A scientist who runs a small Facebook weather page is credited with saving hundreds of lives by warning Californians to pack up and prepare to flee before impending wildfires start.
Edgar McGregor (24) uses his local page to Altadena weather and climate, In order to accurately predict situations that will result in a “catastrophe”, People magazine reported.
He warned on January 6, the day before major wildfires began. “Southern California is about to be hit by the most powerful Santa Ana storm.”[s] “Since the beginning of time,” with “world record fire hazards.”
Then, on January 7, when the Palisades Fire began, climate scientists warned neighbors to stay awake, on high alert, and prepare to evacuate. Many credit this with saving countless lives.
“I haven't even been able to mentally process it,” McGregor told People about being called a hero. “I didn't rush into a burning building and get third-degree burns trying to save someone's life. That's why people send me all these comments and I just did my job. I think so in my heart.”
McGregor said late last year there were signs that weather conditions could lead to a historic fire.
“I knew on December 30th that the conditions when this storm hit would be a carbon copy of the conditions on the ground in Lahaina and Paradise, Hawaii. Both areas are completely flat. “We're losing about 100 people every day,” McGregor told PEOPLE.
“I told people that if there was a wildfire, 1,000 homes would burn down. This would be a disaster,” he said.
Mr McGregor warned readers on Facebook to keep their cars facing out and to leave all essential, irreplaceable items and documents either inside the car or by the door.
“We knew that the warning might have been a little excessive, but in the end it turned out that the thousands of homes lost was not even a fraction of the loss,” he told the outlet. spoke.
Part of McGregor's warning stemmed from his daily hikes in Eaton Canyon, where he saw vast swathes of dead trees that he knew would be perfect fuel for a devastating fire.
“We knew this was going to happen. We never expected it to happen in January, but I think it served as a warning to everyone,” he said.
His home in Altadena still stands, but many nearby homes and buildings have completely disappeared.
“The community around here could have figured it out. It just happened to be mine,” he told the outlet. “The most important thing for people who lost their homes was [that] I could spend an extra 30 minutes, an hour, or even 12 hours getting ready and packing the car. ”
Now, McGregor is sharing regular updates with thousands of Californians as four major fires burn 62 square miles, roughly three times the size of Manhattan.
“I think the immediate threat is pretty much over,” he said, noting there was still a chance of more storms and mudslides if rain falls in California.
Given the possibility of further disasters, McGregor warned: “What I'm saying is this is over.”
