Star Tribune
Warmest on record September ends with more heat, red flag warning
The driest and warmest September on record comes to an end Monday with another day with highs in the 80s expected and fire danger running high across much of Minnesota.
Red Flag warnings for extreme fire danger are in place across 39 counties in central, northeast, northwest and southwest Minnesota, where the combination of unseasonable warmth, low humidity, high winds and dry vegetation will create “critical” conditions for wildfires, the National Weather Service said.
“Today is not the day to be doing any kind of burning,” the Weather Service said.
Temperatures are forecasted to reach into the 80s for a sixth straight day Monday before a cool front pushes across the state from the northwest, the Weather Service said.
The front will bring gusty winds and drop humidity levels, creating elevated fire potential until evening in places such as Marshall, Morris, St. Cloud, Fergus Falls, Detroit Lakes, Brainerd and Bemidji. A Red flag warning means fires can spread quickly and easily get out of control, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.
“When fire risk is this high, it’s important to be careful with anything that could spark a wildfire,” said Karen Harrison, a DNR wildfire prevention specialist.
Monday’s high of 85 degrees in the Twin Cities will make it the 19th day this month the mercury has hit or surpassed the 80-degree mark. With an average daily temperature of 70.3 degrees, this September is now the warmest recorded since weather records began in 1873, the Minnesota Climatology Office said.
That eclipses the previous mark of 69.1 degrees set just last year, the Climatology Office said.
Minnesota disaster workers are being deployed to help victims of Hurricane Helene, which has devastated areas of the southeast U.S. from Florida to North Carolina and left around 100 people dead so far.
The American Red Cross Minnesota and Dakotas Region has deployed four emergency response vehicles and over 30 trained disaster volunteers to assist those impacted by the hurricane, with more preparing for dispatch.
The Salvation Army Northern Division has sent workers with experience navigating the emotional trauma of disasters, who will provide emotional care to both victims and other workers.
Here are some organizations and efforts you can donate to if you want to help those affected by Hurricane Helene.
Be cautious when contributing to help after natural disasters. Charitable giving spikes during emergencies, meaning scammers may create fake charities to take advantage of people who want to help, according to the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
A man was seriously hurt after falling 50 feet down a rock wall over the weekend at the Renaissance Festival south of Shakopee.
The victim, a 24-year-old from Grand Marais, Minn., allegedly went around a fence to climb a wall in the King’s Gate area, then fell and landed in a bus pick up area below, said Scott County Sheriff Luke Hennen.
First responders, who arrived at about 7:20 p.m. on Saturday, found the man alert but suffering serious injuries. The man was airlifted to Hennepin County Medical Center for a head injury and with apparent leg and wrist fractures, Hennen said.
Scott County authorities continue to investigate the incident, but alcohol is believed to have been a factor, Hennen said.
The $17 million solution? A new South Minneapolis Community Safety Center at 2633 Minnehaha Av. that would open in early 2025 and combine police with community providers of domestic violence, mental health, human trafficking and youth services.
Amanda Harrington, the city’s director of Community Safety Design, was hired last December. This spring, her team held 40 in-person meetings with various demographic groups, including people experiencing homelessness.
“We’ve actually been moving at lightning speed,” Harrington said.
She is also trying to launch a temporary Lake Street Community Safety Center by November to address the intense needs of the East Lake Street immigrant business corridor. Riots in 2020 heavily damaged the corridor, and it continues to struggle with gun violence and homelessness.
“I’ve never seen in my whole life as many young people, 16 and 17 years old, in full-blown addiction to drugs, and the poverty that’s just plagued Lake Street for decades is still there,” said Jordan Borer Nelson of the Mad Dads violence interrupter group, which has patrolled Lake Street since last summer.
The new center at 2228 E. Lake St. is expected to house a crime prevention specialist, the diversion group Let Everyone Advance with Dignity, opioid prevention services, 311 customer service and Behavioral Crisis Response, the city’s mental health first responders.
