Nov 21st

What happened this week?

California Wildfires: Rain in the forecast will help firefighters but could also trigger mudslides. Up to four inches of rain is expected to fall from late on Tuesday through Friday in the Sierra foothills, the National Weather Service's Weather Prediction Center said. The rain is good news for fire fighters battling to extinguish the flames, but has also triggered warnings of landslides in areas where the fires have burnt away trees and brush and scorched the earth. Read more 

California Areas Torched By Wildfires Face New Dangers - Flooding and Mudslides. The rain that's forecasted for later this week may give California some much/-needed relief from the deadly and destructive wildfires plaguing the state. But too much sudden rainfall may pose its own dangers for land that has been burned. Read more   

Interesting Facts

Air Pollution from California Wildfires 60 Times Above Safe Limit. Air pollution from California's deadly wildfires was 60 times higher than world health standards for safe air quality. Particulates in the air in some parts of the state measured as high as 1,500 micro-grams per cubic meter last week - far exceeding the World Health Organization's threshold of 25 micro-grams for particulate pollution. Read more 

Policy Developments and Outlook

NASA Mobilizes to Aid California Fires Response. For the past two weeks NASA scientists and satellite data analysts have been working every day producing maps and damage assessments that can be used by disaster managers battling the Woolsey Fire near Los Angeles and the Camp Fire in Northern California. The agency-wide effort also deployed a research aricfraft over the Woolsey Fire on Nov. 15 identigy burned areas at risk of mudslides in advance of winter rains expected in the area. Read more