In the northwestern part of the United States, evacuation orders had to be issued due to the spread of wildfires, in the southeast, floods threaten the capital of Mississippi.
In Josephine County, a forest near the Pacific Ocean in northwestern Oregon, the area affected by the fire tripled in one day, Friday through Saturday, and approached 4,500 hectares. The district police demanded the residents of the area to leave their homes, citing the danger to life and the fact that rescue units may not be able to approach the homes if the flames reach them.
Kate Brown, Oregon’s governor, has put into effect a fire contingency plan, which provides financial resources to fight the blazes.
A lightning bolt in the area set the forest on fire on August 17. A total of 30 sites are battling flames in several areas of Oregon. In the southeastern part of the country, in Mississippi, a state of emergency had to be declared due to severe flooding. The Pearl River, which divides the state, has already inundated many homes and businesses, and residents had to be evacuated in several places. In the state capital, Jackson, the river is expected to reach its peak by Monday, close to flood level two years ago, which means downtown streets will also be underwater.
Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency on Saturday and called, for now, for people living in high-risk areas in Jackson to prepare to leave their homes. According to the warning, commercial and residential areas may also be at risk. Local authorities distributed sandbags to residents and asked them to surround their property.
