Julia Brownley: “In December 2017, the Thomas fire destroyed over 280,000 acres, with almost all of it in my district in Ventura County.…”

“In December 2017, the Thomas fire destroyed over 280,000 acres, with almost all of it in my district in Ventura County. It is the second largest wildfire in all of California's recorded history. The day it started, my constituents Trisha and Jed received a terrifying call. Evacuation orders were just issued. A wildfire was fast approaching their home, and their children were put in a car and whisked away. It was an unbearable week for Trisha and Jed. They couldn't stop thinking of what might have happened to their children, all while mourning the loss of their home that was burned to the ground, including the invaluable keepsakes Jed had just moved to the house after his father's passing. Natural disasters like these are becoming all too common, not only in Ventura County, but throughout California and the Western States. Floods, tornadoes, and hurricanes, from Texas to Florida and all along the East Coast, are increasing with alarming frequency. Glaciers in the Arctic are melting faster than ever before. Ocean temperatures have increased in the last three decades at a pace greater than recorded history. Sea level rise is accelerating. Atmospheric temperatures are also on the rise. These are facts. They are destroying homes. They are taking lives. They are wreaking havoc on our communities and communities across the planet.…”