Red Flag Warning hits Central Coast as lightning threat raises wildfire risk
SALINAS, Calif. —
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for the Central Coast that will begin Friday morning.
The warning will be in effect from 5 a.m. until 3 p.m. Friday because of the possibility of lightning in the Santa Cruz Mountains; southern Salinas Valley, Arroyo Seco and Lake San Antonio; the Santa Lucia Mountains and Los Padres National Forest; northern Salinas Valley, Hollister Valley and Carmel Valley; northern Monterey Bay; and southern Monterey Bay and the Big Sur coast.
The warning covers conditions that could increase wildfire activity, including lightning strikes with little precipitation and gusty, erratic outflow winds of 40 to 50 mph.
The National Weather Service warns that the conditions could increase the risk of power outages. Lightning strikes may spark new fires, while erratic winds could cause fires to spread rapidly.
KSBW 8 meteorologist Kyle Bergerson said there is about a 20% chance of thunderstorms. Rainfall is also expected to remain under .15 inches.
The Monterey County Department of Emergency Management issued the alert on behalf of the National Weather Service’s San Francisco office.
Residents are urged to:
Never leave burning debris or campfires unattended. Extinguish them completely.Avoid using equipment or machinery that could create sparks.Secure tow chains to prevent them from dragging and creating sparks.Never throw cigarette butts out of a vehicle window.Review their emergency plans, including where they would go, how they would get there and whom they would contact to let others know they are safe.Keep an emergency go-kit ready.
Residents can learn more about emergency preparedness at ready.gov/plan.