In the last two weeks alone, we, like many others, have seen seemingly countless news reports of devastating flooding, fires, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and more throughout our country and around the world.
There have been reports of deadly flooding across portions of our country, and much of the West is dealing with smoky skies and fires that feel too close to home.
In Ruidoso, N.M., the burn scars from last year’s devastating wildfires contributed to flooding that literally carried homes away. In Arizona and Utah, fires have destroyed historic landmarks and homes.
The number of lives lost in Texas and elsewhere to flash floods continues to rise as heroic crews work to find those still listed as missing.
We mourn those lives lost to flooding, many of them children, and watch as officials and others look into what could have been done differently or better with hopes that determining those things will help the next inevitable natural disaster not be as deadly and devastating.
And we, like many others, continue to watch the forecasts and check in with friends and family who live in areas affected by severe weather.
We also continue to remember just how lucky we are, and that we need to be prepared for whatever may come our way.
Pagosa Country is experiencing drought, lackluster monsoonal moisture and a lot of dry lightning.
However, we were lucky to receive late spring moisture that’s helped lightning strikes not turn into full-blown fires quickly like elsewhere, and we’re thankful for the quick, efficient and smart fire management staff who call this area home and use their talents and knowledge for our benefit.
Earlier this year, when a fire was dangerously close to the power lines that feed Archuleta County, the U.S. Forest Service and its partners combated it swiftly and efficiently, throwing resources at it and avoiding a situation that could have negatively impacted people in so many ways.
In the last couple of weeks, we’ve kept tabs on area fire personnel as they’ve quickly managed to quell a number of fires started by lightning, including the Little Devil Fire earlier this week.
While we know there will be more summers where we cover large-scale fires in our area for months at a time, we much prefer covering smaller fires lasting only a few days where values are protected.
In a time when almost everything feels divided, our area agencies continue to work incredibly well together night and day to have all hands on deck quickly to minimize risk, as well as the fear of living in fire-prone areas. For that, we are very sincerely thankful. If you see one of these folks out and about, we encourage you to express your appreciation for their services.
We need to also thank them by doing our part to prevent fires and to be prepared in the event one pops up close to home.
Numerous resources exist for helping you prepare for emergencies. Let’s use them and be prepared. You never know where Mother Nature will strike next.
Randi Pierce
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