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TAMPA, Fla. — Hurricane Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, Aug. 5, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it slowly passes over the northern part of the state. Forecasters warned that, in the coming days, record-setting rain could pummel coastal Georgia and South Carolina as the storm heads east. The storm made landfall as a Category 1 storm near Steinhatchee, a tiny community in northern Florida of less than 1,000 residents on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving north-northeast at 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm made landfall in one of the least populated areas of Florida, but forecasters warned heavy rain could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. Storm surge was expected to be the biggest threat for Florida, with 6 to 10 feet of inundation above ground level predicted in part of the zone near the Big Bend, according to John Cangialosi, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center. “That part of the coast is a very vulnerable spot,” he said Monday. Some areas, including Sarasota and Manatee counties, have already received 10 to 12 inches of rain. “We expect to have several rivers and streams go into major flood stage,” said Kevin Guthrie, the state’s director of emergency management. Nearly 214,000 customers were without power in Florida on Monday morning, according to PowerOutage.com. In Marion County, which is inland and south of Gainesville, sheriff’s officials noted in a Facebook post Monday that crews were responding to reports of downed power lines and trees that have fallen on roadways and homes. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said some 17,000 linemen are working to restore electricity. He warned residents in affected areas to sit tight until conditions are safe. “When the water rises, when you have streets that can be flooded, that’s hazardous,” DeSantis said. “Don’t try to drive through this. We don’t want to see traffic fatalities adding up. Don’t tempt fate, don’t try to go through these flooded streets.” Images posted on social media by Cedar Key Fire Rescue early Monday showed floodwaters rising along the streets of the city, located south of where the storm made landfall. Water was “coming in at a pretty heavy pace,” the post said. Debby was expected to move eastward over northern Florida and then stall over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, thrashing the region with potential record-setting rains totaling up to 30 inches beginning Tuesday through Saturday morning. Flooding is expected to be especially severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Officials in Savannah said the area could see a month’s worth of rain in four days if the system stalls over the region. Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June. In the Eastern Pacific, tropical storms Carlotta, Daniel and Emilia all churned over the ocean, but they weren’t threatening land.

TRACY, Calif. — First responders were busy in San Joaquin County, Calif. on Friday morning thanks to a pair of big rigs. At approximately 5:30 a.m., South San Joaquin County Fire Authority responded to a report of a vehicle accident involving two big rigs, with one of them being fully involved. No injuries have been reported. The location of the accident was in Tracy near Patterson Pass Road according to media reports in the area.  The incident caused major delays westbound 580 east of International Parkway, which authorities closed while crews were on scene to clear the accident and begin their investigation as well as “mitigate any threats.” Cal Trans and California Highway Patrol are on scene as well. All lanes were reopened around 12:30 p.m. local time according to the reports.

McALLEN, Texas – Two non-U.S. citizens have been ordered to federal prison for their roles in a conspiracy to launder monetary instruments and a related scheme to transport aliens within the United States, according to a July 30 statment issued by U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani along with Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. The U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Texas issued a press release giving details of the case. Luis Enrique Moctezuma-Acosta, 37, and Scarlett Fuentes-Gavarrette, 34, pleaded guilty in March to laundering over $2 million in monetary instruments and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens. Both are Mexican nationals who illegally resided in Mission. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered the couple to serve 240 months in federal prison. Not U.S. citizens, they are expected to face removal proceedings following their sentences. Prosecutors say at the hearing, the court heard recordings of undocumented aliens held against their will and begging their families to pay smugglers for their release. Evidence further revealed the organization proudly boasted about using their trucking business as a front, which not only facilitated the alien smuggling but also enabled the laundering of $2.9 million. According to the release issued by the USASDOT,  the court also considered the lavish lifestyle the co-conspirators led, all while exploiting individuals who were seeking a better life. The organization had referred to them as “products” and abandoned some in the harsh conditions of the brush without food or water, resulting in the death of one. Prosecutors mentioned that in handing down the sentence, the court noted his concurrence that this is one of the largest alien smuggling take downs this district has seen in recent history. “With today’s sentencing, we send a clear and powerful message to all criminal organizations involved in human smuggling and money laundering,” said Hamdani. “From the rural areas of Central America to the bustling streets of Boston, Massachusetts, no criminal organization is beyond the relentless reach of the Department of Justice. The lengthy sentences handed down today are a testament to our unwavering determination to dismantle these ruthless networks and bring their leaders to justice. Let this serve as a stark warning: those who exploit vulnerable individuals for profit will face the full force of the law. We will not rest until every corner of these criminal enterprises is exposed and dismantled, ensuring the safety and dignity of our communities.” “This case started as a money laundering investigation at a business. FBI agents did a phenomenal job following the evidence to uncover a much larger conspiracy involving human smuggling,” said Tapp of the FBI’s San Antonio Field Office. “I want to thank our partners at the Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, the Texas Department of Insurance and the McAllen Police Department for their assistance with this case and their continued partnership in keeping our south Texas communities safe.” Prosecutors say the conspiracy involved a sophisticated network of alien smugglers across the United States utilizing commercial airplanes, tractor-trailers and various other smuggling methods. The investigation, which involved multiple agencies including the FBI, Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Insurance and McAllen Police Department, began in November 2019 and revealed the LEMA smuggling organization brought 2,459 undocumented migrants from the Southwest border regions further into the northern parts of the United States. The network spanned from Honduras to as far north as Boston, Massachusetts, with a heavy emphasis on smuggling Brazilian nationals. Authorities say on March 9, 2023, authorities executed multiple search warrants at Fuentes-Gavarrette and Moctezuma-Acosta’s properties, at which time they seized over $1.5 million in cash. The locations included their residence and a purported car dealership they operated as a front business. Throughout the investigation, law enforcement also seized approximately $2.69 million in assets and several luxury vehicles, such as a 2023 Escalade, 2021 Ford Shelby Truck, jewelry and several pieces of real property. Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.  

FOREST RANCH, Calif. — Fire crews worked Tuesday to maintain the progress made against the largest blaze in California this year ahead of warming temperatures forecast for later this week. Authorities said containment was 14% and lifted evacuation orders in some communities of Butte County, where the Park Fire started last week before spreading to a neighboring county and scorching an area bigger than Los Angeles. The massive fire continues to burn through rugged, inaccessible terrain with dense vegetation, threatening to spread to two other counties. “That’s going to be a continued challenge for us moving forward over the next couple of days,” said Mark Brunton, an operations section chief with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Cooler weather has helped firefighters stop the blaze’s path near some communities like Forest Ranch, where some people began returning to unscathed homes Tuesday. Christopher and Anita Angeloni have lived in the community of 1,600 for 23 years and have had to evacuate several times due to wildfires, including the 2018 Camp Fire that killed 85 people and decimated the town of Paradise, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) south. Christopher Angeloni said he constantly worked on creating defensible space around his home and was happy to return home nearly a week after evacuating to see his hard work paid off. “We were prepared to possibly lose everything,” he said. Anita Angeloni said it has been a stressful week. “We have not been sleeping enough, very tense, praying all the time, teary eyes,” she said. “But we’re here. We’ll see for how long.” The Park Fire, now the fifth largest in the state’s recorded history, was one of more than 100 large active wildfires burning in the U.S. on Tuesday. It has scorched nearly 600 square miles (1,551 square kilometers), according to CAL Fire. For comparison, the city of Los Angeles covers about 470 square miles (1,217 square kilometers). Some blazes were sparked by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the western U.S. endures blistering heat and bone-dry conditions. The Park Fire started last Wednesday after authorities say a man pushed a burning car down a ravine in Chico. It has destroyed nearly 200 structures and is threatening thousands more. The suspect, Ronnie Dean Stout II, was charged with arson on Monday. His public defender, Nicole Diamond, said in an email she had no comment. Some progress against the fire was made after cooler temperatures, more humidity and calmer winds in the last few days helped firefighters reach 14% containment as of Tuesday. In the small forest community of Cohasset in Butte County, Ron Ward ignored evacuation orders last week and stayed behind with his son to defend his property, seeing Park Fire flames hundreds of feet high approach his family ranch. He had lost insurance coverage on the property just a month earlier as companies increasingly drop California homeowners due to the growing risk of wildfires in the state. He said the flames reached within 70 feet (21 meters) of his house. Then they stopped. “It hit our sprinklers and kind of died down and then went around our property and missed, missed all of our structures,” Ward said. His 100-year-old ranch was saved. Ward had to be the one to call his bookkeeper and neighbors to tell them their homes were gone. “They haven’t even been able to get back to look at their homes,” he said, tearing up as he recounted last week’s experience to The Associated Press in an interview Monday. All through Cohasset there were remnants of the devastation, with charred mailboxes and vehicles covered with pink fire retardant dropped by aircraft. The husks of a washer and dryer set were surrounded by burned debris, and a blackened motorcycle was propped upright, balancing on rims after its tires melted away. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, evacuation orders were in effect Tuesday on 25 wildfires. More than 27,000 wildland firefighters and support personnel are assigned to wildfires that have burned more than 3,200 square miles (8,288 square kilometers) nationwide. In Southern California, people in Kern and Tulare counties were ordered to evacuate because of a fire sweeping through the Sequoia National Forest. The Borel Fire scorched through almost the entirety of the historic mining town of Havilah, officials said. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is scheduled to visit the town of 250 people later Tuesday. “We’re seeing so many of these iconic places in California . . . being quite literally devastated by these new realities,” Newsom said. The fires burning throughout the state have overwhelmed California’s firefighting capacity, and outside help has started to arrive, officials said. Newsom thanked Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott on Tuesday for sending more than two dozen fire engines to help combat the Park Fire this week. U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell said one-third of U.S. residents live in an area where human activities and wildland vegetation intersect, creating a higher potential for wildfires, according to a statement. “We question living here for sure,” Ward said of his ranch in Cohasset. But generations have remained since his wife’s great-grandfather settled there in 1905, and he isn’t the one to leave, he said. “There’s a lot of history here,” Ward said. “So we live on this ranch, and we’re committed to this ranch and preserving the ranch.”

FOREST RANCH, Calif. — Over the weekend, improving weather helped firefighters make progress in the battle against wildfires that have covered massive areas and left a trail of damage in the western United States. However, further evacuations and resources have been necessary as thousands of personnel tackle the flames. The so-called Park Fire, the largest wildfire in California this year, was one of more than 100 blazes burning in the U.S. on Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some were sparked by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the western U.S. endures blistering heat and bone-dry conditions. As of Monday, July 29, the Park Fire had scorched an area greater than the city of Los Angeles, darkening the sky with smoke and engaging thousands of firefighters. The blaze spanned more than 562 square miles of inland Northern California. Officials said in an update early Monday that winds and temperatures were expected to increase slightly amid a drop in humidity. Air quality alerts were issued for Monday in the northwestern U.S. and western Canada. The Park Fire started Wednesday when authorities say a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then fled. A man accused of setting the fire was arrested Thursday and is due in court Monday. Firefighters increased containment to 12% on Saturday, aided by cooler temperatures and more humidity, officials said. Although cooler-than-average temperatures are expected through the middle of this week, that doesn’t mean existing fires will disappear, said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. The National Weather Service issued “red flag” warnings Monday for large swaths of Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming, as well as parts of California. The warnings indicated that dry fuels and stronger winds were increasing the fire danger. Fires burned across eastern Oregon and eastern Idaho, where officials were assessing damage from the Gwen Fire, which was estimated at 43 square miles as of Sunday. In California, Paradise and several other Butte County communities were under an evacuation warning Sunday. Yet the fire’s southernmost front, which is closest to Paradise, was “looking really good,” Cal Fire operations section chief Jeremy Pierce said around midday. Officials did not expect it to move farther into Chico, a city of about 100,000 people just west of Paradise. Over the next three days, crews plan to extinguish hot spots and remove hazards, Pierce said. The focus on saving lives and endangered property has shifted to confronting the blaze head-on, Jay Tracy, a Park Fire headquarters spokesperson, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday. Nearly 4,000 firefighters are battling the fire, aided by numerous helicopters and air tankers. Tracy said reinforcements are expected to give much-needed rest to local firefighters, some of whom have been working nonstop since Wednesday. “This fire is surprising a lot of people with its explosive growth. It is kind of unparalleled,” said Tracy. The Park Fire has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Camp Fire that tore through Paradise, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes. Cohasset exhibited remnants of the devastation Sunday. Mailboxes and vehicles were covered with pink fire retardant dropped by aircraft. The husks of a washer and dryer set were surrounded by burned debris, and a charred motorcycle was propped upright, balancing on rims after its tires apparently melted away. Another part of Cohasset was relatively unscathed, said Garrett Sjolund, the Butte County fire chief. “We have an unburned island in that community that we are continuing to patrol and ensure that there are no hot spots in it,” Sjolund said. Managing evacuation orders in the area has been complex. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea said authorities were about to downgrade an order to an evacuation warning for Forest Ranch when they learned a number of hot spots were reported nearby. “That illustrates how rapidly things can change,” Honea said. “We were all set to be able to reduce that order to get people back in there.” In Southern California, about 2,000 people were ordered to evacuate because of a fire sweeping through the Sequoia National Forest. The wind-driven blaze was fed by dry, dead plants and moving fast, eating up more than 60 square miles (155 square kilometers) in four days, Andrew Freeborn of the Kern County Fire Department said. No fatalities have been reported in the Park and Borel fires, but some people were increasing the danger for everyone by disregarding evacuation orders, Freeborn said. “When people are trying to ignore the orders and later call for rescue, that takes firefighters away from the task of fighting the fires,” he said. “This fire is moving at a pace and with such intensity that individuals should not be thinking they can wait until the last minute. They need to get out of the way.” Freeborn said the historic mining town of Havilah and several other communities were “heavily impacted” by the fires, but it was too soon to count the burned homes. Tracy said the Park Fire has destroyed at least 66 structures and damaged five others. Authorities initially believed 134 structures were lost based on drone footage but lowered the number after assessing the damage in person while acknowledging the figure could increase. “Each day that number has potential to grow. Our teams obviously don’t do damage inspections when there is active fire in an area,” Tracy said. Jerry White, 72, left his Magalia home of 50 years when authorities issued an evacuation warning. Years earlier, White sustained third-degree burns, and the memory of that pain made him take the warning seriously. “I don’t want to catch fire again. It’s one of the worst pains you can endure,” White said. “I wanted to get out of dodge. Burns are bad.”

FOREST RANCH, Calif. — Wildfires across the western United States and Canada put millions of people under air quality alerts on Sunday, July 28, as thousands of firefighters battled the flames, including the largest wildfire in California this year. The so-called Park Fire had scorched more than 550 square miles of inland Northern California as of Sunday morning, darkening the sky with smoke and haze and contributing to poor air quality in a large swath of the Northwestern U.S. and western Canada. Although the sprawling blaze was only 12% contained, cooler temperatures and increased humidity could help crews battle the fire, which has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Camp Fire that tore through the nearby community of Paradise, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes. Paradise and several other Butte County communities were under an evacuation warning Sunday. However, Cal Fire operations section chief Jeremy Pierce had some good news for the area, saying around midday that the Park Fire’s southernmost front, which is closest to Paradise, was “looking really good,” with crews focusing on mopping up the area over the next three days. He also said they don’t expect it to move farther into Chico, a city of about 100,000 people just west of Paradise. First responders initially focused on saving lives and property endangered by the Park Fire, but that has shifted to confronting the blaze head-on, Jay Tracy, a spokesperson at the Park Fire headquarters, told The Associated Press by phone Sunday. About 3,400 firefighters are battling the blaze, aided by numerous helicopters and air tankers, and Tracy said reinforcements would give much-needed rest to local firefighters, some of whom have been working nonstop since the fire started Wednesday. “This fire is surprising a lot of people with its explosive growth,” he said. “It is kind of unparalleled.” Although the area expects cooler-than-average temperatures through the middle of this week, that doesn’t mean “that fires that are existing will go away,” said Marc Chenard, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center in College Park, Maryland. The fire has destroyed at least 66 structures and damaged five others, Tracy said. Authorities initially believed 134 structures had been lost, based on drone footage, but they lowered the number after teams assessed the damage in-person. “Unfortunately, that number will probably go up,” Tracy said. “Each day that number has potential to grow — our teams obviously don’t do damage inspections when there is active fire in an area.” The Park Fire started Wednesday, when authorities say a man pushed a burning car into a gully in Chico and then fled. A Chico man accused of setting the fire was arrested Thursday and is due in court Monday. The northern half of the fire still posed a challenge on Sunday, Pierce said, with crews using bulldozers and other equipment to build fire lines across rocky, difficult terrain and to try to stop the flames from spreading. On Friday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in several counties because of the Gold Complex and Park fires, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. “We are using every available tool to protect lives and property as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to combat these challenging fires,” Newsom said to residents. “Stay safe and remain alert for instructions from local authorities as dangerous fire weather conditions continue.” The Park Fire was one of more than 100 blazes burning in the U.S. on Sunday, according to the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Some were sparked by the weather, with climate change increasing the frequency of lightning strikes as the Western U.S. endures blistering heat and bone-dry conditions. A notice from the NIFC on Sunday morning noted that a total of 103 large, active wildfires had already burned more than 2 million acres. Despite the improved fire weather in Northern California, conditions remained ripe for even more blazes to ignite, with the National Weather Service warning of “red flag” conditions on Sunday across wide swaths of Utah, Colorado and Wyoming, in addition to parts of California. In Southern California, a fire in the Sequoia National Forest swept through the community of Havilah after burning more than 48 square miles in less than three days. The town of roughly 250 people had been under an evacuation order. Fires were also burning across eastern Oregon and eastern Idaho, where officials were assessing damage from a group of blazes referred to as the Gwen Fire, which was estimated at 41 square miles in size as of Sunday. The Trucker News Staff contributed to this report.