-
(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Hawaii Wildfires Kill at Least 55, Recovery1 to Take Years
Wildfires on Hawaii's island of Maui have killed at least 55 people and destroyed a historic2 town, officials said.
The number of deaths is expected to rise even higher. Officials said it will take years to rebuild Lahaina, the one-time capital of the former kingdom of Hawaii.
Governor3 Josh Green said the fire was the worst natural disaster in the state's history, making thousands of people homeless and burning as many as 1,000 buildings. In 1960, a tsunami4 killed 61 people in the state.
"It's going to take many years to rebuild Lahaina," Green said at a Thursday news conference.
Lahaina was once the home of King Kamehameha, who united Hawaii under a single kingdom. Kings and queens are buried on the grounds of the 200-year-old stone Waiola Church, one of burned sites.
Lahaina draws 2 million visitors each year, or about 80 percent of the island's visitors.
Fueled by a dry summer and strong winds from a passing hurricane, at least three wildfires burned on Maui this week.
Maui Fire Department Chief Brad Ventura said one fire moved so fast that it was impossible to warn people of the emergency. "What we experienced5 was such a fast-moving fire ... they were basically6 self-evacuating with fairly little notice," Ventura told the Associated Press.
Thousands of visitors and locals were evacuated8 from the western side of Maui, which has a year-round population of about 166,000. Locals sheltered on the island or the neighboring island of Oahu. And visitors gathered in Kahului Airport, waiting for flights back home.
Some people fled the immediate9 danger by jumping into the Pacific Ocean.
Among them was Vixay Phonxaylinkham, a visitor from Fresno, California. He said his family was trapped in a car as the fires neared, forcing the family to jump in the water. They held onto pieces of wood to stay above water.
"We floated around for four hours," the man told Reuters from an emergency shelter. "It was a vacation that turned into a nightmare10. I heard explosions11 everywhere, I heard screaming, and some people didn't make it. I feel so sad," he said.
Many survivors12 suffered burns and other injuries.
"It was so hot all around me, I felt like my shirt was about to catch fire," said Nicoangelo Knickerbocker, a 21-year-old from Lahaina. Knickerbocker heard cars and a gas station explode. He fled from the town with his father and the family dog. "It sounded like a war was going on," he said.
Officials said Thursday that they have contained about 80 percent of the Lahaina fire. There was no immediate estimate13 for others. However, experts say the fires are likely to change Hawaii in unwanted ways. They include a threat to coral reefs14, drinking water, and its soil.
Wildfires, often caused by record-setting heat, have become more common around the world this summer. They forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in Greece, Spain, Portugal and other parts of Europe. In western Canada, several unusually severe fires sent clouds of smoke over a large part of the United States, polluting the air.
Words in This Story
tsunami - n. a very large, high wave in the ocean usually caused by an earthquake under the sea
evacuate7 - v. to remove people from a dangerous place
nightmare - n. a very bad and frightening situation
scream - v. to suddenly cry out because of pain and fear
1 recovery | |
n.恢复,痊愈;追回,寻回,收复 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 historic | |
adj.历史上著名的,具有历史意义的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 governor | |
n.统治者,地方长官(如省长,州长,总督等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 tsunami | |
n.海啸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 experienced | |
adj.有经验的;经验丰富的,熟练的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 basically | |
adv.基本上,从根本上说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 evacuate | |
v.遣送;搬空;抽出;排泄;大(小)便 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 evacuated | |
撤退者的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 immediate | |
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 nightmare | |
n.恶梦,可怕的事物,无法摆脱的恐惧 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 explosions | |
爆炸( explosion的名词复数 ); 爆发; 激增; (感情,尤指愤怒的)突然爆发 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 survivors | |
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 estimate | |
n.估计,估量;评价,看法;vt.估计,估量 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 reefs | |
礁体 | |
参考例句: |
|
|