(MIAMI) — Residents given hours to evacuate ‘unsafe’ Miami condoResidents of an eight-story condominium in Miami were given hours to evacuate after city inspectors deemed the building “unsafe,” the latest residential structure in the area cleared out since the deadly collapse of a tower in nearby Surfside in June.
An emergency evacuation order for the 137-unit structure, which according to city records was built in 1973, was taped to the front glass door of the building in Miami’s Flagami neighborhood Sunday night, giving residents just hours to pack up and get out.
“This building or structure is, in the opinion of the building official, unsafe,” read the notice posted on the building, at 5050 Northwest Seventh Street, just east of the city’s Little Havana district.
Residents were still seen packing belongings into vehicles outside the art deco-style, pink and beige building Tuesday morning, according to ABC Miami affiliate WPLG-TV.
The building is about 16 miles from Champlain Towers South, the 12-story oceanfront condominium that partially collapsed before dawn on June 24, killing 98 people. What remained of that building was demolished, and an investigation is underway into what caused the disaster.
City of Miami officials told WPLG that they’re working with nonprofit groups to help displaced residents find temporary housing.
The building on on Northwest Seventh Street was put on notice on July 7 after city inspectors found several violations, including not obtaining a 40-year recertification, according to the Miami Herald.
City building officials met on July 26 with residents “who were concerned about the condition of the building,” an official told the newspaper. A day after the meeting, a city inspector found structural problems in the building’s elevated garage, prompting it to be closed, and informed the property manager about damaged columns on the first floor that “required emergency shoring.”
The city said it never received requests for permits or a plan to fix the problems, but city inspectors found emergency repairs were being done on the structure’s degrading first-floor columns without a permit, officials told the Herald.
During a meeting on Monday with the building’s condo association and engineer, city inspectors “found the columns to be structurally insufficient” and ordered the building to be vacated, the Herald reported.
“We felt the building occupants were not safe,” Miami Building Director Asael “Ace” Marrero told the newspaper.
Following the catastrophic collapse of the Surfside building, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava called for a 30-day audit of residential buildings at least 40 years old and five stories tall.
Several buildings, including a 10-story residential tower in North Miami Beach, were ordered to be evacuated by the city after inspections deemed them unsafe.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks
The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.
It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.
In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.
This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.
In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.
Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus
Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.
“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”
Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official
Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.
Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.
“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have
Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.
The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.
He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.
Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left
Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.
The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.
As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.
Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.
“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.
The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.
As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.
“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 617,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Tuesday. All times Eastern:
Aug 10, 8:59 am
Dallas, Austin school districts to require masks
The Dallas Independent School District, the second largest in Texas, said it’s temporarily requiring face masks for all students, staff and visitors as of Tuesday.
It’s not clear how long the mask mandate will last.
In the Austin Independent School District, students, staff and visitors must wear face masks beginning Wednesday.
This comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott imposed a ban on mask mandates.
In Houston, Texas’ biggest school district, the board of education will vote this week on a proposed mask requirement, according to ABC Dallas affiliate WFAA.
Aug 10, 8:29 am
Pediatrician warns parents and governors: Don’t ‘underestimate’ the virus
Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the CDC, said parents should not get to choose if their kids wear masks in school.
“Allowing it to be an issue of personal choice is fine if it only affected your child, but it doesn’t. It affects everyone around your child as well,” Besser told “Good Morning America” Tuesday.
“There’s a lot we don’t know about this virus,” Besser said. “I urge parents, I urge schools, I urge governors, not to underestimate what we’re dealing with.”
Aug 09, 7:27 pm
No ICU beds available at top Mississippi hospitals: Official
Mississippi’s top health official warned Monday that the state’s top-level hospitals have no ICU beds left, and things are going to get worse.
Mississippi State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs cited the latest stats on the growing number of COVID-19 cases, stating there were 6,912 new cases and 28 deaths recorded.
“Keep in mind – this will translate into around 500 new hospitalization in coming days, and we have ZERO ICU beds at Level 1-3 hospitals, and we have
Aug 09, 7:06 pm
Abbott seeks out of state health care personnel to help Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced several measures Monday to curb the state’s growing COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.
Health care personnel from other states will be coming to Texas to assist the Texas Department of State Health Services with their recent wave of cases, Abbott said.
The governor sent a letter to the Texas Hospital Association urging them to suspend elective surgeries.
He also announced the health department will open more antibody fusion centers and vaccine sites for residents.
Aug 09, 5:38 pm
Arkansas hospitalizations reach record high, 8 ICU beds left
Arkansas saw its highest number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus since the pandemic began, according to state health data.
The number of hospitalizations rose by 103, its biggest one-day increase, to 1,376, which is five hospitalizations higher than the previous record set in January, the state health data showed.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson tweeted that only eight ICU beds remained in the entire state. He encouraged more people to get a vaccine.
As of Monday, 49.3% of eligible residents in Arkansas have received one vaccine shot, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Aug 09, 4:43 pm
Washington governor issues vaccine mandate for state employees
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Monday that he has ordered that all state employees must be vaccinated or face termination.
Inslee cited increased hospitalizations and cases throughout the state, which have mostly affected the unvaccinated, as the factor for his executive order.
“We do so to protect our vulnerable communities, to prevent further calamity to our state and to be further on the path to recovery,” he said at a news conference.
The deadline for the vaccine mandate is Oct. 18. Inslee’s executive order does provide medical and religious exemptions.
As of Aug. 2, 69.6% of Washingtonians 12 and older have received at least one dose of a vaccine, according to the state’s health department.
“We need more people to roll up their sleeves,” Inslee said.
(NEW YORK) — At least 150 million Americans are at risk for severe weather as a triple threat of extreme events stretches across the country.
While there are more than 100 fires burning throughout the United States — including the Dixie Fire, which has become the 2nd largest in California history — other severe weather is also on its way.
A tornado outbreak hit the Midwest with more storms headed to the area, record temperatures are possible in both the Northeast and Northwest, and a tropical system is likely to become Tropical Storm Fred later Tuesday.
Tornadoes in the Midwest
After a tornado outbreak on Monday in the Midwest, several more rounds of severe weather are expected in that region through at least Thursday.
There were 16 reported tornadoes in the Midwest, with 14 of them happening in Illinois alone.
The severe weather will pick up again Tuesday from Kansas to Michigan, including parts of already hard-hit Illinois and Wisconsin. While brief tornadoes will be possible, widespread damaging winds are the main concern.
Summer heat waves
The severe weather is being fueled in part by extreme heat. A heat wave is already developing across the Mississippi River valley with temperatures that will feel like over 100 degrees Fahrenheit from Texas to Illinois. The heat index may reach over 105 degrees in cities like Little Rock, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee.
Record high temperatures will be challenged in both the Northwest and Northeast later this week.
In the Northwest, temperatures will exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit in parts of Oregon, Idaho and Northern California. Portland, Oregon, could see temperatures top 107 degrees by Thursday
In the Northeast, temperatures are soaring into the 90s from Washington, D.C., to Boston. Of particular concern will be parts of New Jersey, where the heat index may reach 110 degrees on Thursday.
Tropical system in Caribbean
A tropical system is brewing in the Atlantic and is currently affecting the Caribbean; the current forecast shows that it could begin affecting Florida as soon as this weekend.
This system will likely become Tropical Storm Fred sometime Tuesday. Tropical storm alerts have been issued for parts of the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The system will likely weaken a little bit over the Dominican Republic, and while it’s too early to determine the magnitude and location of exact impacts, ABC News’ forecast models in the last 24 hours have seemed to indicate that a restrengthening tropical system may head toward Florida by the end of this week.
This system could continue to be a nuisance — particularly to the southeast U.S. — through early next week.
(NEW YORK) — Quentin Tarantino said he has made good on a vow he made as a child never to give money to his mother.
In an interview with “Billions” co-creator Brian Koppelman for “The Moment” podcast, Tarantino said that because his mother was not supportive of his writing career when he was young, he’s never felt obligated to share his riches with her.
Tarantino said that as a child, he struggled academically and that his mother was frustrated that he’d write screenplays instead of doing his schoolwork.
“in the middle of her little tirade, she said, ‘Oh, and by the way, this little writing career — with the finger quotes — this little writing career that you’re doing, that s— is f—— over,'” he recalled. “When she said that to me in that sarcastic way, I was in my head and I go, ‘OK lady, when I become a successful writer, you will never see penny one from my success. There will be no house for you. There’s no vacation for you, no Elvis Cadillac for mommy. You get nothing because you said that.'”
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” director added that despite his success, he’s never purchased a car or a house for his mother, who is still living. However, he added, “I helped her out of a jam with the IRS.”
Throughout his career, Tarantino, 58, has won two Academy Awards for screenwriting; one for “Pulp Fiction” and the other for “Django Unchained.” When Koppelman tried to persuade him to buy his mother something extravagant, Tarantino remained resolute.
“There are consequences for your words,” he said with a laugh. “As you deal with your children, remember there are consequences for your sarcastic tone [about what’s] meaningful to them.”
(WASHINGTON) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.
“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in the memo.
A U.S. official initially confirmed Austin’s decision to ABC News before it was later made public in a written message to all U.S. military service members.
“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.
Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.”
In a statement released shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the president said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.”
“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away,” Biden’s statement continued.
Because the COVID-19 vaccines are currently only being used under an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Biden will have to grant a waiver to enable the Pentagon to make vaccinations mandatory.
According to the Pentagon’s latest statistics more than 70% of all active-duty service members have received at least one dose.
Until Austin’s recommendation for a mandate, the U.S. military could only recommend to service members that they should take the vaccination. However, Pentagon officials had said that once the FDA approved a COVID vaccine that they would begin a review of whether it should be made mandatory for U.S. military personnel, just like the 17 other vaccines that are mandatory for U.S. military personnel.
Austin’s decision follows Biden’s announcement two weeks ago that federal employees would be required to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing. Biden also ordered the Pentagon to explore “how and when” it could require service members to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to the recommendation to make the vaccine mandatory Austin wrote that “we will comply with the President’s direction regarding additional restrictions and requirements for unvaccinated Federal personnel.”
“I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel — as well as contractor personnel — to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” he wrote.
“All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective,” said Austin. “They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world. Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.”
(NEW YORK) — A leader within Time’s Up, the organization founded in the wake of the #MeToo movement to fight gender-based discrimination in the workplace, has resigned after it emerged that she aided New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after multiple women accused him of harassment.
Roberta “Robbie” Kaplan was the chair of the board of directors at Time’s Up before resigning Monday. She was also a co-founder of the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund and a prominent voice in the #MeToo movement that toppled Hollywood executives and others accused of harassing and assaulting women.
“Unfortunately, recent events have made it clear that even our apparent allies in the fight to advance women can turn out to be abusers,” Kaplan said in her resignation letter obtained by ABC News.
Kaplan, also an attorney in her own private practice, stated in the letter that she has found working as a lawyer does not allow her to talk openly or have the degree of transparency now being demanded, “since that would be contrary to my responsibilities as a lawyer.”
“I therefore have reluctantly come to the conclusion that an active litigation practice is no longer compatible with serving on the Board at Times Up at this time and I hereby resign,” she stated.
“It has been difficult for me to reach this decision in light of the challenges facing women today,” she added. “Now more than ever, and especially in light of the consequences of the ongoing pandemic, we know that ‘time’ is still very much ‘up’ and that much more change needs to happen.”
Kaplan said she looks forward to “continuing the fight for change and to advancing the mission we all share.”
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced the results of her office’s monthslong probe into the allegations against Cuomo late last week, saying he was found to have sexually harassed multiple women. In at least one instance, the governor is also accused of seeking to retaliate against a woman who leveled accusations against him, according to James’ investigation.
The more than 160-page attorney general’s office report on Cuomo names Kaplan as allegedly being involved in an effort to discredit one of Cuomo’s accusers.
Time’s Up said in a statement to ABC News that Kaplan stepped down from the board after the organization and she agreed “that is the right and appropriate thing to do.”
“We’ve worked to hold power accountable in board rooms, in the halls of government, and in organizations big and small, and we have felt uniquely capable of doing so because many of us have worked in those very institutions,” the statement said. “We have never felt co-opted by that experience, only informed by it to try new strategies. And we are proud of that work and the change we have achieved. Yet, we recognize that this work has sometimes resulted in a lack of trust from the broader survivor community we serve and to which we also belong. We are looking within.”
The organization pledged to “hold ourselves accountable.” Time’s Up said it would evaluate processes, be more transparent about its vision, and work to provide a more inclusive process to engage the “broader survivor community.”
In the wake of the attorney general’s report being released, a chorus of lawmakers — including President Joe Biden — have called for Cuomo to resign.
Cuomo has denied all allegations of sexual harassment or misconduct. When accusations emerged earlier this year, the embattled governor said he would not resign. Melissa DeRosa, one of Cuomo’s top aides, resigned on Sunday after state investigators alleged she was part of the “retaliation” against one of his accusers.
On Monday, New York State’s Assembly Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Lavine called the findings of the report “deeply disturbing” as he ushered the committee into an executive session to discuss next steps in the impeachment investigation.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will request approval for the COVID-19 vaccine to become mandatory for all U.S. military service members by mid-September, according to a memo he sent to all Defense Department employees.
“I want you to know that I will seek the President’s approval to make the vaccines mandatory no later than mid-September, or immediately upon the U.S. Food and Drug Agency (FDA) licensure, whichever comes first,” Austin wrote in the memo.
A U.S. official initially confirmed Austin’s decision to ABC News before it was later made public in a written message to all U.S. military service members.
“By way of expectation, public reporting suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine could achieve full FDA licensure early next month. The intervening few weeks will be spent preparing for this transition,” Austin wrote.
Given the rising coronavirus case numbers amid the increasing spread of the highly transmissible delta variant, Austin noted that “I will not hesitate to act sooner or recommend a different course to the President if l feel the need to do so.”
In a statement released shortly after Austin’s memo was sent out, the president said, “I strongly support Secretary Austin’s message to the Force today on the Department of Defense’s plan to add the COVID-19 vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for our service members not later than mid-September. Secretary Austin and I share an unshakable commitment to making sure our troops have every tool they need to do their jobs as safely as possible. These vaccines will save lives. Period. They are safe. They are effective.”
“We cannot let up in the fight against COVID-19, especially with the Delta variant spreading rapidly through unvaccinated populations. We are still on a wartime footing, and every American who is eligible should take immediate steps to get vaccinated right away,” Biden’s statement continued.
Because the COVID-19 vaccines are currently only being used under an emergency use authorization from the FDA, Biden will have to grant a waiver to enable the Pentagon to make vaccinations mandatory.
According to the Pentagon’s latest statistics more than 70% of all active-duty service members have received at least one dose.
Until Austin’s recommendation for a mandate, the U.S. military could only recommend to service members that they should take the vaccination. However, Pentagon officials had said that once the FDA approved a COVID vaccine that they would begin a review of whether it should be made mandatory for U.S. military personnel, just like the 17 other vaccines that are mandatory for U.S. military personnel.
Austin’s decision follows Biden’s announcement two weeks ago that federal employees would be required to provide proof of vaccination or face regular testing. Biden also ordered the Pentagon to explore “how and when” it could require service members to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
In addition to the recommendation to make the vaccine mandatory Austin wrote that “we will comply with the President’s direction regarding additional restrictions and requirements for unvaccinated Federal personnel.”
“I strongly encourage all DoD military and civilian personnel — as well as contractor personnel — to get vaccinated now and for military Service members to not wait for the mandate,” he wrote.
“All FDA-authorized COVID-19 vaccines are safe and highly effective,” said Austin. “They will protect you and your family. They will protect your unit, your ship, and your co-workers. And they will ensure we remain the most lethal and ready force in the world. Get the shot. Stay healthy. Stay ready.”
(NEW YORK) — The United States is facing a COVID-19 surge this summer as the more contagious delta variant spreads.
More than 616,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 and over 4.2 million people have died worldwide, according to real-time data compiled by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.
Just 58.7% of Americans ages 12 and up are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Here’s how the news is developing Monday. All times Eastern:
Aug 09, 7:31 am
‘This is not your grandfather’s COVID,’ pediatrician warns
Children with COVID-19 used to make up 1% of patients hospitalized at Children’s Hospital New Orleans. Now they account for about 20%, Dr. Mark Kline, physician-in-chief at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, told “Good Morning America” Monday.
He said about half of the children hospitalized are under 2 years old. Most of the others are between 5 and 10 years old, so too young to be vaccinated.
“This is not your grandfather’s COVID,” Kline said. “This delta variant is an entirely new and unexpected challenge.”
Dr. Peter Hotez, dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor, warned on MSNBC that with “schools act[ing] as an accelerant, you should assume we’re going to see pediatric intensive care units all across the South completely overwhelmed and even a possibility of small tent cities of sick adolescents and kids.”
Hotez said parents need to know that “delta is something different” and “picking off young people like we’ve never seen.”
“If your adolescent kid is unvaccinated, you should assume there’s a high likelihood that that child is going to get COVID,” he said, adding, “And we haven’t even gotten to the ‘long COVID’ discussion around young people and what that means for their long-term cognitive health.”
(NEW YORK) — Lawmakers and water utilities in the West are urging residents to conserve water as reservoirs hit record lows amid climate change-driven megadrought.
Among the calls to action is a reminder for residents to make choices that lessen use of municipal water when it comes to maintaining landscaping in desert surroundings.
About 30% of water usage for the average American family is used for the outdoors, such as watering lawns and gardens, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
But in the West, where water is zapped almost instantaneously by either the blazing sun or thirsty vegetation, outdoor water usage increases to about 60% of total household use, according to the EPA.
While water is “pretty cheap” in the U.S. at the moment, that could change as the commodity becomes more precious, John Berggren, a water policy analyst with conservation organization Western Resource Advocates, told ABC News.
However, experts say they have noticed a societal shift in how people in the West approach everyday decisions to protect the precious water supply, including when it comes to how to design lawns.
Landscaping should match the environment
In the summer, a “big chunk” of the water supply in the West goes to irrigating non-native turf grass, which is what is generally used for lawns, Berggren said.
There are benefits to turf grass, Berggren pointed out. It’s aesthetically pleasing and cooling — which helps reduce the urban heat island effect — and it offers functionality for recreation, for kids and pets to run around in and as parks and ballfields. Grasses native to the West don’t offer the same recreational functionality.
The typical grass used for homes and ballfields is Kentucky bluegrass, which is not native to the West, which is why it requires so much water for upkeep, he said.
A solution is to remove the turf grass. While people often think ripping up turf grass means replacing it with cement, the best move is actually to replace it with live vegetation that is native to the area, such as shrubs and trees, Berggren said.
“We have so many beautiful native plants that are adapted to our climates out here in the West,” he said. “You’ll have lots of color. You can have lots of green.”
Once established, native plants require little water “beyond normal rainfall,” according to the EPA.
Along with the aesthetics, the plants will also provide collection for storm water runoff and water quality benefits, Berggren said.
Providing incentives to residents could prove effective, experts say
Development codes enacted in municipalities around the West between the 1960s and 1980s had little to no restrictions on how much turf grass property owners could install. But officials and scientists are starting to rethink the approach to turf grass as the decadeslong drought worsens and populations increase, Berggren said.
However, the cost to transform lawns can’t be overlooked. Adding native plants for a xeriscaping project, or designing the landscape to reduce irrigation, can cost up to $5,000, according to home and garden blog Happy DIY Home.
Water providers and conservation programs are incentivizing homeowners to get rid of their turf grass, with some offering between $1 and $3 per square foot to replace it with native plants, Berggren said.
“And so if you’re replacing a couple 1,000 square feet of turf, suddenly, that’s a pretty big incentive to do so, and you can pay for a lot of the project with that program,” he said.
Turf buyback programs have become so important that states are providing the funds to maintain them.
Last month, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced the expansion of a statewide turf buyback program as one of four efforts to conserve water amid the megadrought.
First-of-its-kind legislation passed in Nevada
Municipalities and states are also starting to realize that not all areas where there is turf grass are equal, Berggren said. Plots of land where the turf is purely ornamental, such as median strips on highways, are known as non-functional or non-essential turf, and states in the West are starting to do away with them.
For example, if a patch of grass in southern Nevada is green, that means it’s being irrigated with municipal drinking water, Bronson Mack, public information officer of the Las Vegas Valley Water District, said.
“The one thing to really keep in mind is whether or not those communities are irrigating that grass with water resources, or is that grass just getting naturally irrigated from precipitation,” Mack said. “Here in Southern Nevada, we’d only get 4 inches of rain a year. So, it is not enough water to sustain our outdoor landscaping.”
Lawmakers in Nevada recently passed a law banning non-essential turf in the Las Vegas region served by the Southern Nevada Water Authority. Assembly Bill 356 requires grass at non-residential properties to be ripped out within five years. After Dec. 26, 2026, those properties will no longer be able to irrigate non-functional turf with Colorado River water supplied by the water authority, Mack said.
“So their options are to find a new water source, which is pretty challenging to do,” Mack said.
The new legislation is the first of its kind in the country, he added.
More communities are also instilling caps on how much of any given property can contain turf grass, such as 20%, Berggren said.
The new laws are paralleled by a cultural shift to make people re-think how they use their yards. If they find they only use the backyard, the incentives motivate them to replace the grass in the front yard with native plants, Berggren said.
Prior to the early 2000s, homes in Nevada state had wall-to-wall grass, but 20 years later, landscapes in new developments have no grass and use water-efficient material instead, Mack said, adding that nearly 70,000 residential and commercial landscaping projects to remove more than 200 miles of grass have taken place in Southern Nevada alone since then.
“That’s why it’s good to see so many homeowners kind of being proactive in like ripping up their front lawn and putting in nice, beautiful, native vegetation, because then their neighbors see it, and then people driving down the street see it,” Berggren said.
Communities across the Southwest have embraced the trend to transform lawns to be water-efficient, Jay Lund, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Davis, and the head of the school’s Center for Watershed Sciences, told ABC News.
“A few years ago, I was walking around the neighborhood of a friend in Albuquerque, and you could see that the neighborhood was going through a transition,” he said. “You could see that the older lawn were lush and green.”
More ways to conserve water
Water-efficient irrigation techniques can reduce water usage by up to 15%, according to the EPA.
Something as simple as replacing sprinkler heads can upgrade irrigation systems to save a significant amount of water, Berggren said.
It is not necessary to water grass every day, according to the EPA, which recommends testing the lawn by stepping on a patch of grass instead. If the grass springs back, it does not need water, the agency says.
Better Homes & Gardens recommends that homeowners in the region let lawns brown during the summer, or give them about 1 inch of water per week.
Do not water lawns during the afternoon, as the water will evaporate before the drops even hit the ground. Water lawns early in the morning instead.
