Weather chaos in the West: High heat and concerns about fires and flood
Weather alerts blanket the West Coast, even as much of the rest of the country remains relatively quiet weather-wise. All across California and the Pacific Northwest, heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in place, and temperatures are expected to top 100 degrees in spots. A few dry thunderstorms could bring fire concerns, too, and in the Desert Southwest there’s potential for flooding. More than 17 million Americans are under heat advisories on the West Coast, with another million or so included under excessive heat warnings. Advisories stretch through the entire San Joaquin Valley in California and blanket most of Washington state and the northern half of Oregon. Excessive heat warnings are in effect for central Washington state and include the city of Yakima. Continue reading at The Washington Post. (Craig Mitchelldyer)
Ostrom Mushroom Farms faces civil rights lawsuit on gender, other discrimination
Ostrom Mushroom Farms, a major producer in the Pacific Northwest, systematically fired about 80% of its employees at its Sunnyside farm — the majority of whom were women — and replaced them with foreign workers, who were mostly men, under a visa that provides fewer labor rights, according to a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the state attorney general. The lawsuit alleges Ostrom violated the Washington Law Against Discrimination by engaging in retaliation against employees who reported concerns over working conditions and refused to hire U.S.-based workers and women. Attorney General Bob Ferguson said Wednesday during a news conference held at the Centilia Cultural Center in Seattle that his office was seeking pay lost by workers who were unjustly fired, restitution and civil penalties for the company. Continue reading at The Seattle Times. (Daisy Zavala Magaña)
Red flag warnings spark concerns of wildfires in WA. This interactive fire map shows where
Despite being in the thick of wildfire season, Washington firefighters are enjoying a relatively peaceful August. But the National Weather Service in Seattle is warning people not to rest on their laurels, especially over the next couple of days, as dry, hot and unstable conditions have resulted in red flag warnings throughout the state. A red flag warning is issued when dry conditions, warm weather and high winds combine to create a potential fire danger. The Weather Service is also keeping an eye on the potential for isolated thunderstorms over the Cascades on Thursday, where a lightning strike could also ignite a wildfire. Continue reading at The Olympian.
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