As fires ravage the northeastern part of the United States and there has been no heavy rain in New York for more than two months, authorities are asking New Yorkers to change their lifestyle.
The area of New York facing a series of fires with a rare intensity for the northeastern United States, especially because of a very long period of drought that is also putting water sources to the test. Local authorities have asked the public to conserve water.
All 8.5 million New Yorkers are asked to report any open fire hydrants, take showers more quickly and only flush toilets if necessary. Barbecues in public areas were also banned, and fires, which were quickly brought under control, also occurred this weekend. Prospect Parkthe big green lung in the heart of Brooklyn.
New York receives water from reservoirs around the region’s rivers, which reached 62% of their capacity on Wednesday, compared to 79.2% in normal times. “Unfortunately, these unseasonably dry conditions do not seem to be ending anytime soon, as we are likely to have a very dry winter ahead.said New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy at a press conference. “The truth is that the drought we are experiencing is just one example of the impact of climate change on our land today, not in the future, but here and now. “added the Democratic governor.
Thousands of hectares burned
Since Friday, firefighters from New York and New Jersey have been battling fires that have burned thousands of acres around the Jennings Creek forest river, an hour away from Manhattan’s skyscrapers. The fires led to the death of an 18-year-old New York state parks worker on Saturday, who may have been killed by a falling tree while assisting with operations.
Driven by winds and low humidity, fires have increased since the beginning of October and have burned three times as many hectares, nearly 4,500, compared to an average of 1,600 in New Jersey. For New York State, these are the worst fires since 2008, said Democratic Governor Kathy Hochul. Dehydration doesn’t help. While Hurricane Helene devastated areas further south in late September, killing at least 101 people in North Carolina, New York and its territory that did not receive much rain during the months of September and October, and still not in November. “It has been more than 20 years since we have measured such a drought in the northeastern United States. “confirms to AFP Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Research Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Like Phil Murphy, other officials have attributed the drought to climate change. For Brian Fuchs, a drought event is not entirely unusual in the northeastern United States. “But the temperature is higher because of climate change. And these higher temperatures may contribute to unprecedented droughts.he explains to AFP. “We are moving more and more quickly from very wet periods to dry periods, and vice versa”he says.
2024-11-13 22:29:00
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