The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is investigating an incident where deputies fatally shot a man early Sunday morning in Otsego, the Wright County Sheriff’s Office says.
The sheriff’s office says deputies went to the 12000 block of 72na Court Northeast for a report that a man had threatened to hurt his family and himself while having mental health challenges.
The report indicates the man agreed to go with responders to the hospital for an evaluation, but while waiting for the ambulance, the man grabbed a knife and fled.
Squads surrounded the neighborhood and called the Minnesota State Patrol helicopter to the area.
Shortly after, the man confronted deputies in a nearby backyard.
The sheriff’s office says the deputies tried to assess the man but were not successful.
When the man was near the deputies, he threatened them with a knife, so they shot him, the report says.
Despite life-saving efforts, the man later died at North Memorial Hospital.
No details about the man or the deputies have been provided at this time.
While the BCA investigates, the deputies have been placed on administrative leave, which the sheriff says is standard procedure.
EITHERnePlus is back with another mid-cycle upgrade to its top Android phone – this time with the lightning-fast-charging 10T handset, which can fully power up in under 20 minutes without destroying its battery life.
After a two-year hiatus, the “T” series of phones is back to debut new technology halfway through the year, this time with 150W charging – more than five times the power of Apple’s top iPhone.
The OnePlus 10T costs £629 ($649), undercutting fast-charging rivals from Xiaomi and other Chinese smartphone manufacturers that typically cost £1,000 or so.
The molded glass back feels smooth – it slides around on non-level surfaces if you’re not careful. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
On the outside the 10T follows a familiar formula. The shiny metallic sides meet glass front and back. The back plate now fully envelops the camera lump in one smooth piece of glass, similar to the Find X5 Pro from parent company Oppo.
The 6.5in screen is very good-looking and has a high refresh rate of 120Hz, which keeps things smooth. It is a little less bright than the older 10 Pro and some top rivals, but is otherwise excellent.
OnePlus’s unique alert slider, which quickly switches the phone between silent, vibrate and ring, and has been a fan favorite for years, is nowhere to be seen, which is a shame.
connectivity: 5G, eSIM, Wi-Fi 6, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3 and GNSS
Water resistance: None
Dimensions: 163×75.4×8.8mm
Weight: 203.5g
A full charge in a little over 19 minutes
SuperVooc 150W charging may have a stupid name but it is certainly fast. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The 10T has Qualcomm’s very latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chip, which on paper is 10% faster than the regular 8 Gen 1 processor used in top Android phones at the start of the year.
It is certainly snappy and responsive, but the biggest improvement is that the chip is 30% more energy efficient, which helps conserve battery life and keeps the phone noticeably cooler in operation.
The battery life is good but not great, lasting about 36 hours between charges, with the screen on for about six hours using a mixture of messaging and media-consumption apps. That’s seven hours short of the 10 Pro, but on par with a Google Pixel 6 Pro.
What the 10T may lack in stamina, it makes up for in both charging speed and battery longevity. Using the included USB-C power adapter, the phone will fully charge in just over 19 minutes from 1% and does so consistently without getting super-hot, unlike Xiaomi’s nearest rival.
Its tremendous charging speed doesn’t hurt the battery either. OnePlus rates it for a full 1,600 charge cycles while maintaining at least 80% of the original capacity – double most rivals. That means the battery should last more than 6.5 years if charged every day and a half, so you probably won’t have to replace the battery in the lifetime of the phone, which can’t be said for most phones.
Sustainability
The phone does not contain recycled materials but is generally repairable by OnePlus, with a replacement battery costing about £20 plus labour. The company operates a trade-in scheme and is included in Oppo’s parent-company annual sustainability reports.
Oxygen OS 12.1
OnePlus in-display fingerprint scanner is super quick and accurate for unlocking the phone, but it is placed a bit too low down on the display. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The 10T runs the same OxygenOS 12.1 software based on Android 12 as the 10 Pro from April, not the recently announced Android 13-based OxygenOS 13. OnePlus will provide bi-monthly security patches for four years from release and three major Android version upgrades, including OxygenOS 13 later this year.
For now, it has the same slick look and similar niggles as before, so for more, see the 10 Pro review.
Camera
The OnePlus camera app is fairly simple to use with a few useful tools for getting the best shot. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
The camera system on the 10T is a downgrade from the 10 Pro, eschewing the Hasselblad technology from OnePlus’s previous smartphones and ditching the telephoto camera. It still has a 50-megapixel main and an 8MP ultrawide camera, plus a rubbish 2MP macro camera that can safely be avoided.
The main 50MP camera is pretty good, capturing shots with a good level of detail, reasonable good color balance and dynamic range. With a bit of effort you can get some really beautiful images. It becomes a little more grainy than better cameras in low light, but portrait mode, night mode and other fancy features work well. Video captured up to 4K at 60 frames a second is decent, too.
The ultrawide camera is weaker, however, struggling with detail and dynamic range, often making scenes look significantly darker than the main camera. The digital zoom is also not great, producing obviously blown-up images beyond 2x. The 16MP selfie cam produces detailed images but lacks dynamic range, becoming a bit bleached-out in bright light.
Overall the main camera is decent for the price, but not a patch on the best in the business, and it can’t compete with the 10 Pro or cheaper rivals such as Google’s Pixel 6a.
Price
The OnePlus 10T costs £629 ($649) with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, or £729 with 16 and 256GB shipping on 25 August.
For comparison, the OnePlus 10 Pro costs £799, the Google Pixel 6 costs £599, the Pixel 6a costs £399, the Samsung Galaxy S21+ costs £949, and the Xiaomi 12 Pro costs £999.
verdict
The OnePlus 10T is a good phone at a cheaper price – one that undercuts most of its close rivals. But corners have been cut to reach that price, so how good it is will depend on what your priorities are.
It genuinely charges so fast, it changed the way I thought about using it. I no longer needed to charge it overnight because it was full again in the time it took me to brush my teeth.
It also has a better chip, slick performance and a large and fast screen.
But that screen is less bright than top models, and the camera is a marked downgrade on previous highs for the brand. The removal of OnePlus’s unique alert slider makes the phone more generic and feels like an erosion of the brand by parent company Oppo, which is a shame. Four years of software support is also a bit short for 2022, when top rivals offer at least five.
Buy it for the performance and charging, not the camera, and the OnePlus 10T is a good top-spec phone at a highly competitive price. But with extremely good mid-range phones such as the Pixel 6a costing £400-ish, is that enough?
Pros: Slick performance, good software, reasonable battery life, sub-20 minute full charge, long battery longevity, decent screen, reasonable price.
Cons: no optical zoom, weak ultrawide camera, useless macro camera, no water-resistance rating, no alert slider makes it feel more generic, only four years of updates.
The phone is available in this hospital-green colour, which is a fingerprint magnet, or the more interesting textured black. Photograph: Samuel Gibbs/The Guardian
SANFL will be represented by 14 players when the NAB AFL National Draft Combine returns to Melbourne in October for the first time since 2019.
After holding a series of state-based combines for the past two years due to Covid-19, the AFL has reintroduced the national version to be held at Marvel Stadium and the Melbourne Tennis Center from Friday October 7 to Sunday October 9.
Torrens University SA U18 captain Adam D’Aloia heads the list of Croweaters, with fellow Woodville-West Torrens product Mattaes Phillipou and potential Adelaide father-son draftee Max Michalanney.
SA’s plethora of tall prospects are also among the list, including West Adelaide trio Harry Lemmey, Harry Barnett and Tom Scully, Norwood’s Phoenix Foster and North Adelaide high-flyer Isaac Keeler, who is also tied to the Crows as a Next Generation Academy player.
Essendon Next Generation Academy player Anthony Munkara, from the Northern Territory, has impressed while playing with West Adelaide while South Adelaide’s Jaiden Magor will be encouraged by receiving an invite despite missing most of the AFL U18 National Championships with an ankle injury.
A South Australian NAB AFL Combine will also be held this year, a week later on Saturday October 15.
The family of a disabled man who died after spending more than four months in hospital waiting for accommodation have described the National Disability Insurance Scheme and aged care system in Australia as “broken”.
Key points:
The family of a disabled man who died waiting for accommodation are fighting for change
Advocates say there are more than 1,000 NDIS participants “stuck” in hospital.
The NDIS Minister says the government has taken “immediate action” to understand the situation
Mitchell Pearce, 52, died on Saturday in hospice care, little more than a day after NDIS Minister Bill Shorten ordered the agency to find him appropriate accommodation as a “matter of urgency.”
His sister Justine Richmond said her brother died peacefully surrounded by people who loved him.
Mr Pearce had been in Busselton Hospital since March 29.
His family said Mr Pearce, who was disabled since suffering brain tumors as a child, had lost the will to live in hospital, and refused to eat or drink.
Vow to keep fighting
While it was too late for her brother, Mrs Richmond urged people to keep speaking up for change.
Mr Pearce’s sister Mrs Richmond, left, and mother Judith Pearce want people to speak up and bring about structural change to the NDIS.(ABC South West: Georgia Loney)
She said since the family’s story came out on Friday she had been inundated with people wanting to share their experiences.
The family had been told there while there was no nearby supported disability accommodation for Mr Pearce, at 52, he was considered too young for an aged care facility.
“Now that he’s died, you might think well, there’s no point in fighting,” Mrs Richmond said.
“But I feel like there is, because there are still people [in hospital].”
Mrs Richmond said the family was told he would have had to be “released” from the NDIS to be considered for admission to a nearby nursing home.
“I just feel like these boxes are rigid around numbers,” she said.
“I understand that there are a lot of people with disabilities who have struggled not to have young people with disabilities put into nursing homes.
“But there are people who are 65 who can’t apply for the NDIS, while there are people like Mitchell, who at 52, probably would have benefited from being in aged care.”
Thousands in the same predicament
Research from the Summer Foundation found more than 1,000 NDIS participants were effectively stuck in hospital in Australia, with 20 per cent of those unable to be discharged because of a lack of suitable destinations.
The National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) said last week they acknowledged the exceptionally difficult challenges faced by Mr Pearce, and finding suitable disability housing in regional Australia could be difficult.
Last week, NDIS Minister Bill Shorten described Mr Pearce’s situation as “heartbreaking”.
He said the former Liberal Government, had “through its neglect and mismanagement of the NDIS” overseen a backlog of thousands of NDIS participants languishing in hospital beds, without disability supports.
“The Albanese Government has taken immediate action to understand the cause of delays supporting eligible NDIS participants that prevent fast and safe discharge from hospital,” he said.
“People with disability should be able to leave hospital as quickly and safely as possible, into suitable accommodation.”
DENVER — A flood advisory has been issued for Denver and Adams counties until 8:15 pm Sunday. Multiple warnings have been issued Sunday evening as a flood watch remains in effect for Denver and the Front Range as storms move through.
A heavy rain threat may produce rainfall of 1 to 2 inches in as little as 45 minutes, with locally higher storm totals possible, according to the National Weather Service.
N.W.S.
Multiple rounds of thunderstorms from mid-afternoon through Sunday evening are expected. The heavy rain is expected to end late Sunday, with the flood watch set to expire at midnight.
Recent burn areas are especially vulnerable, leading to possible flash flooding and debris flows in areas previously ravaged by flash floods earlier this year.
The Cameron Peak and Calwood burn scar areas are included in the flood watch which goes into effect Sunday afternoon.
N.W.S.
“The focus for storms today is expected in and near the foothills. The weak front that pushes south this morning, stalls as it pushes up the east slopes of the Front Range foothills and mountains,” the NWS forecast discussion said.
Next week will be drier and warmer, with highs in the mid-80s on Monday and only a slight chance for a scattered late-day storm.
Keeping up with advances in technology can be challenging, so when an opportunity comes along to get onto some serious futureproofing, it’s well worth checking out. Like Netgear’s super-powerful Nighthawk RAXE500 tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router.
Designed to provide the sort of raw performance that’s required for top connection speeds in all internet uses – ranging from streaming the highest resolution video content backwards and forwards, to running your small business (including those ever-present Zoom meetings) to, of course, gaming – the key to the latest Nighthawk’s technology leap is the introduction of Wi-Fi 6E, using the previously mainly emergency broadcasts-only 6GHz band.
This is an advancement upon the fairly recently introduced Wi-Fi 6 protocol, providing faster speeds (depending upon your internet connection, of course) and band-exclusive congestion-free signal, with 200 per cent more spectrum than the well-established dual- band.
If you imagine the 2.4GHz band as a laneway, and 5Ghz as an average two-way street, then 6GHz is essentially the equivalent of a multi-lane freeway, allowing smoother streaming, and lower latency when using high-bandwidth applications.
Plus, it can handle up to 60 Wi-Fi devices, so those days of various pieces of equipment in the home fighting for bandwidth are relegated to history.
While the range of devices supporting Wi-Fi 6E isn’t massive currently, being the big new thing in connectivity means manufacturers are jostling to introduce support. Being prepared for the future is half the battle and, in the meantime, you’re getting full backwards compatibility from a device with an incredible specification sheet that’s an ode to power. This Nighthawk is equipped with a 64-bit, 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, which can provide enough juice to cater for all wired and wireless demands at blistering connection speeds.
If you’ve invested in gigabit NBN then this latest Netgear wonder has the grunt to handle whatever’s thrown at it, with the ability to operate up to a blistering 10.8Gbps Wi-Fi speed.
This Wi-Fi oomph can also be spread wider from where you install your new Nighthawk router, with eight powerful built-in beamforming antennae able to cover up to just over 30 square meters. Rather than going for the porcupine look that you get with many routers, the antennae are sealed inside two folding wings, in a device that while larger than some – there’s a lot of power to house – looks sleek, and not unlike something that you might find in the modern-day Batcave. Obviously where you place the router will affect that wireless range – unobstructed on a flat surface or mounted to a clear wall space is best, so that the antennae have room to do their stuff. That being said, we tested ours with it out of sight behind our entertainment center and Wi-Fi was still solid at all extremes of our flat. Yes, power!
If it’s finally time to upgrade from that functional but feature-lacking ISP router that you’ve been getting by with and experience the blazingly fast future of Wi-Fi, it’s worth doing it properly. The Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 tri-band Wi-Fi 6E router is amongst the most futureproof options available, offering best network performance that your gaming will thank you for – as will any other connected functionalities that you may throw at this superpowered device.
Buy now at JB Hi-Fi
The Netgear Orbi – Slow Wi-Fi and streaming dropouts in your home can be solved with a mesh network
She irked her fellow Block contestants on Sunday night’s premiere of the show when she raved about her lavish lifestyle.
And now Bondi fashionista Elle Ferguson has been slammed by radio host Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson after giving herself the title of ‘global influencer’.
During Monday morning’s Kyle & Jackie O Show, Kyle said he had never heard of the glamorous blonde.
Elle Ferguson was slammed by radio host Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson on Mondau after giving herself the title of ‘global influencer’ on The Block
‘Who the hell is she?!’ Kyle, 51, asked.
The pair also ribbed Elle for raving about becoming a representative for Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand SKIMS.
‘So you’re allowed to be a representative of a brand – company – wow,’ Kyle said sarcastically. ‘That’s really “making it.”‘
Jackie O noted that Elle, 38, gets sent ‘so many’ amazing gifts and PR packages from brands due to her 680,000 follower count on Instagram.
‘Every single day she’s opening a brand new Louis Vuitton bag, a brand new Gucci bag, or a brand new pair of shoes,’ she said, adding that it can become ‘a bit much’.
‘But people will get jealous of that,’ Kyle butted in. ‘They’ll end up turning on her. No one likes that.’
The pair also ribbed Elle for raving about becoming a representative for Kim Kardashian’s shapewear brand SKIMS
Jackie O noted that Elle, 38, gets sent ‘so many’ amazing gifts and PR packages from brands due to her 680,000 follower count on Instagram
The first episode of The Block’s 18th season premiered on Sunday night, and despite Joel and Elle’s dramatic exit, which is set to air on Tuesday night, Jackie O said she didn’t think the pair brought any drama.
‘They seem to be pretty chill. They were alright,’ she continued.
‘There was nothing “diva” about their behaviour.’
Elle (right) and Joel (left) appeared to have immediately rubbed their co-stars the wrong way on Sunday night during The Block premiere
‘Maybe they got there and thought, “S**t, this isn’t for us. We’re out of here.”‘ Kyle added.
But Elle and Joel immediately rubbed their co-stars the wrong way on Sunday night during The Block premiere after their intro packages.
The pair immediately irked other contestants with their glamorous lifestyle, including social worker Sarah Jane and her partner Tom.
Influencer Elle Ferguson, 38, (pictured) sparked envy among The Block viewers on Sunday night as she opened the doors of her overflowing designer wardrobe
The podcast host has also plugged brands like Chanel, Tory Burch, Versace, Dior and Miu Miu
Sarah Jane questioned the couple’s motives for joining a reality show, given that the ritzy pair don’t appear to need the prize money nor the extra fame.
‘She’s already famous with 600,000 followers on Instagram,’ Sarah-Jane seethed.
‘They’ve got a sh*tload of money. Why are you here?’ she added.
Sarah Jane continued: ‘Some I respect, obviously. Some make a huge career from it. Look at your Kim Kardashian and Rozalia Russian. People like that. Beck Judd. Good on them.
Sarah Jane questioned the couple’s motives for joining a reality show, given that the ritzy pair don’t appear to need the prize money nor the extra fame
‘But people who just go on shows to be social media [stars]. I don’t have time for that sh*t. Like go and get a real job mate.’
She also sparked envy among The Block viewers on Sunday night as she opened the doors of her overflowing designer wardrobe.
She gleefully gave producers a tour of her clothing archives during the couple’s introductory scene as she boasted about working ‘really hard’ for her possessions.
Elle, who previously boasted to her fans about having three closets, chose to show off her ‘fun’ wardrobe, which was stuffed with accessories by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Fendi and Miu Miu.
Elle, who previously boasted to her fans about having three closets, chose to show off her ‘fun’ wardrobe, which was stuffed with accessories by the likes of Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Fendi and Miu Miu. Pictured with fiancé Joel Patfull
‘You know, I’ve worked really, really hard for every pair of shoes. And I could buy a house, but I bought shoes and bags, so… yeah!’ she boasted.
‘I think people will definitely put us into a box from our first image,’ Joel said.
‘But I don’t think it will take long for us to break that down and make genuine connections.’
The couple’s time on the show was over before it really began, after they threw in the towel for ‘family reasons’ after just 48 hours on the building site in country Victoria.
It is the first time a team has ever quit the Nine renovation show.
As reported by TV Week, host Cam told the other contestants Elle and Joel left because the show wasn’t ‘on brand’ for them as Sydney influencers. He also said they had complained ‘the toilet paper was too scratchy’.
The fashion influencer and her 37-year-old retired AFL player boyfriend, have disputed this, insisting they quit because of a legitimate family emergency.
The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine
While the pair insist they quit the production because of a family emergency
Canberra chief executive Don Furner says the Raiders are ready to accept any punishment handed down by the NRL over Ricky Stuart’s post-match attack on Jaeman Salmon, which could include suspension from future games.
Key points:
The Raiders say they “do not condone” Ricky Stuart’s comments
The NRL’s investigation is ongoing, and Jaeman Salmon’s family has called on the league to take action
Stuart released a public apology on Sunday but has not contacted Salmon on the Panthers personally
After Penrith’s 26-6 defeat of the Raiders, Stuart labeled the Panthers’ stand-in five-eighth a “weak-gutted dog” for kicking Tom Starling in the groin.
Salmon ran afoul of the Canberra coach while playing with his son as a pre-teen in 2010, reportedly reducing the younger Stuart to tears in an incident that led to a confrontation between the pair’s fathers.
“‘Where Salmon kicked Tommy, it ain’t on,” Stuart said on Saturday.
“I have had history with that kid [Salmon]. I know that kid very well.
“He was a weak-gutted dog as a kid and he hasn’t changed now. He is a weak-gutted dog person now.”
In the team’s first statement since Stuart’s comments, the Raiders said they did not endorse the coach’s behavior but understood it.
“As a club, we do not condone the comments made by Ricky in Saturday night’s press conference and we are currently in dialogue with the NRL and cooperating with all their inquiries,” Furner said.
“We will accept their findings and any sanctions they hand down.
“Being a head coach is a high-pressure job and comes with intense scrutiny from fans, media, and [the] public and we understand emotion is high following a match.
“However, as a club we acknowledge that coaches also have a responsibility to ensure they conduct themselves professionally when making public comments.”
Jaeman Salmon’s family called on the NRL to take action against Stuart.(Getty Images: Mark Kolbe)
The Panthers won’t comment on the matter publicly until the NRL Integrity Unit’s investigation is finalized.
Stuart has yet to contact the Panthers or Salmon personally since the incident but did release a public apology on Sunday.
Salmon has pleaded guilty to the grade one contrary conduct charge incurred for the kick and will escape suspension with a $1,000 fine.
Despite Stuart’s public apology, the Salmon family urged the NRL to consider a serious sanction in a statement of their own released on Sunday.
The South Australian Labor Partywill return a $125,000 donation from the construction union, a decision that was prompted by the alleged vandalism of vehicles belonging to staff from the Master Builders Association.
Key points:
The Victorian branch of the CFMEU donated $125,000 to the SA Labor Party before the March election
SA Labor has now confirmed it will return the money
Cars with Master Builders Association branding were allegedly vandalized with CFMEU stickers last week
The Victorian branch of the Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU) made the donation in the lead-up to the March election in South Australia.
For several weeks, Premier Peter Malinauskas has been resisting calls for the donation to be returned or given to charity, despite going into the election with a promise to ban donations to political parties for future elections.
SA Labor state secretary Aemon Bourke confirmed on Monday the donation would be returned to the Victorian CFMEU.
Opposition spokeswoman for women Michelle Lensink last week called on Mr Malinauskas to donate the money to a domestic violence charity after Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka formally took control of the union’s South Australian branch.
Victorian CFMEU boss John Setka has now formally taken charge of the SA branch. (AAP: Penny Stephens)
Mr Setka’s ex-wife Emma Walters also called for the money to be passed on to a domestic violence charity and has previously voiced concerns over the donation to the Labor Party.
In 2019, Mr Setka was convicted of harassing Ms Walters via text messages while they were still together.
“What I’d actually rather see is that he [Mr Malinauskas] actually go to domestic violence shelters and actually put together care packages for women who have had the courage and courage to escape domestic violence situations,” Ms Walters told ABC Radio Adelaide.
Mr Malinauskas this morning said he was prompted to return the money after speaking with Master Builders Association chief executive Will Frogley at an event on Sunday.
“Will explained to me the events that had occurred, reportedly, on Friday afternoon in terms of CFMEU stickers being put on Master Builders Association cars and also the damage to a car as well,” Mr Malinauskas said.
“Just as I foreshadowed whenever I’ve been asked about this over the past couple of weeks, I said that if there was any evidence that would suggest that inappropriate behavior on behalf of the CFMEU was coming across the border from Victoria, if there’s examples of that or evidence of that occurring here in South Australia then I will act and that’s exactly what I did yesterday afternoon upon hearing that news.”
Mr Malinauskas said he had resisted calls by Ms Lensink to donate the money to a domestic violence charity based on Mr Setka’s previous conviction because the money came from the CFMEU and not Mr Setka personally.
Master Builders chief executive Will Frogley spoke with Mr Malinauskas about the alleged vandalism.
Mr Frogley confirmed to ABC Radio Adelaide that cars had been damaged on Friday evening but would not go into details regarding CFMEU stickers allegedly being placed on the vehicles.
He said as a result of Friday’s incident, he had increased security at the Master Builders Association and would be installing additional surveillance cameras.
“Everyone in my team should be able to come into work feeling completely unintimidated and safe,” he said.
Mr Frogley said the incident had been reported to police.
He also said he backed Mr Malinauskas’s position on banning political donations.
“Rightly or wrongly, there is always going to be this perception that you’re buying political muscle by doing that,” he said.
“Does Master Builders try to influence government policy? You bet we do, but we don’t donate to any political party. Instead, we focus on putting forward a compelling case on facts based on evidence, based on data on why government policy should be a certain way.”
(KTNV) — Officials say that Death Valley saw almost a year’s worth of rainfall within three hours last weekend.
They say that the rain caused widespread damage, and closure of all park roads.
“The heavy rain that caused the devastating flooding at Death Valley was an extremely rare, 1000-year event,” says Daniel Berc, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Las Vegas. “A 1000-year event doesn’t mean it happens once per 1000 years, rather that there is a 0.1% chance of occurring in any given year.”
Additionally, many thousands of roadways are known to have moderate to severe asphalt damage with hundreds of thousands of roadways impacted by debris. Road conditions are still being assessed, as damage makes access to some areas impossible by vehicle.
To date, there is said to be no reported injuries from visitors or park residents, and people who were previously sheltering in place have been able to carefully travel out through the damaged roadways. No park roads are currently open because of ongoing safety concerns and active road work.
“Death Valley is an incredible place of extremes,” said park superintendent Mike Reynolds. “It is the hottest place in the world, and the driest place in North America. This week’s 1,000 year flood is another example of this extreme environment. With climate change models predicting more frequent and more intense storms, this is a place where you can see climate change in action!”
