As wildfires continue to burn across Southern California, meteorologists are urging families, businesses, emergency officials and fire crews in the region to prepare for gusty winds and an elevated fire threat returning this week.
A burnt neighbourhood in California. Photo credit: Ariana Drechsler for The New York Times
“Winds circulating around an area of high pressure over the Great Basin will produce another round of Santa Ana winds early this week. An area of low pressure off the Pacific Coast will amplify those winds in some of the same areas that were hit hard by the fast-moving, wind-driven infernos,” AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist, Jonathan Porter, said.
Stronger winds will arrive early this week, AccuWeather expert meteorologists said, forecasting 40-60 mph wind gusts in areas prone to Santa Ana winds starting on Monday through Wednesday morning, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 85 mph.
“Gusty winds in the forecast next week are not expected to be as intense as the windstorm that led to these destructive fires, but we are concerned about another potential extreme fire risk on Monday and Tuesday,” Porter said.
Winds early next week may be more easterly and can behave differently than the powerful northeast winds the region experienced during the windstorm this week. However, they can still cause significant wildfire dangers.
“The wind is carrying wildfire smoke and hazardous particulates in the air that can travel miles away from the fire zone. This unhealthy air quality can trigger asthma and other respiratory issues. Extended exposure to wildfire smoke can lead to serious health problems,” Porter warned. “This is a major public health concern since millions of people could be exposed to unhealthy air quality through the weekend in the Los Angeles area.”
A continuation of the extremely dry pattern that started back in the spring of 2024 is expected to continue. Los Angeles has not received a quarter of an inch of rain since mid-April last year, a period when downtown L.A. typically receives between 5 and 6 inches of rain.
Catastrophic impacts and staggering damage estimates
AccuWeather experts increased their preliminary estimate for total damage and economic loss from California’s fast-moving, wind-driven infernos to $135 billion to $150 billion on Thursday, January 9, 2025.
“AccuWeather’s preliminary estimate for the total damage and economic loss from the wildfires has increased from $135 billion to $150 billion. This is a tragic disaster that will be remembered as the most destructive wildfire in California’s modern history, and likely one of the most destructive fires in modern U.S. history,” Porter said. “AccuWeather estimates the total damage and economic loss from these fast-moving, wind-driven infernos will cost nearly 10 times as much as the devastating 2023 wildfires in Maui. AccuWeather experts estimated the total damage and economic loss from the fires in Hawaii at $13 billion to $16 billion.”
Porter says this multi-billion-dollar weather disaster will have impacts and ripple effects that will be felt across the country in the coming months.
“The combined total damage and economic loss estimates for U.S. weather disasters in the past 12 months has reached a staggering $606 billion to $674 billion. We had an incredibly destructive hurricane season, devastating tornado outbreaks, and now a historic wildfire disaster in January. This estimated amount is equivalent to roughly 2.5 percent of the annual gross domestic product of the United States,” Porter said. “These disasters are occurring more frequently, with more families and businesses feeling the direct and harmful impacts.”
Porter says much of the damage and losses have impacted high-risk and vulnerable areas where insurance carriers have been dropping coverage in recent months.
“The insurance crisis in the United States will worsen following the catastrophic damage from these wildfires. Insurance companies are facing tremendous losses, and the rising costs of insurance coverage are impacting people across the country,” Porter said. “This is a clear impact of climate change as we witness the acceleration of extreme weather events. In a world of increasing impacts from extreme weather, and more people living in areas vulnerable to disasters, our country needs to find new ways to solve this complicated insurance crisis.”
