"AccuWeather has increased the preliminary estimate for the total damage and economic loss for the Southern California wildfires to a staggering $135 billion to $150 billion," Wadell said on X.
The media company said earlier that its preliminary estimate of damage and economic losses from the California wildfires was between $52 billion and $57 billion. Meteorologists forecast more gusty winds and an elevated fire risk next week, Wadell said.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told a news conference that the damage caused by the wildfires could be compared to the impact of a nuclear bomb being dropped in the area.
LA Authorities Impose Curfew Amid Looting in Fire-Ravaged Areas
Los Angeles authorities will impose a curfew in the evacuation zone amid concerns of looting in wildfire-affected communities, Board of Supervisors Chair Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Sheriff Robert Luna said.
"We must stand up against opportunistic people who want to prey on these victims. Los Angeles County will not stand by and allow an already traumatic experience to be further compounded," Barger said late on Thursday.
The curfew will be in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. in the areas where mandatory evacuation was announced, Luna said.
Law enforcement agencies have been working 24 hours to protect the property of displaced persons, the sheriff said, adding that 20 people had been arrested for looting. The California National Guard has deployed 400 troops to Los Angeles to keep looters at bay.