iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Wow, this is just stunning footage of surface-level ground movement during an earthquake in Japan. But it's just as amazing to see how a house built on top of this fault fared. Spoiler alert: not well. youtu.be/KjgfqWSD-zs

youtu.be

Rice field rises after quake:Footage captures ground rising above fault by Kumamoto earthquake

YouTube video by Nippon Television News Japan

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

YouTuber pilot Trent Palmer shares his experience with the Bug Fire in Northern Nevada, and about 15:45 into the video he talks about the “crazy” things required by the WUI code that allowed his home to survive, and how happy he is now for all of those features. youtu.be/zyhcUUbDur4

youtu.be

SURROUNDED - Fire Consumed Our Property

YouTube video by Trent Palmer

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Hurricane Lala was remarkable for its impact to the Big Island of Hawai'i. My brother reported strong winds and wind-driven rain in Hilo last night, and as he says Hilo can take the rain but they can't take the wind.

Tropical Storm Lala– Hawaii
Situation and Analysis: Hurricane Lala’s eyewall is currently brushing the southern portion of the Big Island. The intensity of Lala is forecast to remain steady for a few more hours, followed by
a gradual weakening trend. Damaging winds and heavy rain will persist across the Big Island through tonight and spread westward across the smaller islands on later today. Tropical Storm
Warnings remain in effect. There are no requests for FEMA assistance. (HLT Update #16, as of 5:37 a.m. ET; FEMA R9 SPOTREP Update #5 as of 2:32 a.m. ET, Aug 15)
Hazards Affecting Land: (HLT Update #16, as of 5:36 a.m. ET, Aug 16)
Wind: Damaging winds will persist across portions of the Big Island of Hawaii overnight, with the strongest
winds expected in areas of higher terrain. Tropical storm conditions will continue to spread westward from
into early Sunday.
Rain: Lala is expected to produce additional rainfall of 4 to 8 inches across the Big Island and windward Maui,
with maximum storm total of 30 to 35 inches over the windward Big Island; heavy rainfall may produce life-
threatening flooding and mudslides.
Storm Surge: Peak storm surge up to 3 feet is forecast state-wide.
Lifeline Impacts:
Food, Hydration, Shelter: 27 (+13) shelters open / 426 (+ 338) occupants (ARC Shelter Report, as of 6:51 a.m. ET, Aug 16)
Energy: Significant power outages continue affecting the Island
▪ HI: 116k (23%) customers without power (DOE Eagle-I, as of 7:40 a.m. ET, Aug 16)
o Hawaii County 63k (70%) customers without power
o Maui County 31k (43%) customers without power
Water Systems: Debris removal in progress as a safety precaution
Transportation: Ports and airports impacted by adverse weather conditions
▪ Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport and Hilo International Airport closed
▪ Port Condition Zulu for the following counties: Hawaii, Maui, Honolulu, and Kauai
State / Local Response:
▪ HI SEOC at Partial Activation (TC Lala); Governor issued an Emergency Proclamation Aug …

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

It's not just about screen free time. Many traditional hobbies include a celebration of complexity and skill that you can develop slowly over time. That is extremely attractive. Life is long, and getting good at a craft (or for me, an instrument) is well within reach.

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Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

In recent weeks, there has been a remarkable surge in large, intense, fast-moving, and unfortunately in many cases destructive/deadly wildfires in multiple Northern Hemisphere regions spanning a wide range of climates & ecologies, but they all share one key commonality. [Thread]

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Greg Porter @gporterwx.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

#Genevive is the proverbial canary in a coal mine. This storm is making a run a Category 5 status. Thankfully, it will die in a few days with no threat to land. But if there was ever a sign showing that the Pacific Ocean is loaded with heat, this is it.

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Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Zooming in on Oregon, the enormous scope of ongoing wildfire outbreak is clear. Numerous large smoke plumes from dozens of active fires--which have now burned over 1 million acres in Oregon alone--are casting a broadening pall across the interior Northwest & N. Rockies. #ORwx

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Daniel Fedor @dcfedor.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Blue Bottle Games, as a policy, does not use generative AI. It's something we've discussed as a team, weighing the pros and cons, and ultimately, we decided it was not for us. Recently, while chatting with a colleague, she mentioned it was useful hearing our reasoning. So: Sharing time! 1/12

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Hear me out: this is even wilder than it looks. Out in the ag world, Taylor Farms was THE instigator for a lot of the big food safety moves for lettuce over the last 20 years. That's a legacy that just should NOT have ended up like this.

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Well... that's a lot easier when the laws aren't very good, perhaps as a result of one's own lobbying 🥲

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Ryan Stauffer @ryanswx.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Every single regulatory grade monitor in the Chicago area is recording over 400 µg/m³ of PM2.5 smoke pollution. This is so far beyond anything in the historical record it’s difficult to communicate how extreme this event really is

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Daniel Swain @weatherwest.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

A major new wildfire outbreak is now underway across interior Pacific Northwest, with dozens (or more) new wildfires already popping up in eastern Oregon & Washington following tens of thousands of lightning strikes in region experiencing moderate to extreme drought. #ORwx #WAwx

Current Watch Duty snapshot across PacNW, showing literally dozens of new fires in eastern Washington and Oregon.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Hello friends with smoke concerns, I'm a wildfire and hazmat expert and lived for months with terrible smoke during California megafires. Creating a clean air refuge in your home is a really good idea, even it's one interior room. I follow the same principles as sheltering in place from radiation.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I am regularly surprised to be reminded that I live in the United States of America. I definitely feel like a Hawai'i local. 🤙 I definitely feel like an adopted Californian, and people readily tolerate me here. But I've never felt all that welcome anywhere else in the U.S. Too weird I guess.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

I keep running into more examples of evacuation failures - this one for the tsunami evacuation in Hawai'i in July 2025. I remember my brother had to secure the UH-Hilo campus and set up an evacuation center while also juggling his family whereabouts. download.veoci.com/ZFOi6y4jRaAV...

download.veoci.com

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

The incredibly limited number of people and equipment to respond to wildfire in Europe is compelling when talking about people dying in wildfires in Spain. wildfiretoday.com/wildfire-dea...

wildfiretoday.com

Wildfire death toll rises in Spain, as Europe swelters – Wildfire Today

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Pasquines @pasquines.us · 08/07/2026

Saipan's Mayor urges immediate restoration of water and power as the island begins recovery from Super Typhoon Bavi, highlighting critical public pressure on utilities. www.nminewsservice.com/saipan-mayor...

nminewsservice.com

Turn the Water Back On Now: Saipan Mayor Pressed CUC Before Feeders Lit

Mayor RB Camacho called CUC's restoration delay completely unacceptable in a Tuesday release issued hours before Saipan's first feeders lit and water began returning.

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Sarah Taber @sarahtaber.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

New video! The NYT did a sad tear-jerker "They lost the family farm!" story about…a wealthy family that still has its far & money. Not really shocking that the NYT bungles its reporting! But hey, this time it's a farmer yelling about how the NYT doesn't know jack. That's fun & different ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

youtu.be

This Farmer Played Himself. The NYTimes Wants You To Feel Bad For Him

YouTube video by Farm to Taber

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New York Focus @nysfocus.com · 05/07/2026

New York City's large building owners will soon be able to buy credits instead of cutting emissions to comply with Local Law 97. As a candidate, Mamdani said he'd limit that option, but he hasn't taken a position as mayor.

nysfocus.com

Could Hydropower Credits Undermine NYC’s Climate Law?

Mayor Mamdani is facing pressure to limit an avenue for large building owners to buy credits instead of cutting emissions.

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Climate Risk Economics @climateeconomics.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

67% of registered US voters think global warming is affecting the cost of living in the US: They say global warming is increasing the costs of their home utility bills (66%), groceries (61%), car (56%), home insurance (51%), home repair and maintenance (43%), and health care (35%)

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Lucy Jones @drlucyjones.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

In the M7.8 earthquake near Mindanao, 22 million people received Intensity V-VIII shaking so USGS estimates losses >$100M and fatalities >10. It looks like part of the complex subduction of the Philippine plate below the Sunda plate. Tsunami warning for Mindanao. earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/...

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Michael Wara @michaelwara.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Today we launched the California Wildland Interface Structural Look Book Dashboard. The Dashboard visually conveys information about wildfire hazard zone classification information for structures throughout California. Link: wuistructurallookbook.stanford.edu

wuistructurallookbook.stanford.edu

California's Wildland Urban Interface: A Structural Look Book Dashboard

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

I am loving the new Structural Lookbook from Stanford CEPP that summarizes the number of structures in different WUI zones in California. It aligns with an analysis I did for Plumas County, although at that time I was only looking at residential parcels. cepp.substack.com/p/do-you-kno...

cepp.substack.com

Do You Know Your Home's Wildfire Hazard Zone? Introducing Our Structural Look Book & Dashboard

The California's Wildland Urban Interface Structural Look Book & Dashboard

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

This evening, Plumas County’s Planning and Building Departments met with Greenville residents to talk about some hard topics, including moving RVs with fire survivors out of downtown commercial, multi-family, and residential parcels.

A bright American Legion hall with people facing a projector in Greenville, CA

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Climate Risk Economics @climateeconomics.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

2025 was the most economically damaging wildfire year on record The LA fires and a few severe blazes in other countries, inc. South Korea and Spain, drove up losses worldwide to at least $54 billion - not including indirect losses like missed work days, business closures and health care costs...

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Governor Gavin Newsom @governor.ca.gov · 23/05/2026

I’m proclaiming a state of emergency in Orange County as California continues to respond to the hazardous chemical incident in Garden Grove.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

The three tanks that are being cooled at the GKN facility look like they have nitrogen blanketing, and I wonder if that system failed to start this crisis in Orange County. The thing about methyl methacrylate is that it needs at least some oxygen present to maintain...

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

This is a bad screen capture, but you can see that methyl methacrylate is one of GKN's larger waste streams.

A table of hazardous waste generated by GKN over the last 8 years

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

The interesting parts of any factory are always out the back door.

A satellite photo of GKN Aerospace from 2016.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

GKN Aerospace Transparencies - they make windscreens and such - is a really old company! Established in Wales back to 1759. UK-based subsidiary of Melrose. Let's look at some of their history in Garden Grove.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Hazmat tank failure in Orange County - compelling argument for much more oversight of emergency preparedness for businesses that are part of the Certified Unified Permit Agency / Aboveground Storage Tank programs in California that put enforcement in the hands of local fire departments.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

Today I got to spend the day walking a transect through a rural town, looking at wildfire issues and talking with community leaders and volunteers about how we should plan for the next wildfire. We tackled some pretty tough topics and faced up to the limits of our human and financial resources.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Liberty Utilities also services some remote areas including part of Plumas County and does not have the best track record for reliability.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

One of my favorite professional development treats: listening to a @weatherwest.bsky.social deep dive on California and Pacific climate and weather. Physics is my academic achilles heel, and Daniel makes it all so accessible for this dinosaur.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

My local Plumas County peeps get so tired of me harping on governance, but it’s not just important, it’s critical. Here’s a great article by Bryce Dole and @joniaudenland.bsky.social about Lakeview, Oregon’s terrible financial pickle. Rural communities need to make governance a #1 priority.

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Alan Gerard @wxmanms1.bsky.social · 06/05/2026

Federal cuts are resulting in more need for state/local entities to fill gaps in weather/flood monitoring. Relying on state/local support for weather & flood forecasting and monitoring may be part of our future - but we need to be open about what the implications of that are. tinyurl.com/4en9zp5y

tinyurl.com

Federal cuts are leaving states and locals to pick up weather and flood monitoring responsibilities - are we OK with that?

Severe weather looks to potentially ramp up Wednesday across the South

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Philipp Maier @pmaier1971.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

From the Senior Loan Officers Survey: Changes in lending standards for Commercial and Industrial loans in Q2; keep an eye on spread of loan rates over Banks' funding costs #SLOOS #econsky

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

I am re-watching the 2012 four-part series from @frontlinepbs.bsky.social on the global financial crisis and immediately shared Part 1 with my environmental risk students. It is SUCH a good lesson on creative credit risk strategies to get around capital requirements. Still relevant!

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Faith Kearns, Ph.D. @fkearns.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

Wildfires can convert naturally occurring chromium-3 into the carcinogen chromium-6, which can contaminate groundwater for years, writes @thatsmohrlikeit.bsky.social www.hcn.org/issues/58-4/...

hcn.org

Wildfires transform soil, turning a nutrient into poisonous chromium-6 - High Country News

New research shows how severe blazes can transform a harmless trace metal into a carcinogen.

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Marty Walters @martywalters.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

@soest.hawaii.edu So good to see you on Blue Sky! I grew up in Hawai’i looking up to SOEST and love to follow the research you are doing.

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