It’s Not Normal That New York Is Burning

You Think This Is Normal?

Mary Carter
4 min readNov 12, 2024

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Let’s talk about New York. Not about its typical urban bustle, but about the fact that it’s burning in November.

A park in Brooklyn turned to flames, an 18-year-old forest ranger lost his life in New Jersey, and here we are, treating this like just another ordinary day.

Photo by GettyImages

Let’s look at the facts… for the first time, all American states are simultaneously facing drought conditions. New York has a precipitation deficit of over 10 inches this year.

80-degree temperatures in November in the Northeast aren’t part of the historical pattern.

What intrigues me isn’t just the phenomenon itself, but our collective response. The way we absorb these changes into our daily lives, as if they were minor routine adjustments rather than significant signs of a larger shift.

A 2-acre fire in Prospect Park might seem insignificant in isolation. But it’s an indicator.

It’s a sign that something fundamental has changed in the climate of one of the world’s largest cities.

Authorities talk about “abnormally dry conditions.” This choice of words is interesting. When a condition repeats with increasing frequency, maybe it’s time to reassess what we consider normal.

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Mary Carter
Mary Carter

Written by Mary Carter

I share candid reflections on love, sex, and life's ups and downs, no holds barred and no taboos.

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