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United States
30,000 Evacuate Due to L.A. Fires
Across California’s Los Angeles County, more than 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate their homes and 200,000 have suffered power outages as winds stoke three wildfires. A state of emergency has been declared, leaving roads gridlocked. The massive Palisades Fire broke out on Tuesday afternoon, prompting mandatory evacuations affecting tens of thousands of people and highway closures. Later Tuesday, the Eaton Fire broke out in the foothills of Pasadena and the Hurst Fire was reported in Sylmar. Extraordinarily powerful winds and gusts of up to 99 mph (159 km/h) have been reported, and officials say this was not a typical Santa Ana wind event, but a weather phenomenon of brief bursts of very strong, dangerous winds. On Tuesday night, these extreme bursts of winds made an air attack against the wildfires impossible. The National Weather Service announced the most extreme conditions are expected this morning.
This map depicts the fire evacuation areas in and near Los Angeles, California. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Trump Suggests Expansion
Statements by President-elect Donald Trump on potential expansion of United States territory have prompted foreign officials to respond on the legality and feasibility of the plans. In a press conference held from his Mar-a-Lago residence on Tuesday, Trump repeated an interest in Greenland becoming part of the United States, in addition to Canada, and for the United States to resume control of the Panama Canal. Greenland is a territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, a member of NATO with the United States, and also the European Union. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, responding to questioning in Danish media, said Greenland was “not for sale,” but proceeded to highlight the positive relations between Denmark and the United States. The Panama Canal was controlled by the U.S. for decades but was handed over to Panama in 1999 in accordance with a treaty signed by recently-deceased former President Jimmy Carter. Panama’s Foreign Minister Javier Martínez-Acha said the Panama Canal would only ever be operated “by Panamanian hands.”
This map depicts the the country of Canada, the Danish territory of Greenland, and the Panama Canal, in relation to the United States. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump suggested in a press conference that the United States might take control of these areas. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Herald Sun
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United States
First Human Bird Flu Death
Louisiana has reported the first patient death from H5N1 avian influenza, or “bird flu.” There have been 66 documented cases of bird flu infections in humans since the first confirmed case nine months ago. Most of those have suffered only mild symptoms. The deceased patient was over 65 and had underlying health conditions. Bird flu has proven unusual in its ability to jump between wildlife, domesticated animals, and humans, though researchers say there is still no evidence of the virus being transmitted between human beings. Health authorities urge extra caution for workers in poultry and dairy operations, which have been adversely affected by the disease and where most human infections have originated, and for hunters who may unknowingly handle infected wildlife.
This map depicts the U.S. States where human infections by H5N1 avian influenza have been documented. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What modern-day city was home to the longest aqueduct system of the ancient world (3000 BC – AD 500)?
A: Istanbul
Aqueducts were not a Roman invention, but in Roman hands these long-distance aqueducts developed further and extensively diffused throughout one of the largest empires in history. In AD 324, the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great made Constantinople the new capital of the Roman Empire. The most spectacular late-Roman aqueduct, the water supply lines of Constantinople, are found in Istanbul in present-day Turkey. Although the city lies at the geopolitically important crossroads of land routes and seaways, fresh water supply was a problem. As the city grew, this system expanded, giving the aqueduct a total length of at least 265 miles (426 km), making it the longest of the ancient world.
Source
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Q: What U.S. state is home to the largest intact temperate rainforest in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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