As of 24 o'clock Beijing time on the 13th, according to the latest data released by Maui County, Hawaii, USA, the Maui Island fire that broke out on the 8th has caused 93 deaths. How did this fire happen? What do casualties and losses mean? Is it a natural or man-made disaster? Nandu Big Data Research Institute interprets it for you through data.
Before and after the Lahaina fire. (Image source: CCTV News)
Hawaii's worst natural disaster,
Nearly $6 billion in losses have been caused
Hawaii Governor Josh Green said on the 12th that the fire was the most serious natural disaster experienced by Hawaii, and the damage caused by nearly $6 billion. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, more than 2,200 buildings have been damaged or destroyed, 850 hectares have been burned, 4,500 people need shelter, and reconstruction costs are estimated to be as high as $5.52 billion.
The Nandu Big Data Research Institute sorted out and counted several serious natural disasters in Hawaii's history.
Data show that in April 1946, a major tsunami struck Hawaii. The tsunami was caused by a 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck the seabed near the Aleutian Islands, 3,750 kilometers from Hawaii. 45 minutes after the earthquake, huge waves first hit Unimark Island in the Aleutian Islands. The tsunami then traveled south, destroying nearly 500 buildings on the island of Hawaii and killing 159 people.
In May 1960, the year after Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States, a 9.5-magnitude earthquake struck the seabed near Puerto Montt, Chile, causing a tsunami. The tsunami crossed 10,000 kilometers at a speed of 700 kilometers per hour, and 14 hours later, it reached Hilo Harbor in the Hawaiian area. After three waves, 61 people were killed and 43 injured locally.
Images after a wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, USA, August 12. (Image source: Xinhua News Agency)
The Maui fire, the local police said on the 12th, a total of 13 square kilometers of the area burned, the current search and rescue team has only searched 3% of this area, as the search and rescue continues, the death toll is expected to rise further. According to Xinhua, the hardest-hit town of Lahaina has been almost completely destroyed, and wildfires have destroyed several buildings elsewhere. According to CCTV news, the fire threatened more than 35,000 people on Maui, with at least 11,000 tourists evacuated from Maui and thousands of residents fleeing their homes.
The deadliest wildfires in the United States in 105 years,
It has become the fifth deadliest wildfire in history
On the other hand, the fire has consumed at least 93 lives, surpassing the Camp Fire in California, which killed at least 85 people in 2018, and becoming the deadliest wildfire disaster in the United States in 105 years.
At press time, it was the fifth-deadliest wildfire in U.S. history and the deadliest wildfire in 105 years, according to the National Fire Protection Association. With hundreds still missing, the final number of victims is likely to rise. In 1918, the raging fires of Minnesota and Wisconsin killed 453 people and destroyed thousands of homes in both states.
More than a hundred years ago, in October 1871, a fire swept through the Great Lakes region of the United States. It has affected states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Illinois. The small town of Peshtigo in northeastern Wisconsin suffered devastating damage, with at least 1,500 people killed, or about 85% of the town's population at the time.
Also known as the 1881 Forest Fire or the Huron Fire in Michigan, the Thumb Fire of 1881 is named after its location in the Thumb area of Michigan. It spread to the counties of Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac and St. Clair, claiming the lives of 250 people. The main cause of the fire was a months-long drought caused by insufficient rainfall and burned more than 1 million acres in less than a day.
The 1910 fires occurred in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho, and western Montana, and burned to include Bitrut National Forest, Kanifoot National Forest, and Kutenay National Forest. The fire lasted two days and resulted in the death of 87 people, 78 of whom were firefighters. Although not the deadliest toll, the fire is considered the largest wildfire in U.S. history.
In recent years, there have also been many wildfires on the west coast of the United States. For example, due to high temperatures and thunderstorms, 87 wildfires have continued to spread in 10 states on the west coast of the United States, including California, Oregon and Washington, since August 2020, killing a total of 36 people and forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. California was the worst hit, destroying more than 4,000 homes and setting fire to 1.34 million hectares, equivalent to 16 New York City.
This is a natural disaster,
Hawaii was hit by high winds and drought at the time of the fire
Hawaii is an island and a well-known tourist destination, why is there such a scale of wildfires? According to local scientists, the fire was caused by a combination of environmental factors.
On the one hand, human-induced climate change is exacerbating the generation and spread of extreme weather, and Hawaii was experiencing severe drought before the fires.
The U.S. Drought Monitor weekly report shows that drought in Hawaii intensified the week before the fire broke out and contributed to the spread of the fire to some extent. Severe drought in Maui County rose to 16 percent from 5 percent last week, while moderate drought increased from 6 percent to 14 percent across Hawaii. Some local scientists say that as global temperatures rise, droughts will become more severe: rising temperatures will increase the amount of water that the atmosphere can absorb, drying out the surface and making it more difficult to fight fires.
In addition, strong winds also made the fire completely out of control. The National Weather Service noted that while Category 4 Hurricane Dora was raging south of Hawaii with winds of 225 kilometers per hour, the strong high-pressure system remained in the north, and the two forces combined to produce "extremely strong destructive winds." It is understood that on the 7th local time, the Honolulu office of the National Weather Service issued a fire warning and a strong wind warning, and in less than 24 hours, a strong wind of 130 km / h blew on Maui, Hawaii, resulting in the destruction of many power poles and the power outage of more than 12,000 people. In the early morning of the 8th local time, the Kula area of Maui Island was the first major fire, and on the 9th, it has spread to the surrounding 400 hectares.
It also contains man-made disasters,
The local government did not give timely warnings and poor rescue
In addition to the complex meteorological conditions, there are also human factors that may aggravate the disaster.
At present, the specific cause of this fire has not been announced, and the Nandu Big Data Research Institute has sorted out the main causes of forest fires in the United States.
The U.S. National Park Service says nearly 85 percent of wildfires in the country are caused by human factors, possibly accidentally caused by unattended campfires, burning debris, using various equipment and improperly discarding cigarettes. The agency said deliberate arson was another source of man-made wildfires. In addition to the human factor, there are also natural causes such as lightning and volcanic activity.
In addition, according to the agency, the damage caused by wildfires in the United States has increased significantly over the past two decades. Since 2000, the United States has averaged 72,400 wildfires per year, involving 2.84 million hectares of land, twice the area scorched by wildfires in the '90s.
It is worth noting that according to CCTV news reports, Hawaii claims to have the world's largest outdoor networked public safety early warning system.
A review of the data found that Hawaii deployed about 400 sirens across the state to alert people to threats such as natural disasters. Among them, Maui, the second largest island, has 80 sirens, accounting for about 1/5. However, Hawaii Emergency Management Agency records show that Hawaii State and Maui County did not sound sirens when the fire swept through Maui. Many people said they had not heard the sirens or even received the information. Some people who have lived in Lahaina for 40 years have questioned that in the past, local alarms were tested on average once a month, but for some reason they "dropped the chain" at a critical moment.
Outdoor alarm devices in the state of Hawaii. (Image source: Xinhua News Agency)
Local media also revealed that Hawaii state officials underestimated the deadly threat of the fire and faced problems such as insufficient funding for relief. Local lawmakers revealed in an interview with CCTV News that safety advice for hurricanes, tsunamis, flash floods or earthquakes is clear and visible on the Hawaii State Emergency Management Agency's public resource webpage. As for the threat of wildfires, there are only two brief descriptions at the bottom of the page, and there is no similar advice on how to stay safe, "We underestimate the severity and rapidity of the fire."
The Global Times quoted local media as saying that the official relief work for the disaster was also very lagging behind, and the early relief work was almost entirely organized by local residents, "completely invisible to the National Guard, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state governments and local governments."
In response, the Hawaii State Attorney General's Office issued a statement on August 11 local time, saying that Attorney General Anne Lopez will lead a comprehensive assessment of the state's emergency response to understand "official decisions before and during wildfire disasters." Governor Green also made it clear in an interview that he would investigate the department's response to the fire and the operation of the emergency notification system.
Produced by: Nandu Big Data Research Institute
Data collection and analysis: Chen Zeran
Cartography: Gandan
Data source: Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Weather Service, National Park Service, Hawaii State Government, National Fire Protection Association, Xinhua News Agency and other media reports
Image source: Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News, etc