Here in Virginia we know all about flash floods, but in this age of climate change, we’re also seeing more of what experts call flash droughts. UVA Professor Venkat Lakshmi says these occur in a matter of days or weeks when certain conditions apply.
“Low precipitation coupled with high air temperatures and wind.”
The wind carries moisture away from land, creating conditions that are right for wild fires.
“Dry conditions in the soil and more importantly dry conditions in the vegetation, and secondly you want to have a lot of fuel. That is you want to have a lot of vegetation for the burn to be sustained, and lastly you have to have ignition.”
That could mean a lightning strike, but it could also be a spark from a campfire, a discarded cigarette or faulty electrical equipment. Knowing that, Lakshmi says, we can take precautions – whether we live on a tropical island or in the state of Virginia.
“Now and then you hear about Fourth of July fireworks being canceled because of the fact that the vegetation is very dry, and that’s a very important precaution," he says.
The key is to monitor for conditions that indicate a flash drought is underway. That was the case in Hawaii, where non-native grasses, planted to feed cattle, dried out, making it possible for fire to spread rapidly.
