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California wildfires: Rain will help stop the blaze but brings danger of
flash floods
Rain expected to improve air quality for residents returning to their homes

Mythili Sampathkumar New York | @MythiliSk | Tuesday 20 November 2018 20:47 |

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The Independent US

The National Weather Service has warned about the threat of flash
floods with rain predicted for areas in northern California affected by the state's
deadliest wildfire,

Areas near the mountains, in particular, have no trees to stop rainwater due to the
blaze, and the scorched earth will not be able to absorb even the moderate amount
of rain expected.
The pending rain also brings the problem of mudslides and boulders on local
roads as well as ash and debris being carried into streams.

Watch more “Cal Fire and

weather
service
officials said
the soil just
below the
 surface gets
packed by
intense
wildfire heat
and can
become
impermeable
to water,
causing an
almost instant
wash off of
debris, ash and
loose dirt
during
extremely
Trump mistakenly calls wildfire-ravaged town of Paradise 'Pleasure'
heavy
rainstorms,” the Sacramento Bee reported.

Those in the vicinity of the Camp Fire in Butte County, the Delta and Hirtz fires
near Shasta City and Redding, California, and residents near the Mendocino
Complex fire around Clear Lake, have all been warned of the flash floods.

Most people in the area evacuated during the height of the blazes but returned to
survey the damage.
 Camp fire: Video shows 'firenado' raging during California wildfire

Several residents have been staying in caravans or tents in vacant parking lots as
they try to recover possessions and rebuild their lives.

Due to the possible flooding though, more indoor shelters have been opened in
the region.

Wildfires spread across California – in pictures Show all 32

The storm is expected to begin midweek and last through part of the weekend,
with another storm hitting next week.

Search and rescue crews may also be hampered by the rain.

 Support free-thinking journalism and subscribe to Independent Minds

They are surveying a massive area. “Here we’re looking for very small parts and
pieces, and so we have to be very diligent and systematic,” said Joe Moses, a

commander with the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office told the local CBS
News station.

Sheriff Kory Honea expressed doubt the searches would be completed before the
rain began.
Read more There is some positive
Trump's 'raking' claim leaves Finland
news from the rain -
bewildered
firefighters and public
health officials say it
will help to control or
Wildfire search teams step up efforts to find stop the blazes and
remains before rain hits
clear up the unhealthy
amounts of smoke and
debris that have been
Trump is wrong – poor forest management in the air for the past 10
plays minor role in wildfires days.

It will also put a halt to

"fire concerns for the
winter," meteorologist
in the National Weather Service's Sacramento office Robert Baruffaldi told CNN.

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