Critical Fire Danger for PNW: Red Flag Warning in Effect

The National Weather Service in Pendleton has issued a Red Flag Warning and a heat advisory for much of Eastern Washington and the lower Columbia Basin of Oregon.

A Red Flag Warning means warm temperatures, extremely low humidities, and stronger winds combine together producing a greater risk of fire danger.

National Weather Service-Pendleton-Facebook

• If you're allowed to burn in your area, burn barrels should be covered with a metal cover, with holes not larger than 3/4 of an inch.

• Never leave a fire unattended. Sparks can blow into leaves or grass ignite a fire, and spread rapidly.

• Put out all fires properly. (This means drowning the fire with lots of water. Stir the the ash and remnants to make sure everything is cold to the touch. Dunk charcoal in water till it's cold. Do not leave charcoal on the ground.)

• NEVER throw cigarettes or matches out of a moving vehicle.

The Red Flag Warning for Benton County remains in effect till 10 pm, Wednesday.

X-Benton County, WA Government

Get our free mobile app

'DRY thunderstorm'. Nonstop Local News

What is a DRY thunderstorm?

In a nutshell, a dry thunderstorm produces rain that falls from the cloud and evaporates. It doesn't reach the ground surface.

LOOK: The most extreme temperatures in the history of every state

Stacker consulted 2021 data from the NOAA's State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) to illustrate the hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in each state. Each slide also reveals the all-time highest 24-hour precipitation record and all-time highest 24-hour snowfall.

Keep reading to find out individual state records in alphabetical order.

Gallery Credit: Anuradha Varanasi

LOOK: The most expensive weather and climate disasters in recent decades

Stacker ranked the most expensive climate disasters by the billions since 1980 by the total cost of all damages, adjusted for inflation, based on 2021 data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The list starts with Hurricane Sally, which caused $7.3 billion in damages in 2020, and ends with a devastating 2005 hurricane that caused $170 billion in damage and killed at least 1,833 people. Keep reading to discover the 50 of the most expensive climate disasters in recent decades in the U.S.

Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF