Multiple New Mexico Pipelines just Exploded - Casualties Reported

Two pipelines exploded in New Mexico on the same day this week, one of them inside the Permian Basin, the largest oil field in the United States, and two people are dead. At the same time, Florida has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Isaias takes aim at the Gulf Coast, with two more storms spinning in the Pacific. Here is what we know right now and what you need to watch.

Watch the full breakdown on YouTube

Two Pipeline Explosions in New Mexico in One Day

On Tuesday, October 6, two critical pipelines crossing in and out of New Mexico exploded and were shut down. One sits right on the Texas border. The other sits right on the Colorado border.

The deadly one happened in Lea County, New Mexico, in the oilfield west of Eunice near Highway 176 and Bootleg Road. The Lea County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to an industrial accident involving a pipeline fire around 1 p.m. and found two people dead at the scene. Their names have not been released, and the sheriff's office calls it an isolated incident that remains under active investigation. Lea County is part of the Permian Basin, the heart of American oil production.

And this keeps happening. We are seeing pipeline explosions almost every single week now, and so far there are very few answers about why.

Pipeline Blast Sparks a Wildfire Near the Colorado Border

The second explosion hit a natural gas pipeline near La Boca in San Juan County, New Mexico, just south of the Colorado line. Local reports describe flames shooting 100 feet or more into the air. The pipeline has been shut in, and no injuries were reported there.

That blast also started a wildfire. It only burned about four or five acres, and crews were able to get it mostly contained, but they are still working on full containment. You can follow wildfire alerts and fire perimeters like this one live on ReadyAtlas.

Florida Declares a State of Emergency for Isaias

Florida has declared a state of emergency for Isaias, and the state's emergency management systems are activating for a hurricane hitting the Gulf Coast.

Right now Isaias is a tropical storm, but it is expected to strengthen to a Category 2 hurricane before landfall, then weaken slightly before coming ashore near Pensacola, Florida and Mobile, Alabama. Landfall is expected around October 10.

The track has been shifting east. Just a day earlier it was pointed more toward New Orleans. Now it is tracking right toward Pensacola, and it could move even further east and start affecting Panama City. This whole stretch is under flood watches and flood warnings starting Friday and Saturday.

Governor Ron DeSantis said the state is preparing for Isaias to make landfall in the Mobile–Pensacola region as if it were a Category 3, a major hurricane. The forecast is not calling for a Category 3, but Florida is preparing for one. He also warned that the "dirty side" of the storm, the east side, is projected to be large, which means impacts across the Panhandle.

Flooding, Storm Surge, Tornadoes, and Power Outages

This storm brings more than wind:

• Storm surge: Water could get pushed up into the bays around Pensacola and Mobile.
• Tornadoes: Supercells are expected across Florida, and tornado warnings are likely on the east side of the storm as it gets closer.
• Power outages: Widespread outages are expected along the Gulf Coast.
• Inland flooding: After landfall, Isaias is expected to track north as a tropical depression between Nashville and Knoxville, close to where Hurricane Helene's remnants hit, including western North Carolina. That region still has flood scars and washouts, so flash flooding there could be bad.

Isaias popped up fast. It formed right off the coast of Mexico and is strengthening quickly. It is the first storm of the season on the Atlantic side, and technically it formed in the Gulf, not the Atlantic. To have one this late in the year is pretty rare. If you are on the Gulf or the East Coast, prepare now.

Two More Storms in the Pacific: Simon and Rachel

Isaias is not alone. Three storms are active right now:

• Tropical Storm Simon is expected to strengthen into a Category 3 before briefly making landfall on western Mexico.
• Hurricane Rachel, a Category 1, is forecast to make a strange shift, getting pulled eastward toward Mexicali and the Mexico–California border.

That means San Diego and Southern California could see a lot of rain starting around October 9 and 10 and continuing into the 11th. After the massive heat wave out there, they need the cool-down, but heavy rain on dry ground can bring flooding fast.

Track Every Storm, Fire, and Pipeline Alert on One Map

I built ReadyAtlas so you can see all of this on one live map. As a member you get:

• Hurricane tracks and forecast cones (new layers just added for these storms)
• National Weather Service alerts, forecasts, and radar, including the hurricane watches along the Gulf right now
• Wildfires and fire perimeters
• Earthquakes and volcanoes
• Power grid emergency alerts
• Air quality and wildfire smoke
• Tsunami warnings
• Space weather and geomagnetic storms

Set a watch area and get notified when new events happen near you. You can sign up yearly and get access to everything for the full year.

Get ReadyAtlas now and stay on top of these alerts. Want updates by email? Sign up at ReadyAtlas.org.

Stay Ready

Pipelines are exploding, three storms are churning at the very end of hurricane season, and the Gulf Coast has only a few days to prepare. Stay prepared, stay stocked up, and stay on top of the alerts, just in case.

Watch the full video on YouTube, and let me know what you think in the comments.

"Stand firm, and you will win life." Luke 21:19