Lake Okeechobee Is Burning

It's hard to believe, but water levels have dropped so low that the lake bottom is dried out and burning.

The second largest-freshwater lake in the continental United States is burning.

Firefighters are working to douse flames that are spreading across the exposed bottom of Lake Okeechobee in the drought-ridden heart of Florida's Everglades.

www.wbir.com...

Florida sure seems to have a lot of environmental problems.
It's drought this week, it could be a hurricane next week, and with global warming the sea might rise up and swallow the whole damn place.

I'm not sure why so many people are moving into that state.





[edit on 1/6/2007 by anxietydisorder]

I saw this on FOX.

The reporter was standnig in an area with high grass that would normally be like 10 ft. underwater. The lake shore is now about a mile from where he was standing. Pretty amazing.

You could see the smoke rising from the fires on other side of the lake.

Apparently they are expected to get some tropical moisture out of the gulf of Mexico over the next few days, so with any luck they'll get at least enough rain to extinguish the fires.

[edit on 6/1/2007 by djohnsto77]

I'm a bit concerned about florida too.

Ive realized a dramatic climate change over the past 5 years that i've lived here. The first 2 years I lived here it was almost non stop rain. Id say every other day or so wed get a good soaking.

The past 3 years everything has been dry. It rained a bit today but before then I cant remember how long its been since we had a decent rain. Seems to get worse year by year.

I saw a weather report about a storm moving into the Gulf that could bring some much needed relief to this drought ridden area, but lightning strikes could start more fires.

The water level in the lake that serves as the main backup water supply for 5 million south Florida residents dropped to a record low yesterday as firefighters continued to fight a fire on part of the exposed lake bottom.

Lake Okeechobee was at 8.94 feet, surpassing the mark of 8.97 feet set during a 2001 drought and tied Wednesday, the South Florida Water Management District reported.
www.journalnow.com...!nationworld&s=103764550916 1

But as mentioned, Florida is in a lot of trouble. The cost of the next major hurricane could break the bank, especially if it hits a major city.

It just seems that this part of the US has more problems than it will be able to deal with in the future.
Floods, fires, drought, and storms, invasive species, Oh My........:shk:

Yea it sucks, but the fishing has been
awesome out in the glades!

I head out there with a buddy
of mine 2-3 times a week.

At least the rain has finally come
in the form of Tropical Storm Barry.

Here in Perth Australia, there are lakes and wetlands too that are drying up, one you can already walk across with only ankle deep stagnant water.

Although this is not entirely nature's global warming and more the sucking up of ground water it still has the same issues. The place has become bone dry and either last year or the year before a huge fire covered the entire city with smoke. i thought it was snowing when it rained ash on my way home from school. The place looked like a pea soup which strangely resembled the scenes from Silent Hill, the ones where all the monsters appear...

Though from what i have heard about Florida, they have had some strange weather, from hurricanes blowing the place apart and saturating it, to drought.

This is the kind of stuff that just makes me think: "What will it be like maybe 20 odd years from now?"

wow thats pretty gnarly to hear! actually quite surreal a whole lake just gone now damn scary!!! what if more do this??

this is june/2007 and this creek i live next too on the ohio river is so low you can step across it..thats a first in the eleven years that iv lived here,,,kinda makes you wonder when lake bottoms are burning in fl.....and i know for a fact that state was humide too the point of un-bearable and now my friends say its more like arazonia or new mexico! may be gwb will reloacate them to that prime realastate he has in paraguay and jenna and barb nude and outstreched arms say "PARTY ON MIAMI!".ITS SNOWING IN PARAGUAY!.......

We've got your rain here in Dallas, and I would be ever so delighted to send it to Florida. If I recall, our forecast is for rain (again).

So our drought is temporarily over.

I suspect we'll see more climate extremes in the future... higher highs, lower lows, droughts and floods in places where they were not common.

As this thread is about fire, You may find this link helpfull,
maps.geog.umd.edu...

Its a web fire map, Shows you where all the fires are,

Very interesting link asala, I had no idea that so many fires were burning around the world, and the number in North America is staggering.


Here's the latest MODIS image from NASA.

This cloud-dotted image of the lake on May 30, 2007, was captured by the MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite. Using not only visible light, but also shortwave and near-infrared, the image highlights burned areas (brick red) and areas where there was likely open flame (bright pink glows). Unburned vegetation is bright green, water is dark blue, and clouds are light blue and white. Smoke is translucent blue. Places where the MODIS detected active fire are outlined in red. (The absence of a fire-detection outline around some of the bright pink areas may be because clouds or smoke interfered with the automatic fire-detection process).
www.spaceref.com...

We have much needed rain falling here in Ontario tonight, and we should have a few wet days ahead of us. It's been a pretty hot week so far, and the rain is a nice relief for everyone.

I'm curious what happens when Florida dries out ???
So much of the flora and fauna is totally dependent on the water to survive.

Ok, so Tropical Storm Barry didn't
bring too much rain..

I, and many others, would be ever so
delighted to accept that rain from Dallas.

I'm a bit concerned about florida too.

Ive realized a dramatic climate change over the past 5 years that i've lived here. The first 2 years I lived here it was almost non stop rain. Id say every other day or so wed get a good soaking.

The past 3 years everything has been dry. It rained a bit today but before then I cant remember how long its been since we had a decent rain. Seems to get worse year by year.

I have lived here in Tampa for a good 15 years now, and two more in Tallahassee. I am only 21 but from all my memories on weather (I don't feel like I can live anywhere else but florida) this just seems liek the normal cycle of events on our climate. Dry years, wet years, dry years, wet years, sometimes they are consecutive, and sometimes they are random.

But anyways, I dont know about yall in Ft lauderdale, but Everything from Central Florida up got plenty of rain. It was going for a good straight 16-20 hours. The doppler I remember seeing on the news showed the entire Florida from southern tip to the panhandle getting some amount of rain at one time during the storm.

Funny thing is the entire May went by without a drop here, and then right on the First of June, BAM comes the water. Thats why I love this state.