a million barrels per day of oil sands crude production was shut down as a precaution and because of disruptions to regional pipelines. Much of that production remains offline.

Firefighters have managed to protect much of Fort McMurray but evacuated residents have not been allowed to return to their homes, partly because of hot spots around the community.

(Reporting by Jeffrey Hodgson in Toronto; Additional reporting by Nia Williams in Calgary and Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Repair Crews assess Canada Wildfire Damage

Crews begin to work on the burned out remains of the Waterways neighbourhood of Fort McMurray

By Rod Nickel

FORT MCMURRAY, Alberta (Reuters) – Repair crews were expected to assess wildfire damage to the Canadian energy boomtown of Fort McMurray on Tuesday as the oil sands companies surrounding the ravaged city looked at bringing production back on line.

Political leaders got their first glimpse of the city on Monday since wildfire forced 88,000 residents to flee for safety. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley said they were encouraged by how much of it escaped destruction, estimating almost 90 percent of its buildings were saved.

But the tour also revealed scenes of utter devastation, with blocks of homes reduced to blackened foundations, front steps and metal barbecues.

Notley said 2,400 structures had burned within the city while almost 25,000 were saved.

The fire, expected to grow further on Tuesday, ravaged some 204,000 hectares (504,000 acres) of Alberta. But it also moved far enough away from the evacuated town to allow an official delegation to visit on Monday.

Officials warned it was not safe for residents to return, with parts still smoldering and large areas without power, water and gas. Notley said repair crews will have weeks of work ahead of them to make the city safe.

The assessment by officials came a few hours after insurance experts revised sharply downward their estimates of the cost of damage from the blaze, which began on May 1.

Cooler weather, which has helped firefighters battling the blaze, was expected to linger through Thursday, according to Environment Canada. Still, much of Alberta is tinder-box dry after a mild winter and warm spring.

Fort McMurray is the center of Canada’s oil sands region. About half of its crude output, or 1 million barrels per day, has been taken offline, according to a Reuters estimate.

Oil sands companies, which have high fixed costs, are expected to work as quickly as possible to get production back online, but face the challenge of many staff and suppliers being displaced by the evacuation.

In one encouraging sign for industry, Royal Dutch Shell Plc said on Monday it restarted production at a reduced rate at its Albian oil sands mining operation in Alberta, adding it plans to fly staff in and out.

But Imperial Oil said late on Monday it completed a controlled shutdown of its Kearl oil sands mining project, blaming the uncertainties associated with logistics.

(Writing Jeffrey Hodgson in Toronto; Editing by Ryan Woo)

Helicopters, trucks set to remove thousands fleeing Canadian wildfire

Flames rise in Industrial area south Fort McMurray Alberta Canada

By Rod Nickel and Liz Hampton

CONKLIN/LAC LA BICHE (Reuters) – Canada’s government sent trucks and helicopters on Friday to safely remove thousands of evacuees stranded north of a wildfire that ravaged nearly a quarter million acres around the Canadian oil town of Fort McMurray, Alberta.

The out-of-control wildfire has consumed entire neighborhoods in Fort McMurray, forcing 88,000 to evacuate, and threatened two oil sands sites south of the city. While the main fire have turned southeast, away from town, parts of Fort McMurray were still burning.

“Things have calmed down in the city a little bit, but guys are out as we speak, fighting fires, trying to protect your property,” said local fire chief Darby Allen in a video message to residents posted late in the evening.

“The beast is still up, it’s surrounding the city, and we’re here doing our very best for you.”

Some 25,000 evacuees were forced to flee north on Tuesday and Wednesday, as the blaze closed off their only route south. After days on roadsides and at oil sands camps, they clamored for answers on Thursday.

Thousands of evacuees will catch a glimpse of the scorched town as police escort them south towards Alberta’s major cities.

About 8,000 people will be airlifted out, officials said, but most are expected to drive south, with police escorts, once officials determine the highway is safe, likely on Friday.

“The damage to the community of Fort McMurray is extensive and the city is not safe for residents,” said Alberta Premier Rachel Notley in a press briefing late Thursday.

Notley said it would not be responsible to speculate on when residents would be allowed to return: “We do know that it will not be a matter of days,” she said.

South of Fort McMurray, CNOOC Nexen’s Long Lake oil sands facility and Athabasca Oil’s Hangingstone project were in danger, according to emergency officials. Both facilities have been evacuated.

Although the cause of the fire was not known, tinder-dry brush, low humidity, and hot, gusting winds have made it nearly impossible to control.

The blaze, which erupted last Sunday, grew more than tenfold from 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares) on Wednesday to some 210,000 acres (85,000 hectares) on Thursday, an area nearly 10 times the size of Manhattan.

(Additional reporting by Allison Martell; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)