Lawrence: What's happening in Los Angeles is a hurricane without rain. It is a hurricane with fire - The Last Word MSNBC

[SunSeeker]

8. Finally, someone explains to non-Californians what Santana winds are.

Last edited Fri Jan 10, 2025, 04:40 AM - Edit history (2)

Santanas have been the scourge of Southern California since before it was California. In 1542, when Spanish explorers landed on the Pacific Coast at the location of the future Port Of Los Angeles, they must have arrived during a Santana wind event, because they found the land covered in smoke, naming it "Bay of the Smoke." https://www.pbssocal.org/shows/lost-la/why-did-a-1542-spanish-voyage-refer-to-san-pedro-bay-as-the-bay-of-the-smoke
But in those days, the fires only had light fuels. The fires quickly raced to the sea and that was that. There were no buildings to burn. Now, buildings and non-native vegetation like eucalyptus trees serve as fire accelerant. And the winds are hotter and faster than ever due to global warming. Now, for the first time, the Santana winds in LA hit 100 mph. That's a hurricane without rain, which is much worse than a hurricane with rain. It is basically a blow torch. All it takes is the spark from, say, one downed power line caused by the wind, or a backyard bbq, and the wind takes it from there. It takes that spark and breathes it into a fire, then explodes that fire across the landscape.