Wildfires Break-Out in New Mexico, Drought Persists in Areas, High Wind Warning Issued
Pastor Dewey Moede
Wind and fire struck two areas of New Mexico yesterday. KOB TV is reporting that officials say three homes, and seven other buildings burned in the fire near Moriarty. One firefighter was injured, there is no word on the condition of this hero. No residents were hurt. The other fire is near Socorro. The National Weather Service representatives say the fire started around 3 p.m. Sunday in the Bosque north of Socorro. They’re calling it the “Hilton Fire.”
Much of New Mexico is still very dry, despite the snow fall. New Mexico Drought Monitor. Mix in the drought, strong winds, fire and you have a potential disaster. Do not be fooled by the snow we have had. Here in Taylor Ranch, it is very dry. I love to garden, I started working in the yard in the middle of March. I know it is dry as I dig into the soil.
The death toll rose to 32 as more dangerous weather was forecast for a wide swath of the South and Midwest thisi. The area is already in ruins from a surge of storms that fueled confirmed or suspected tornadoes in at least 11 states.
There have been about 100 tornadoes above average for this time of year, experts say. One factor has been the unusually warm water temperatures in the Gulf of Mexico.
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One tornado at the center of the destructionin Arkansas drew stunning preliminary data from the National Weather Service – an EF3 with winds of up to 165 mph, 30 miles long and 1.3 miles wide.
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Even before Friday’s outbreak, there had been more than 300 tornadoes so far, and according to Storm Prediction Center data, it was the third-most-active start to a year on record in the U.S.
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A “powerhouse jet stream” moving in from the Plains was moving Friday’s storms at highway speeds, and a similar effect is expected Tuesday.
