About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 26, 2020)
TODAYS TOP HEADLINES The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Midweek Edition - August 26-27, 2020 ★ 3A Many flee Gulf Coast Hundreds of thousands prepare for Hurricane Laura landfall DAVID J. PHILLIP I Associated Press Issac Alvarado boards up windows of coastal decor store Bayside Chic, Tuesday, Aug. 25, in Galveston, Texas, as Hurricane Laura heads toward the Gulf Coast. Fires threaten Calif, ahead of usual peak BY DON THOMPSON AND HAVEN DALEY Associated Press VACAVILLE, Calif. - California’s firefight ing agency is in talks with the National Guard and California Conservation Corps about pro viding reinforcements as an already devastat ing wildfire season threatens to get even worse. Lightning-sparked fires that have grown to some of the largest in state history have pushed firefighters to the breaking point as they also deal with complications from the coronavirus pandemic and depleted inmate crews. “Historically it’s September and October when we experience our largest and our most damaging wildfires. So to be in the middle of August and already have the second- and the third-largest wildfires in our state’s history is very concerning to us,” Daniel Berlant, chief of wildfire planning and engineering at the Cali fornia Department of Forestry and Fire Protec tion, said Tuesday. For now, cooler temperatures are helping firefighters begin to corral three huge clusters of fires ignited Aug. 15. The blazes have killed at least seven people, burned nearly 1,300 homes and other buildings, and prompted evacuation orders that still affect an estimated 170,000 people. Firefighters in wine country north of San Francisco have cleared containment lines — used to prevent fires from spreading — around a quarter of the fires there that have scorched more than 550 square miles and destroyed more than 930 buildings. It is now the second- largest blaze in California history. To the east of San Francisco, firefighters created containment lines around 15% of a group of fires that have charred more than 568 square miles, making it the third-largest in state history. And to the south, officials said progress was made against fires in San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties that have grown to 123 square miles, destroyed 330 structures and threatens another 25,000. People were trickling back to the outskirts of Vacaville to see what remained of their homes. Art Thomas, 76, said he found only ashes and melted metal at the site of the home he built with his own hands in a rural area where he had lived for 32 years. “Possessions dating back to when I was a kid were all in the house, everything is gone,” Thomas said. “Between sad, crying, laughing every emotion is there.” The severe challenges have occurred even before the traditional peak of fire season, when hot, dry autumn winds can send flames roaring faster than any attempts to contain them. “We have to continue to plan for seeing if there are additional resources” not only within California, but what would be quickly available from nearby states, Berlant said. BY JOHN M0NE AND STACEY PLAISANCE Associated Press GALVESTON, Texas — In the largest U.S. evacuation of the pandemic, more than half a million people were ordered to flee the Gulf Coast on Tuesday as Laura strengthened into a hurricane that fore casters said could slam Texas and Louisi ana with ferocious winds, heavy flooding and the power to push seawater miles inland. More than 385,000 residents were told to flee the Texas cities of Beaumont, Galves ton and Port Arthur, and another 200,000 were ordered to leave low-lying Calcasieu Parish in southwestern Louisiana, where forecasters said as much as 13 feet of storm surge topped by waves could sub merge whole communities. The National Hurricane Center pro jected that Laura would draw energy from warm Gulf waters and become a Category 3 hurricane before making landfall late Wednesday or early Thursday, with winds of around 115 mph. The strengthening may slow or stop just before landfall, fore casters said. “The waters are warm enough every where there to support a major hurricane, Category 3 or even higher. The waters are very warm where the storm is now and will be for the entire path up until the Gulf Coast,” National Hurricane Center Deputy Director Ed Rappaport said. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said Laura is shaping up to look a lot like Hurri cane Rita did 15 years ago when it ravaged southwest Louisiana. “We’re going to have significant flood ing in places that don’t normally see it,” he said. Ocean water was expected to push onto land along more than 450 miles of coast from Texas to Mississippi. Hurricane warnings were issued from San Luis Pass, Texas, to Intracoastal City, Louisiana, and storm surge warnings from the Port Arthur, Texas, flood protection system to the mouth of the Mississippi River. The evacuations could get even bigger if the storm’s track veers to the east or west, said Craig Fugate, the former head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Fearing that people would not evacuate in time, Edwards said those in southwest Louisiana need to be where they intend to ride out Laura by noon Wednesday, when the state will start feeling the storm’s effects. Officials urged people to stay with rela tives or in hotel rooms to avoid spreading the virus that causes COVID-19. Buses were stocked with protective equipment and disinfectant, and they would carry fewer passengers to keep people apart, Texas officials said. Whitney Frazier, 29, of Beaumont spent Tuesday morning trying to get transpor tation to a high school where she could board a bus to leave the area. “Especially with everything with COVID going on already on top of a man datory evacuation, it’s very stressful,” Fra zier said. The storm also imperiled a center of the U.S. energy industry. The government said 84% of Gulf oil production and an estimated 61% of natural gas production were shut down. Nearly 300 platforms have been evacuated. While oil prices often spike before a major storm as production slows, consum ers are unlikely to see big price changes because the pandemic decimated demand for fuel. As of Tuesday evening, Laura was 435 miles southeast of Lake Charles, Louisi ana, traveling west-northwest at 17 mph. Its peak winds were 85 mph. Laura passed Cuba after killing nearly two dozen people on the island of Hispan iola, including 20 in Haiti and three in the Dominican Republic, where it knocked out power and caused intense flooding. The deaths reportedly included a 10-year- old girl whose home was hit by a tree and a mother and young son crushed by a col lapsing wall. As much as 15 inches of rain could fall in some parts of Louisiana, said Donald Jones, a National Weather Service meteo rologist in Lake Charles, Louisiana. At Grand Isle, Louisiana, Nicole Fantiny said she planned to ride out the hurricane on the barrier island along with a few dozen other people. “It could still change, but we keep on hoping and praying that it keeps on going further west like it’s doing,” said Fantiny, who manages a restaurant. In Galveston and Port Arthur, Texas, mandatory evacuation orders went into effect shortly before daybreak Tuesday. “If you decide to stay, you’re staying on your own,” Port Arthur Mayor Thurman Bartie said. Shelters opened with cots set farther apart to curb coronavirus infections. Peo ple planning to enter shelters were told to bring just one bag of personal belongings each, and a mask to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Officials in Houston asked residents to prepare supplies in case they lose power for a few days or need to evacuate homes along the coast. Some in the area are still recovering from Hurricane Harvey three years ago. Laura’s arrival comes just days before the Aug. 29 anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which breached the levees in New Orleans, flattened much of the Mis sissippi coast and killed as many as 1,800 people in 2005. Less than a month later, Hurricane Rita struck southwest Louisi ana as a Category 3 storm. we smile you smile. FW.C0K5 in all of life's moments. Whether in-class or online, on-the-field or off-the-field, BGW Dental Group is proud to serve and support all of the students, faculty, staff and parents throughout North Georgia. Pictured left to right: Zion Moon, Defensive End Dr. Cindy Greene, BGW Dentist QJ dental group Accepting new patients 770-870-5428 | bgwdentalgroup.com Voted Best of Hall 5 years in a row | 2019 GHCC Small Business of the Year Healthy Hall 2020 Dentist of the Year - Dr. Richard Bennett Players this Tire Repair-Balance • 2 & 4 Wheel Alignments • Truck Lift Kits Available Plus! 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