Often made of peat, dike walls are more likely to dry out and become unstable due to lack of rain. After weeks of drought and intense summer heat, the Netherlands has declared a state of emergency.
Severe droughts and scarce rain have forced water restrictions in southern European countries. Climate change is making itself felt across the continent.
More than 5,000 firefighters battled multiple wildland blazes in dry, windy weather across the Southwest on Thursday, including a fire that has destroyed dozens of structures in west Texas and another that's picking up steam again in New Mexico.
In a news conference Tuesday, Lujan Grisham acknowledged she did not have hard figures — most recent estimates had put losses of homes at 366 — but added “given the nature of this fire … I don’t think it’s an exaggeration.”
A changing climate is raising temperatures, drying the landscape and changing weather patterns, making more neighborhoods vulnerable to wildfires, especially those in wooded areas.
