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

[Rhiannon12866]

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell explains how the Santa Ana winds took a spark and turned it into an “explosion of flame” that created the deadly Los Angeles wildfires. - Aired on 01/09/2025.

[ancianita]

1. Anyone who's been in a hurricane knows he's exactly right.

[Klarkashton]

2. The name comes from "Santana" or devil winds.

The Santa Ana thing is just a mispronounced thing that became popularized.

[Rhiannon12866]

3. Wow! Thanks! I did not know that!

[Klarkashton]

4. It's always been in dispute. But it's so prevalent as

Santa Ana that it's now taken for granted.

[Rhiannon12866]

5. That's unfortunately true for a lot of terms - thanks for explaining this

[pfitz59]

6. I was born in Orange County.

Raised in California. LA is not the exception. The entire west coast from Mexico to Canada is at the mercy of the desert winds. People do we they can, but the scale of the problem is beyond most reckoning. The best solution is to build fire-proof and fire-resistant buildings and landscaping. The know how exists. The wherewithal is lacking. Before a single replacement home is rebuilt, the city, state and county must revise building codes and rethink mitigation efforts. We can build better, before the next firestorm hits.

[Rhiannon12866]

7. And yet people tend to think that living in California is utopia, great climate and weather and progressive values

This is a lesson for the rest of us across the country - and our hearts go out to those experiencing these devastating fires - and winds. And you're certainly right, anything built needs to be with the winds and fireproofing in mind. I just hope that people consider starting over, but I agree that changes need to be made.

[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.

[Rhiannon12866]

9. Wow! Thank you for the detailed explanation