Wildfires

How Wildfires Increase the Threat of Flooding and Debris Flows

Long after the fire is out, the threat of a natural disaster remains in California's burn areas remain

Getty Images

A car is submerged in muddy water in a flooded section of Highway 101 car on January 11, 2018 in Montecito, California.

When a brush fire strips a hillside of vegetation, a water repellent layer of soil forms that prevents absorption as rain falls.

Above, NBC4 forecaster Belen De Leon illustrates why downpours and burn scars are a dangerous combination.

When it rains after wildfires, the risk of flooding is heightened. Here's how.
Copyright AP - Associated Press
Exit mobile version