2011 Disaster Calendar – September

On May 15, 2011 symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began.

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016

2011 – 2012: A Time for Mega Disasters

U.S., the world, stake the future on high-energy strategies. Energy models’ simulations show all such strategies ending in collapse. EDRO

FIRE-EARTH Forecast: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010

Nearly all of the anthropogenic and human-enhanced disasters that will occur on the planet in the 2011-2012 period would have been preventable.

Humans continued to devour energy at a rate of 17.3terrawatt in 2011, when maximum ‘safe’ limit was less than 1.9terrawatt.

2011 Disaster Calendar

January 2011 | February 2011 | March 2011 | April 2011 | May 2011 | June 2011 | July 2011 | August 2011 | September 2011 |

• [September 1, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,658 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• U.S. South. Drought conditions (D0 – D4) now engulf 97.56 percent of the South, up from 93.62 percent a week earlier, the US Drought Monitor reported.
• U.S. Southeast. Extreme drought level (D3) in the Southeast now covers 22.8 percent of the region, compared with 12.94 percent last week.

• Texas, USA. Extreme and exceptional levels of drought (D3 and D4) in Texas have climbed to 95.04 percent of the state, up from 94.42 percent last week, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported.
• Childress, Texas has  recorded 94 days of triple digit temperatures (50 consecutive days, ending on August 10) so far this year.
• The summer of 2011 was the hottest on record across the Southern Plains region by a significant margin (up to 3.4ºF), NWS reported.
• Temperatures climbed above 90 degrees EVERY DAY during meteorological summer (June 1-August 31) at both Lubbock and Childress monitoring sites, the first time ever on record.
• Oklahoma, USA. Extreme and exceptional levels of drought now cover 85.37 percent of the state.
• Louisiana, USA. Extreme and exceptional drought plague 59.50 percent of the state, an increase of about 4 percent since last week.
• Kansas, USA. D3 and D4 drought conditions engulf about 32 percent of state of Kansas.

• Other Disasters

• Vermont, USA. The White House today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Vermont due to the severe impact of Tropical Storm Irene beginning on August 29, 2011, and continuing.
• Oklahoma, USA. A wildfire in a wooded area of Oklahoma city has consumed at least 25 homes.
• Texas, USA. A Texas wildfire near Possum Kingdom Lake, about 75 miles west of Fort Worth, has consumed at least 6,500 acres, destroying 40 homes, a report said.

• [September 2, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,657 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
• USA. The kowtow president reverses new rules on limiting deadly smog pollution. New rules to limit killer smog pollution would have cost big business “billions of dollars.”
• Bowing to big business, the white House withdrew the draft Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard.
• The draft had proposed to limit ground-level ozone to between 60 and 70 parts per billion over eight hours [The previous standard was 75 parts per billion set by the Bush administration in 2008.
• “The Obama administration is caving to big polluters at the expense of protecting the air we breathe. This is a huge win for corporate polluters and a huge loss for public health,” said Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters.
• “It’s good to see the administration recognizing the need to balance environmental rules with the potential impact on consumers and jobs,” said Melissa McHenry, a spokeswoman with American Electric Power.
• “We would hope that same consideration should be given to other rules that the EPA is moving forward with,” she added.
• “Smog kills more people than car crashes in the most heavily-polluted areas of the country: There were 2,521 vehicular deaths in the San Joaquin Valley and South Coast Air Basin in 2006, compared to 3,812 deaths attributed to respiratory illness caused by particulate pollution, according to a study by researchers at Cal State Fullerton.” Source

• Other Disasters

  • Sudan. Sudan has declared a state of emergency in the state of Blue Nile following a third outbreak of fighting on the country’s  border states with South Sudan, reports said.
  • Since South Sudan’s declaration of independence in July, at least a quarter of a million people have fled their homes, most of them from the South Kordofan state (population: ~ 1.2 million).
    
  • Connecticut River Valley. Flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Irene have submerged  farmland in the Connecticut River Valley, destroying crops both in Connecticut and Massachusetts and washing away topsoil, a report said.
  • Iowa, USA. The town of Hamburg in  southwest Iowa (pop: 1,100) may soon become a ghost town as many of its residents may leave because of chronic flooding. The summer-long flooding along the Missouri River have limited access to the town since June, a report said.
  • Southern California, USA.  Authorities have ordered the residents of 1,500 homes to evacuate after a wildfire engulfed a large section of I-15, the main interstate between SoCal and Las Vegas, AP reported.
  • The blaze began about1 pm Friday and consumed 500 acres in two hours, the report said.
  • Georgia, USA. Governor of Georgia has requested a disaster designation for 157 of Georgia’s 159 counties because of the ongoing drought and exceptional heat conditions that have plagued the state since April, a report said.
  •  ”Earlier this summer, Vilsack [USDA] had granted a disaster designation for 22 counties and an additional 26 counties were declared contiguous disaster areas due to drought and heat conditions. Those counties were all in the southern portion of the state and reflected crop losses early in the year as a result of drought conditions.”
  • Shikoku Island, Japan. Typhoon Talas, the 12th of the season, made landfall on Shikoku Island, killing at least one person with half dozen others missing, and injuring dozens of others, a report said.
  •  Some 3,200 others were forced to evacuate in 16 prefectures in western to central Japan.
  • Typhoon Talas also disrupted air and rail traffic in western Japan, with hundreds of domestic and  international flights cancelled.
  • Mudslides caused by torrential rains blocked roads, isolating hundreds of people in Saijo, Ehime Prefecture, on Shikoku.
  • A record 1,150 millimeters of rain fell in 72 hours over a village in Nara Prefecture.
  • Rain records for at least 4 other prefectures in western Japan have also been broken, reports said.

• [September 3, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,656 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
  
• Louisiana, USA. Governor Jindal has declared a state of emergency in 35 parishes expecting flash flooding and high tides as a result of the storm system.  State officials have urged voluntary evacuations in parts of Lafourche Parish and Grand Isle, Jindal told reporters.
• Mississippi, USA. Governor Barbour has declared a state of emergency in seven counties expected to receive heavy rain and floods as the storm moves slowly north.
• Sindh Province, Pakistan. Flooding triggered by days of monsoon rains in Pakistan’s Sindh province have killed about 70 people, destroying or damaging about a half of a million homes, wiping out hundreds of villages, washing away roads, bridges and other infrastructure, breaching irrigation canals, inundating vast tracts of land, destroying or damaging 2.5 million acres of crop, leaving hundreds of thousands of cattle dead, and displacing or severely affecting more than 2 million people, officials have said.
• The latest disasters in the area is a double whammy for tens of thousands of 2010 flood victims who had already lost their homes and were living in thatched huts which have all collapsed.\
• Texas, USA. Some 18,612 wildfires in Texas so far this year have consumed at least 3,477,685 acres, destroying 2,450 homes/structures, Texas Forest Service reported. [Note: the actual figure may be closer to 3,100 structures lost – FEWW]

[September 4, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,655 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Iraq. The Empire’s Illegal Wars: More than 12,000 Iraqis killed in at least 1,000 suicide bombings since the US-led invasion.
• Between March 20, 2003, and December 31, 2010, at least12,284 Iraqi civilians were killed and 30,644 others wounded in suicide bombings. The attacks also killed 200 coalition troops, including 175 Americans,  a report said.
• Japan. Typhoon Talas dumped record rain on western Japan triggering large scale mudslide, leaving at least 28 people dead and 56 others missing, NHK said.
• The authorities issued evacuation orders and advisories to about half a million people in western and central Japan.
• Up to 4,000 people were stranded as extreme rains flooded rivers, triggering landslides and destroying roads and bridges.
• Scores of homes were destroyed, damaged or swept away by floodwaters, Kyodo news agency reported.
• Texas, USA. A massive wildfire at Bastrop near Austin has consumed at least 14,000 acres and destroyed 300 homes, reports said.
• Another fire in Palo Pinto County has scorched more than 6,500 acres and destroyed 39 homes since Tuesday.
• Wildfires in East Texas have consumed at least 2,000 acres, killing a woman and her baby and destroying more than a dozen homes, a report said.

[September 5, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,654 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. The worst fires in Central Texas for at least a century are fulled by a year-long intense drought, low humidity and strong winds generated by the remnants of weather system that had earlier spawned Tropical Storm Lee.
• Texas has been plagued by its worst drought in at least 6 decades.
• Fire Management Details(Texas Forest Service, TFS)
  • Date: Monday, September 5, 2011
  • National Preparedness Level: 3
  • Southern Area Preparedness Level: 3
  • TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Fire Stats
  • Total Number of Fires YTD: 18,719
  • Acres burned: 3,533,805 [“That’s roughly the size of Connecticut.” Rick Perry said.]
  • Structures Destroyed by Fire: 2,897 [FEWW Estimate: 3,600]
  • Fires since yesterday: 63 new fires consume 32,936 acres, including 22 new large fires
  • Fires in the past 7 days: TFS has responded to 179 fires for 74,186 acres.
  • 476 homes have been destroyed by Bastrop County Complex fire, according to Bastrop County Emergency Management Center.
  • At least 5,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
  • The 25,000-acre Bastrop Complex Fire near Austin is currently zero-percent contained.
  • Wildfires in East Texas have consumed at least 2,000 acres, killing a woman and her baby and destroying more than a dozen homes, a report said.

[September 6, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,653 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. Some 181 fires have consumed 118,413 acres and destroyed about 1,100 homes in the past 7 days. Texas wildfires have burned at least 3.6 million acres and 4,400 structures [FEWW Estimate] so far this year.
• The worst fires in Central Texas for at least a century are fulled by a year-long intense drought, low humidity and strong winds generated by the remnants of weather system that had earlier spawned Tropical Storm Lee.
• Texas has been plagued by its worst drought in at least 6 decades.
• Fire Management Details(Texas Forest Service, TFS)
  • Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2011
  • National Preparedness Level: 3
  • Southern Area Preparedness Level: 3
  • TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Fire Stats
  • Total Number of Fires YTD: ~ 18,741
  • Acres burned: ~ 3,600,000 [“That’s roughly the size of Connecticut.” Rick Perry said.]
  • Structures Destroyed by Fire: 4,400 units [FEWW Estimate]
  • Fires in the past 7 days: TFS has responded to 201  fires for 118,413
  • About 1,100  homes have been destroyed in various fires.
  • At least 5,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
  • About 700 people are in emergency shelters.
  • The 30,000-acre Bastrop Complex Fire near Austin is still zero-percent contained.
  • At least 13 of the blazes are larger than 1,000 acres (including 7 that have torched more than 3,000 acres).
  • Wildfires in East Texas have consumed at least 2,000 acres, killing a woman and her baby and destroying more than a dozen homes, a report said.
  • Death toll from the fire outbreak has climbed to at least 4, a report said.
  • Yesterday (September 5, 2011) TFS responded to 22 new fires for 7,544 acres, including 10 new large fires.
  • Texas drought-related losses YTD: At least $10 billion

Other Disasters

• Japan. Death toll from Typhoon TALAS has climbed to at least 48 with 54 others reported missing.
• About 3,000 people are still in evacuation centers.
• Dozens of villages and tens of thousands of people in central Japan are still cut off.
• TALAS was the worst storm to hit Japan in 3 decades.
• Connecticut , USA. The White House has  declared Connecticut a major disaster area because of the damage  caused by Tropical Storm Irene beginning on August 27, 2011.
• Virginia, USA. The White House has  declared Virginia a major disaster area due to the damage caused Hurricane Irene during the period of August 26-28, 2011.
• New Hampshire, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Hampshire due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene beginning on August 26, 2011.
• Pennsylvania, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania due to the damage caused by Hurricane Irene during the period of August 26-30, 2011.
• Rhode Island, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the State of Rhode Island due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene during the period of August 27-29, 2011.
• Massachusetts, USA. The White House has  declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts due to the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene during the period of August 27-29, 2011.
• Pakistan. Death toll from flooding in Pakistan has climbed to at least 123, reports said.
• Floods triggered by heavy monsoon rains in southern Sindh province have destroyed about half a million mud huts.
• At least 100,000 heads of cattle are dead or missing.
• Floods have destroyed about half million acres of cropland, and 80 percent of harvest-ready crops in the region.
• At least third of a million people have been displaced.
• More than 2.2 million others have been severely affected.

[September 7, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,652 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Arctic Ocean. Satellite data processed by the University of Bremen showed Arctic ice extent on September 5 fell below the same date in 2007.
• Greenhouse gases are responsible for half of Arctic ice cover retreat from 1979 to 2005.
• August average Arctic sea ice extent in 2011 fell to the second lowest level for the month since records began in 1979, NSIDC reported.
• In August, ice extent retreated at a faster than average   pace of 67,700 km²/day . The average decline rate for August 1979 to 2000 was 53,700 km²/day.
• Average ice extent for August 2011 was 5.52 million km², or 160,000 km² above the record low set inAugust 2007, and 2.15 million km² or 28% below the average for 1979 to 2000.
• On August 31, 2011 Arctic ice extent was 4.63 million km², or 100,000 km² above the previous record low for the same date, set in 2007.
• Air temperatures were up to 4 degrees Celsius higher than average (relative to the 1981 to 2010 climatology) over the Arctic Ocean (measured about 1km above the surface).
• The ice will continue to melt for another couple of weeks.
• Monthly August ice extent for 1979 to 2011 shows a decline of 9.3% per decade.

Other Disasters

Texas Wildfire Stats (issued by TFS)

• Date: Wednesday, September 7, 2011
• National Preparedness Level: 3
• Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
• TFS Preparedness Level: 5

• “Yesterday Texas Forest Service responded to 19 new fires for 1,490 acres, including new large fires in Red River and Rusk counties. In the past seven days Texas Forest Service has responded to 172 fires for 135,051 acres.”
• “An assessment has been completed on the Bastrop County Complex and 785 homes have been reported destroyed. An additional 238 have been reported lost on other fires in the past three days, for a total of approximately 1,023.”

• Texas governor Rick Perry is on record as saying climate change  is essentially a hoax:
• “I just happen to believe the Earth’s temperature has been moving up and down for millenniums now.” Claiming that scientists disagree on the cause he added, “I happen to be one who is skeptical.”
• “To spend billions of dollars” addressing an issue like that, Perry said, is “not in America’s best interests.
• “I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling into their projects. And I think we are seeing almost weekly, or even daily, scientists are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change. I don’t think, from my perspective, that I want America to be engaged in spending that much money on still a scientific theory that has not been proven, and from my perspective, is more and more being put into question.” Perry said.
• In April Perry issued an official proclamation asking “Texans of all faiths and traditions” to pray for rain over the three-day Easter weekend.
• “Now, therefore, I, Rick Perry, governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas,” the proclamation, posted on the governor’s website, began.
• Perry should know that prayers without a “vow of repentance,” a “plea for forgiveness” and a “promise of abstinence” invariably backfire, in his case literally!

[September 8, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,651 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. The total number of homes destroyed by Bastrop fire is now confirmed at 1,386. At least 240 additional homes have been lost on other fires since Sunday, for a total of about 1,626, TFS reported.
• The worst fires in Central Texas for at least a century are fulled by a year-long intense drought, low humidity and strong winds generated by the remnants of weather system that had earlier spawned Tropical Storm Lee.
• Texas has been plagued by its worst drought in at least 6 decades.
• Drought is expected to continue in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.
• Fire Management Details(Texas Forest Service, TFS)
  • Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011
  • National Preparedness Level: 3
  • Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
  • TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Fire Stats
  • Total Number of Fires YTD: ~ 18,776
  • Acres burned: ~ 3,621,589 [“That’s roughly the size of Connecticut.” Rick Perry said.]
  • Structures Destroyed by Fire: 4,155 units [FEWW Estimate: ~5,200]
  • Fires in the past 7 days: TFS has responded to 176 fires for 126,844 acres.
  • Since Sunday about 1,626  homes and other structures have been destroyed in various fires.
  • At least 5,000 people have been forced to abandon their homes.
  • About 700 people are in emergency shelters.
  • The 34,000-acre Bastrop Complex Fire near Austin is reportedly 30 percent contained.
  • BEAR CREEK (#536), Cass County. 25,000 acres, unknown containment. The fire is burning very actively in heavy timber and is threatening numerous houses. Eight homes have been destroyed.
  • PEDERNALES BEND (Spicewood), Travis County. 6,500 acres, 80 percent contained. Sixty-seven homes were destroyed.
  • RILEY ROAD, Grimes/Montgomery/Waller counties. 11,000 acres, 60 percent contained. Seventy-five homes have been destroyed just west of Magnolia.
  • TAMINA ROAD, Montgomery County. 150 acres, unknown containment. Hundreds of homes were evacuated Monday, but none was reported lost.
  • UNION CHAPEL, Bastrop County. 912 acres, 90 percent contained. Twenty-five homes were destroyed just west of Bastrop.
  • PETERS CHAPEL, Harrison County. 650 acres, 80 percent contained. The fire is burning actively in pine plantation. Numerous homes have been evacuated. Two homes were destroyed.
  • STEINER RANCH, Travis County. 125 acres, 50 percent contained.  More than 1,000 homes were evacuated. Thirty-five homes were destroyed.
  • #491, Limestone County. 3,000 acres, 95 percent contained. One was lost 20 miles east of Waco.
  • DELHI, Caldwell County. 6,000 acres. Six homes were lost on this fire east of Lockhart.
  • BAILEY, Colorado County. 2,300 acres, 90 percent contained. This fast-moving fire threatened 40 homes near Columbus. Ten homes were destroyed.
  • DIANA (#545), Upshur County. 2,500 acres, 70 percent contained. Twenty homes are threatened.
  • LUTHERHILL, Fayette County. 2,700 acres, 95 percent contained. The community of Ruttersville was evacuated. Fourteen homes were destroyed.
  • MOORE, Smith County. 1,500 acres, 90 percent contained. Ten homes were evacuated and five were lost on this fire burning on the Smith/Gregg County line. Two civilian fatalities were reported.
  • Wildfires in East Texas have consumed at least 2,000 acres, killing a woman and her baby and destroying more than a dozen homes, a report said.
  • BOOT WALKER (#553), Marion County. 1,000 acres, unknown containment. Thirty homes are threatened.
  • TOAD ROAD (#552), Upshur County. 350 acres, unknown containment. Three homes were lost and dozens remain threatened.
  • HOPEWELL (#854), Walker County. 1,035 acres, 90 percent contained. Thirty homes have been evacuated, five homes were destroyed.
  • HALSBRO COMPLEX, Red River County. 958 acres, unknown containment. Fifteen homes are threatened, but none reported lost.
  • #502, Nacogdoches County. 4,000 acres, unknown containment. More than a dozen homes have been evacuated, but none lost.
  • ARBOR, Houston County. 3,000 acres, 90 percent contained. Up to 15 homes are reported lost.
  • OLD MAGNOLIA, Gregg County. 1,000 acres, 80 percent contained. Several structures and a gas plant are threatened. Two fuel tanks exploded.
  • #839, Leon County (Concord Robbins). 4,689 acres, 90 percent contained. Twenty homes are reported lost and more than 300 were evacuated.
  • 101 RANCH, Palo Pinto County. 6,555 acres, 85 percent contained. The fire is burning on the south side of Possum Kingdom Lake near the town of Brad. Thirty-nine homes and nine RV’s have been reported destroyed.
  • Death toll from the fire outbreak has climbed to at least 4, a report said.
  • Yesterday (September 7, 2011) TFS responded to 20 new fires for 1,422 acres, including new large fires in Red River, Smith, and Cherokee/Rusk counties.
  • TFS has responded to 176 fires for 126,844 acres in the past seven days.
  • Texas drought-related losses YTD: At least $10 billion

• Oklahoma, USA. D3 and D4 (extreme and exceptional) drought levels now plague nearly 85.5 percent of the state.
• New Mexico, USA. D3 and D4 drought levels have intensified across NM, currently gripping about 72.2 percent of the state, a rise of more than 11 percent since last week.

Global Climate

The forecasters at Climate Prediction Center (CPC) have upgraded last month’s La Niña Watch to a La Niña Advisory. “La Niña, which contributed to extreme weather around the globe during the first half of 2011, has re-emerged in the tropical Pacific Ocean and is forecast to gradually strengthen and continue into winter.”

“This means drought is likely to continue in the drought-stricken states of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico,” said Mike Halpert, deputy director of the CPC. “La Niña also often brings colder winters to the Pacific Northwest and the northern Plains, and warmer temperatures to the southern states.”

Other Global Incidents

• Wellington, New Zealand. A mystery virus with flu-like symptoms has forced at least one Wellington school to shut  down, as a third of of the students and half the staff were sickened, a report said.
• “Some students were also suffering ear and chest infections.”

[September 9, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,650 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Northeast, USA. Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee have dumped more than 12 inches of rain  in parts of New York and Pennsylvania since Monday, submerging small towns along the Susquehanna River near Wilkes-Barre.
• Earlier, NWS issued flood warnings for Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Flash flood warnings were issued for parts of  Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Flash flood watches were also issued for Maryland, Virginia and Washington, DC.
• The White House Declared states of emergency in New York and Pennsylvania.
• Virginia Governor declared a state of emergency as  flooding prompts mass evacuations in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Virginia, killing at least 6 people.
• More than 130,000 people were evacuated from flooded areas, and at least 6 were reported killed as a result of flooding, including three in Pennsylvania.
• Pennsylvania Gov. Corbett warned residents to avoid floodwater because 10 sewage treatment plants were submerged releasing their loads into the rivers and turning the water toxic.
• Floodwater from Chenango and Susquehanna rivers spilled over dikes in Binghamton, N.Y., submerging streets, said a report.
• New York Gov. Cuomo surveyed the damage which  “included thousands of destroyed homes and businesses,” the Press & Sun Bulletin said.
• The town of West Pittston in Pennsylvania was almost entirely submerged.

Other Major Incidents

• West Coast, USA (and Mexico). A massive blackout affected at least 5 million residents in Arizona, southern California and Mexico.
• The blackout knocked out about 4,300 megawatts of power, creating havoc on roads and forcing trains and flights to be cancelled.
• In San Diego, 2 sewage pumps failed due to the blackout, contaminating a lagoon and a river feeding into San Diego Bay and prompting the officials to close nearby beaches, reports said.
• Economic losses from the blackout could be as high as $118 million, according to estimates by the National University System Institute for Policy Research, a report said.
• Fukushima, Japan. Radioactive material released into the sea at Fukushima NPP following the triple core meltdown is at plant were at least three times the amount declared by Tokyo Electric Power Co, Japanese researchers reported.
• TEPCO had reported that 4,720 trillion becquerels of cesium-137 and iodine-131 were released into the Pacific Ocean between March 21 and April 30, but researchers at Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) say the amount was 15,000 trillion becquerels (terabecquerels).
• Texas, USA. BEAR CREEK (#536), Cass County. Satellite images show about 40,000 acres have burned. “The 40,000-acre Bear Creek Fire in Cass County has exhibited extreme fire behavior for the past few days… The fire is burning very actively in heavy timber and is threatening numerous houses.”  At least 8 homes have been destroyed so far.
• Fire Management Details(Texas Forest Service, TFS)
  • Date: Friday, September 9, 2011
  • National Preparedness Level: 3
  • Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
  • TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Fire Stats
  • Total Number of Fires YTD: ~ 19,557 4,376
  • Acres burned: ~ 3,669,801 [“That’s roughly the size of Connecticut.” Rick Perry said.]
  • Structures Destroyed by Fire: 4,376 units [FEWW Estimate: ~5,300]
  • Fires in the past 7 days: TFS has responded to 186 fires for 156,517 acres. “Fire departments reported 266 fires for 6,206 acres in the online fire reporting database.” TFS reported.

[September 10, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,649 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. The White House declared a major disaster exists in the State of Texas due to wildfires beginning on August 30, 2011, and continuing.
• Bastrop County Complex Fire has consumed about 34,068 acres, TFS reported. The 719-acre Union Chapel Fire is now included in this complex. An assessment team has confirmed 1,386 homes have been destroyed on the main fire, with 28 lost on the Union Chapel Fire. Two civilians were found dead Tuesday.
• TFS  has responded to 179 fires for 170,686 acres in the past 7 days.

• Washington, USA. A large wildfire in Goldendale, Washington, has consumed about 4,500 acres and destroyed at least 64 buildings, reports said.
• A firefighter described the fire as “a greased pig rodeo,” moving first in one direction, then another by shifting winds. Hundreds of people have been evacuated.
• Oregon, USA. Major wildfires, continue to burn in Central and Eastern Oregon, Most of the blazes have been ignited by lightning.
• The largest blaze burning in Oregon is the High Cascades Complex near Madras, which was started by lightning, has so far consumed about 108,000 acres, reports said.
• The Shadow Lake Fire has consumed more than 7,000 acres since August 28 when it was ignited by lightning.
• Wyoming, USA. A large wildfire located about 24 miles north of Dubois, WY, near the Double Cabin Campground and Guard Station, has consumed more than 20,000 acres.
• The Norton Point fire was started by lightning.
• Idaho, USA. The Saddle Complex Fire, which was ignited by lightning on August 10, has consumed 30,511 acres, InciWeb reported.
• 30 Wyoming Air National Guard members have been deployed to Idaho to help fight wildfires, reports said.

Other Global Disasters

• Zanzibar. About 200 people have perished after a boat carrying more than 800 people capsized in the Indian Ocean due to strong currents.

[September 11, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,648 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• USA. 9/11: The Day Truth Was “Pulled” Thousands of people lost their lives on the day of infamy, when terrorists struck the heart of America. Ten years on, the real perpetrators of those horrible crimes have not been brought to justice.
• For several hours the laws of physics were suspended to allow two skyscrapers and a 47-story building collapse at near free-fall speeds as a result of fires, one allegedly fueled by office furniture, according to the official accounts.
• The attacks were then used as a pretext to kill, maim, injure and displace millions more half way across the world … and continuing …
• The victims of 9/11 deserve justice. The first step to restore justice for the victims and their families is to revive and resurrect the truth about what really happened on 9/11 and bring the real perpetrators to account.

[September 12, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,647 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Sindh Province, Pakistan. Southern Sindh province has been inundated after 5 weeks of heavy monsoon rains. Flooding has affected large areas destroying or damaging at least 1 million homes and 4.2m acres of land.
• Torrential rains and flooding have affected at least 5 million, killing more than 200. Death toll is likely to rise.
• Tens of thousands of farm animals have drowned.
• Sindh province was also devastated by 2010 floods, which affected up to 25 million people, inundating about a fifth of the country and killing at least 2,000 people.

• Nairobi, Kenya. A gasoline pipeline explosion and fire in Nairobi has killed at least 100 and injured scores more. The blast occurred in the capital’s Lunga Lunga industrial area and the fire consumed a large section of the surrounding shanty town. The blast littered a large section of the shanty town with body parts.
• “There was a loud bang, a big explosion, and smoke and fire burst up high,” a survivor told AFP.
• At least 112 people were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, most of them with severe burns, the hospital authorities have said.
• Spain. A large wildfire burning in Spain’s Andalucia region has forced at least 200 people to abandon  their homes.
• The blaze broke out near the southern Spanish towns of Mijas and Ojen, close to Marbella, a popular tourist resort, rapidly consuming about 1,000 acres of “thicket and pine groves” and destroying at least a half dozen homes.
• Texas, USA. Texas Forest Service (TFS) responded to 19 new fires for 1,099 acres yesterday, including new large fires in Harrison and Rusk counties.
• TFS has responded to 141 fires for 34,933 acres.
• As of September 6, 2011, 99 percent of Texas was in drought (D2 to D4) with 95 percent of the state in extreme drought (D3), including 81 percent in exceptional drought (D4, the highest category), according to Drought Monitor.
• Texas has received 7.33 inches of rain this year through August, the lowest amount in 40 years, said John Nielsen, the state climatologist.
• TFS Fire Management Report [Monday, September 12, 2011]
• National Preparedness Level: 4
• Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
• TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Texas Fire Stats 

[September 13, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,646 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• USA. At least 46 million Americans lived below the official poverty line (the US poverty line is defined as an annual income of $22,314 or less for a family of four and $11,139 for a single person).
• The national poverty rate climbed for a third consecutive year to 15.1 percent in 2010.
• The number of poor Americans in 2010 rose to its highest in 52 years since the Census Bureau began publishing poverty estimates.
• Of the 34 OECD countries, only Chile, Israel and Mexico have higher rates of poverty than the United States.
• 25.8% of the black and 25.3% of Hispanic people live in poverty.
• Thailand. Weeks of torrential rains and the impact of typhoon Nock-Ten have cause widespread flooding and large-scale mudslides in Thailand since late July. The extreme climatic events have claimed at least 84 lives, with a dozen others reported as missing.
• At least quarter of a million people have been affected.
• About 1,000 homes were reportedly destroyed under three meters of floodwaters.
• Flood and mudslide warnings have been issued to residents in 35 of Thailand’s 76 provinces.
• More than 1.5 million acres of crops are destroyed.
• At least 53 highways are destroyed or severely damaged.
• Vietnam. Severe flooding caused by torrential rains in Vietnam has destroyed/damaged about 2,000 homes and up to  200,000 acres of rice paddies, leaving at least 4 people dead.

[September 14, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,645 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Georgia, USA. The United States Department of Agriculture has designated nearly all of Georgia as a primary natural disaster area due to production losses that have occurred in the state. The ongoing drought and excessive heat have warranted a natural disaster designation in 150 of Gorgia’s 159 counties, USDA said.
• The remaining 9 counties have been named contiguous disaster areas.

Other Disasters

• Multistate, USA. A total of 16 persons infected with the outbreak-associated strains of Listeria monocytogenes have been reported from 5 states.  All illnesses started on or after August 15, 2011. The number of infected persons identified in each state is as follows:  Colorado (11), Indiana (1), Nebraska (1), Oklahoma (1), and Texas (2). [CDC.]
• Epidemiologic, traceback, and laboratory investigations have linked this outbreak to eating cantaloupes marketed as coming from the Rocky Ford region of Colorado.
• “Since Sept. 12, health departments have identified 15 cases in Colorado, Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma. Four people in Colorado and New Mexico have died from listeriosis. No deaths have occurred in Oklahoma at this point,” a report said.
• Listeria death toll has grown to at least 15 since August, a report said.

• Maine, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Maine following the damage caused by Tropical Storm Irene in Franklin, Oxford, and York Counties during the period of August 27-29, 2011.
• New York, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of New York due to the damage caused by the Remnants of Tropical Storm Lee in the counties of Broome, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, and Tioga beginning on September 7, 2011, and continuing.
• Pennsylvania, USA. The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the area affected by Tropical Storm Lee including the counties of Adams, Bradford, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Luzerne, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Perry, Schuylkill, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Union, Wyoming, and York, beginning on September 3, 2011, and continuing.
• Arkansas, USA. “The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated the entire state of Arkansas, which includes 75 counties, as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by the combined effects of hail, high winds, flooding, widespread drought and excessive heat that began April 1, 2011, and continues.” USDA reported.
• The following counties or parishes in Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas are contiguous disaster areas:
• Louisiana: Bossier, Claiborne,Morehouse,Webster, Caddo, East Carroll, Union and  West Carroll,
• Mississippi: Bolivar, Coahoma, De Soto, Issaquena, Tunica and Washington
• Missouri: Barry, Dunklin, McDonald, Ozark, Ripley, Taney, Butler, Howell, Oregon, Pemiscot and Stone
• Oklahoma: Adair, Delaware, Le Flore, McCurtain and Sequoyah
• Tennessee: Dyer, Lauderdale, Shelby and Tipton
• Ohio, USA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 49 counties in Ohio as a primary natural disaster areas due to losses caused by the combined effects of excessive rain, flooding, flash flooding, high winds, excessive heat and tornadoes that occurred Feb. 2 – July 31.
• The counties are: Click Here for the lists.
• Texas, USA. Texas Forest Service (TFS) responded to 35 new fires for 9,752 acres, including new large fires in Harris and Trinity counties. TFS has responded to  to 149 fires for 17,334 acres in the past 7 days.
• “Assessment crews continue to survey the damage of numerous fires that occurred across Central and East Texas during the past week. It is currently estimated that 1,939 homes have been destroyed since Labor Day weekend.” TFS reported.
• TFS Fire Management Report [Wednesday, September 14, 2011]
• National Preparedness Level: 4
• Southern Area Preparedness Level: 4
• TFS Preparedness Level: 5
• Texas Fire Stats: Click here.

[September 15, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,644 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Pakistan. Pakistan Floods: 6 Million Affected, 2 Million Sickened, 300 Dead. Torrential rains and flooding in Pakistan have affected six million people, reports said.
• The death toll has climbed to 300, while millions have are reported homeless.
• At least two million people in Pakistan’s Sindh province are hit by water-borne diseases spread by torrential rains and severe flooding including  malaria and diarrhea, officials said.
• “More than 7,000 people are being treated for snake bites.
• More than half a million children under the age of five are especially at risk, the UN children’s agency spokesman in Pakistan said.
• “This is another huge flood that has hit Pakistan in less than a year so it’s really a double disaster. We have assessed 16 out of 22 districts and roughly 1.8 million people have left their homes and 750,000 are living in temporary sites.”
• More than 4.5 million acres of land have been affected by the torrential rain and flooding.
• About 60,000 cattle have died or disappeared.
• At least 400,000 homes have been completely destroyed, with up to a million more damaged.
• Sindh province was devastated by 2010 floods, which affected up to 25 million people, inundating about a fifth of the country and killing at least 2,000 people.
• Botswana. Death toll in Botswana’s diarrhea epidemic has climbed to 67, reports said.
• India. At least 26 people have died, 12 are reported as missing and 200,000 others have been evacuated following severe flooding in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, government officials said.
• Some 2.5 million people have been affected by the flooding.
• “The flood has inflicted damage on 31,000 houses in 13 districts. As many as 2.15 million people in 4,096 villages of 95 blocks and 16 urban local bodies have been affected by the current flood,” a report said.
• Joplin, Missouri, USA. Death toll from Joplin Tornado has climbed to 162. The devastating EF-5 tornado leveled Joplin on May 22, 2011, destroying about 9,000 homes and businesses.
• Lahore, Pakistan. Death toll in the Dengue fever outbreak in Lahore has climbed to 33, reports said.
• “So far more than 10,000 cases of dengue have been reported from Punjab, out of which over 4,400 are from Lahore …”

[September 16, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,643 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Southern USA. Entire State of Texas in D1 – D4 Drought Conditions
• Texas drought
• D1 – D4: 100 percent
• D2 – D4: 99.17 percent
• D3 – D4: 96.75 percent
• D4: 87.83 percent
• For other stats and drought maps see Drought Intensifies in the US South

Other Disasters

• Maryland, USA. The White House has today declared a major disaster exists in the State of Maryland following the damage caused by Hurricane Irene during the period of August 24 to September 5, 2011. The worst affected areas are the counties of Calvert, Caroline, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Harford, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Somerset, St. Mary’s, Talbot, Wicomico, and Worcester.
• Thailand. Death toll from heavy rains, flooding and mudslides in Thailand has risen to at least 98, with 30 provinces still inundated. Torrential rains and flooding since late July have affected 54 of the country’s 77 provinces, reports said.
• Brisbane, Australia. A house fire in Logan City, south of Brisbane, Queensland’s state capital, has killed 11 Pacific Islanders, including eight children from two families, officials said.
• The youngest victim was aged 3 and the eldest 47.
• The victims belonged to two families from the Pacific island nations of Samoa and Tonga.
• The cause of fire was not revealed as of posting.

[September 17, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,642 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• The White House, Washington, DC. More than 1200 Americans from 50 states were arrested in front of the White House demonstrating against Obama’s approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada all the way to the Gulf Coast.

Obama’s Pipeline Quagmire by Ralph Nader

It was the most extraordinary citizen organizing feat in recent White House history. Over 1200 Americans from 50 states came to Washington and were arrested in front of the White House to demonstrate their opposition to a forthcoming Obama approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada down to the Gulf Coast.

Anyone who has tried to mobilize people in open non-violent civil disobedience knows how hard it is to have that many people pay their way to Washington to join a select group of civic champions. The first round of arrestees – about 100 of them – were brought to a jail and kept on cement floors for 52 hours – presumably, said one guard, on orders from above to discourage those who were slated to follow this first wave in the two weeks ending September 3, 2011.

The Keystone XL pipeline project – owned by a consortium of oil companies — is a many faceted abomination. It will, if constructed, take its raw, tar sands carbon down through the agricultural heartland of the United States — through the Missouri and Niobrara Rivers, the great Ogallala aquifer, fragile natural habitats and Native American lands. Major breaks and accidents on pipelines — four of them with loss of human life— have occurred just in the past year from California to Pennsylvania, including a recent, major Exxon/Mobile pipeline rupture which resulted in many gallons of oil spilling into the Yellowstone River.

The Office of Pipeline Safety in the Department of Transportation has been a pitiful rubberstamp patsy for the pipeline industry for 40 years. There are larger objections – a huge contribution to greenhouse gases and further expansion of the destruction of northern Albertan terrain, forests and water – expected to cover an area the size of Florida.

Furthermore, as the Energy Department report on Keystone XL pointed out, decreasing demand for petroleum through advances in fuel efficiency is the major way to reduce reliance on imported oil with or without the pipeline. There is no assurance whatsoever that the refined tar sands oil in Gulf Coast refineries will even get to the motorists here. They can be exported more profitably to Europe and South America.

In ads on Washington, D.C.’s WTOP news station, the industry is claiming that the project will create more than 100,000 jobs. They cannot substantiate this figure. It is vastly exaggerated. TransCanada’s permit application for Keystone XL to the U.S. State Department estimated a “peak workforce of approximately 3,500 to 4,200 construction personnel” to build the pipeline.

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) and the Transport Workers Union (TWU) oppose the pipeline. In their August 2011 statement they said: “We need jobs, but not ones based on increasing our reliance on Tar Sands oil […] Many jobs could be created in energy conservation, upgrading the grid, maintaining and expanding public transportation — jobs that can help us reduce air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and improve energy efficiency.”

The demonstrators before the White House, led by prominent environmentalist Bill McKibben and other stalwarts, focused on President Obama because he and he alone will make the decision either for or against building what they call “North America’s biggest carbon bomb.” He does not have to ask Congress.

Already the State Department, in their latest report, is moving to recommend approval. The demonstrators and their supporters, including leaders of the Native American Dene tribe in Canada and the Lakota nation in the U.S., filled much of the area in front of the White House and Lafayette Square. On September 2, I went down to express my support for their cause. Assistants to Mr. McKibben asked me to speak at the final rally at the square on Saturday. I agreed. At 6:25 p.m. we received an e-mail from Daniel Kessler withdrawing their invitation because of “how packed our schedule already is. We’d love to have Ralph there in any other capacity, including participating in the protest.”

The next day, many of the speakers went way over their allotted five to six minute time slots. Observers told me that there were to be no criticisms of Barack Obama. McKibben wore an Obama pin on the stage. Obama t-shirts were seen out in the crowd. McKibben did not want their efforts to be “marginalized” by criticizing the President, which they expected I would do. He said that “he would not do Obama the favor” of criticizing him.

To each one’s own strategy. I do not believe McKibben’s strategy is up to the brilliance of his tactics involving the mass arrests. (Which by the way received deplorably little mass media coverage).

Obama believes that those demonstrators and their followers around the country are his voters (they were in 2008) and that they have nowhere to go in 2012. So long as environmentalists do not find a way to disabuse him of this impression long before Election Day, they should get ready for an Obama approval of the Keystone XL monstrosity. Ralph Nader

[September 18, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,641 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• India. Powerful India Quake Kills at least 17, Injures 100. A magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit India’s Sikkim-Nepal border killing at least 17 people and injuring  more than 100 in 3 countries.
• There are 17 confirmed death as of posting, including 7 in Sikkim, 5 in Nepal, 3 in Darjeeling hills, West Bengal and 2 in India’s Bihar state.
• Three of the deaths in Katmandu, Nepal occurred when the wall of British embassy’s compound collapsed killing pedestrians, reports said.
• The quake epicenter was at 27.723°N, 88.064°E, 68 km (42 miles) NW of Gangtok, Sikkim, India, striking at a depth of about 20km, USGS said.
• The mainshock which occurred on Sunday, September 18, 2011 at 12:40:48 UTC was followed by two significant aftershocks as of posting, which jolted a vast area, triggering landslides and  destroying/damaging dozens of buildings in Sikkim, Nepal, North Bengal and Bangladesh.
• Tremors were felt throughout a vast region which reportedly plunged into darkness including Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi.
• “There may be landslides in the hilly areas. Some aftershocks were also felt after the quake while the Terrai and Doors region are already experiencing intermittent heavy rains,” Meteorological Department said.
• The casualty figures are expected to rise, authorities said.

Other Global Disasters

• Arkansas, USA. The Arkansas Double Whammy of Drought and Deluge. While the cost of 2011 spring floods to Arkansas farmers is estimated at $335 million, according to recent study, the outlook for drought suggests the same areas that were worst affected by the deluge now face persisting or worsening drought conditions in the coming months.
• Texas, USA.
• Fire stats for the state of Texas is posted HERE.

[September 19, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,640 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Sichuan province, China.Unprecedented flooding in Sichuan province (SW China) has forced about a third of a million people to evacuate the city of Guang’an (population: 4.5 million) which is located along the edge of the Sichuan Basin, and 49 townships and neighborhoods, a report said.
• The floodwater in Qujiang River, a tributary of the Jialing River that feeds the Yangtze, is expected to crest at 27.13 meters (10.6m above the alert level) the highest since record-keeping began in 1847.
• “About 2,000 homes have been toppled and more than 10,000 others have been damaged. In the city center alone, 40 streets have been submerged.” Said the report.
• All major streets are expected to be submerged under up to 10 meters of floodwater in the deepest areas, experts have said.
• India (The Himalayan Quake). Death toll from the Himalayan quake has climbed to at least 63 in India, Nepal and the Chinese region of Tibet, reports said.
• At least a 100 people have been injured.
• “The earthquake has loosened the hill-faces, and when it rains, it causes landslides. So the situation is still very dangerous,” said a spokesman for the Indo-Tibetan Border police.
• Guatemala. A magnitude 5.8 earthquake which struck struck near Guatemala’s SW coast (14.332°N, 90.142°W; 53 km (32 miles) SE of Guatemala City; September 19, 2011 at 18:34 UTC)  at a depth of 30 – 40km has left at least 4 people dead and forced hundreds of others to evacuate their homes.
• “In Chiquimulilla, there’s a landslide … where vehicles fell in and were buried. There are material damages to the vehicles and two fatalities reported so far,” volunteer fire brigade spokesman said.

[September 20, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,639 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Japan. Typhoon ROKE, Pacific’s 15th typhoon of the season, is following on the hills of TS TALAS, which left more than a 100 dead or missing earlier this month. ROKE has already  caused extensive flooding in western Japan, especially in Aichi prefecture where the authorities have evacuated more than 1.1 million.
• Hundreds of homes across central and western Japan have been inundated, a report said.
• ROKE has dumped up to 500mm of rain in some areas in 24 hours.
• Typhoon Roke was moving NE at 30 kph close to the south of Wakayama Prefecture (Honshu) as of posting, Japan Meteorological Agency said.
• A large landslide caused by record rainfalls has blocked a river in the western city of Tanabe creating a lake where the water is now overflowing and threatening the nearby residents.
• ROKE is expected to make landfall in Western Japan later on Wednesday local time.

• Sindh province, Pakistan. Much of Pakistan’s southern Sindh province is now covered by stagnating floodwater.
• At least 7.5 million people are affected by the disaster, and the numbers are rising.
• More than 3 million of the victims are critically short of food, according to the United Nations World Food Program (WFP).

• Thailand. Death toll from flooding in Thailand has climbed to at least 123, reports said.
• At least 1.5 million people are affected.

• China. Extreme rain events, flooding and landslides have left at least 57 people dead in China, with dozens more reported as missing. The triple disasters have so far forced more than a million from their homes, affecting at least 13 million people in Sichuan, Henan and Shaanxi provinces.
• Some 14 rivers and tributaries of the Yangtze and Yellow rivers are flooding.
• “Water levels at the Three Gorges Reservoir, the country’s largest water reservoir, swelled to over 160 meters on the evening of Sept. 19, 16 meters higher than the alert level,” a report said.
• Tens of thousands of hectares of crops are destroyed or damaged.
• At least 120,000 houses have collapsed and hundreds of thousands more damaged with the economic losses estimated at $2.7bn, a report said.

[September 21, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,638 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Shanxi Province, China. Landslide Buries Dozens in NW China Factory. Death toll from a major landslide in NW China climbs to at least 27 with 5 still reported as missing, reports said.
• The landslide buried a brick factory and destroyed part of a ceramics plant in Baqiao, a district in the Xi’an the provincial capital of NW China’s Shaanxi Province.
• China. At least 115 people have lost their lives and many are reported missing due to torrential rains, flooding, landslide and other related disasters in China so far this months. Extreme rain events have affected at least 8 of China’s 22 provinces including Sichuan, Shaanxi, Henan, Chongqing, Hubei, Shandong, Shanxi and Gansu.
• About 22 million people have been affected by extreme rain events, landslides and other related disaster so far this month, with up to 2 million displaced.
• At least 120,000 homes have collapsed.
• The damage is estimated at $4.1 billion.
• California, USA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated Nevada County in California as a primary natural disaster area due to losses caused by snowstorms that occurred Feb. 24 – May 16, 2011.
• Sierra and Yuba counties in California are also designated  natural disaster areas because they are contiguous.
• Washoe County in the state of Nevada is designated natural disaster area because the county is contiguous.
• Nevada, USA. Washoe County. The official death toll from Friday’s crash at the Reno National Championship Air Races has climbed to 11, reports said.
• About 70 spectators were injured in the crash, with at least 4 of them reported in critical condition.
• Sikkim, India. At least 61 people in Sikkim are now confirmed dead following the powerful earthquake that shook NE India and the bordering countries in the Himalayas.
• Quake casualties in other areas included 12 in West Bengal, 9 in Bihar, 11 in Nepal and 7 in Tibet.
• New Zealand. An outbreak of meningitis type ‘C’ strain in New Zealand has claimed another life. The exact number of deaths have not been revealed.
• The new outbreak is said to be a different strain of the virus to the type ‘B’ meningococcal outbreak which struck New Zealand between 1991 and 2008.
• The deadly disease symptoms include a high temperature, vomiting, headache, drowsiness, sensitivity to light, joint and muscle aches and rashes. Victims can die within hours of feeling sick.
• Killer bug takes two in family
• Meningococcal disease has claimed one life and infected four other people in the Wellington region this month
• New killer bug vaccine rollout
• NZ’s Fulton Hogan CEO died from an aggressive meningococcal  infection
• Teen sent home twice before death [Ben Brown, 18, was reportedly the 5th person to die from meningococcal  infection between late July and August 2011.]

[September 22, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,637 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Sindh Province, Pakistan. Pakistan’s flood-related disasters continue to worsen. More than 1,000 people are known to have  perished, with many more injured, 700,000 displaced and 8.2 million affected.
• Flooding has destroyed 1.5 million homes in more than 40,000 townships and villages destroying about 70 percent of regions food stocks and 40 percent of livestock.
• More than 1.8 million hectares of crops have been destroyed/inundated and major roads are cut off.
• Flooding has also polluted the sources for much of the region’s drinking water, including in the capital Karachi, reports said.
• “At least 5 million surviving animals are at risk, lacking feed and shelter and facing increased exposure to debilitating diseases and worm infestations,” the UNOCHA said.

[September 23, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,636 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Illinois, USA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has designated 46 counties in Illinois as natural disaster areas (27 other counties are contiguous) due to losses caused by excessive rain, flooding and flash flooding that occurred April 1 to July 31, 2011.
• The 46  counties declared primary disaster areas are: Alexander, Brown, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Clay, Crawford, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Henry, Jackson, Jefferson, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Johnson, Knox, Lawrence, Lee, Madison, Marion, McDonough, Mercer, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Richland, Rock Island, Saline, Schuyler, Scott, St. Clair, Stephenson, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White and Williamson.
• The 27 contiguous counties in Illinois that were designated as contiguous disaster areas are: Adams, Bond, Bureau, Clark, Clinton, Cumberland, DeKalb, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Jasper, LaSalle, Macoupin, Mason, Massac, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Pike, Sangamon, Shelby, Stark, Warren, Whiteside and Winnebago counties.
• Additionally, the following counties in Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Missouri and Wisconsin were also included in the disaster designation they are contiguous:
• Indiana: Gibson,Knox, Posey, Sullivan
• Iowa: Clinton, Dubuque, Louisa, Scott, Des Moines, Jackson, Muscatine,
• Kentucky: Ballard, Crittenden, Livingston, McCracken, Union
• Missouri: Cape Girardeau, Lincoln, Perry, Scott, St. Louis,  Jefferson, Mississippi, Pike, St. Charles, Ste. Genevieve
• Independent city: St. Louis
• Wisconsin: Grant, Green, Lafayette

Other Global Disasters

• Punjab, Pakistan. An outbreak of dengue fever in Pakistan’s Punjab province has claimed 25 more lives, “including a former cabinet secretary and a college professor,” raising the estimated death toll to at least 80, a report said.
• “On an average, 600 to 1,000 dengue patients have been registered every day in Lahore alone for the past three weeks.”
• Southern Sindh province. Dengue Surveillance Cell has reported more than 200 cases of infection in the flood-stricken southern Sindh province so far this year, most of them in Karachi, a report said.
• Japan. Death toll from typhoon ROKE which struck Japan last week has climbed to at least 11, with 5 people still unaccounted for, Kyodo News reported.

[September 24, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,635 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Japan. The country’s farm ministry has found radioactive cesium of 500 becquerels per kg in pre-harvested rice sample near Fukushima Daiichi NPP. The sample was found in Nihonmatsu city, Fukushima Prefecture, about 60 km west of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, a report said.
• Fukushima Daiichi NPP was crippled by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, which led to the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl, 25 years ago.
• Japan’s nuclear industry poses an existential threat to its own population and many people in Asia and elsewhere. See Global Tectonics Alert – April 9
• Contaminated Soil. Soil samples taken at four locations in Fukushima City on June 26 were found to contain radioactive cesium of up to 46,000 becquerels per kilogram, or nearly 5.6 times the legal limit of 10,000 becquerels per kg. In one area of the city contamination levels exceeded 931,000 becquerels per square meters.

[September 25, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,634 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Pakistan. Up to 10 Million People Affected in Pakistan Floods.  Flooding has now affected about 10 million people in two Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Balochistan.
• Flooding has claimed at least 1,000 lives, injuring more than 1,500.
• Up to a million people have moved to makeshift shelters.
• About 90,000 livestock have perished.
• “At least 5 million surviving animals are at risk, lacking feed and shelter and facing increased exposure to debilitating diseases and worm infestations,” UNOCHA said.
• The ongoing catastrophe has destroyed/severely damaged 1.5 million homes in more than 42,000 townships and villages destroying about 70 percent of the region’s food stocks.
• Floodwater has destroyed/severely damaged about 3 million hectares of crops.
• Dozens of major roads are cut off.
• Flooding has also polluted the sources for much of the region’s drinking water, including in the capital Karachi, reports said.
• The region has now experienced about 7 weeks of extreme rain events.
• At least two million people in Pakistan’s Sindh province are hit by water-borne diseases spread by torrential rains and severe flooding including  malaria and diarrhea, officials said.
• Incidents of dengue infection are on the rise.
• “More than 7,000 people are being treated for snake bites.”
• “This is another huge flood that has hit Pakistan in less than a year so it’s really a double disaster.”
• Sindh province was devastated by 2010 floods, which affected up to 25 million people, inundating about a fifth of the country and killing at least 2,000 people.

[September 26, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,633 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Thailand. Floods Kill Hundreds in Thailand, India and Cambodia.  Severe flooding has killed about 160 people in Thailand since late July and submerged more than 2 million acres of farmland.
• “Twenty-three provinces in the lower north and central Thailand are under water and nearly 2 million people have been affected by severe floods and heavy rain,” Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.
• Flood warnings have been issued in 39 other provinces, mostly in central and northeast Thailand, as a heavy monsoon season continues into October.
• Cambodia. Floods have claimed at least 97 lives in Cambodia and inundated about half a million acres of rice paddies and 63,000 homes, affecting up to a million peop0le.
• India. Widespread flooding has affected at least 2 million people in Indian states of Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh, killing more than 100 people.
• Heavy monsoon rains have been pummeling parts of India for the past two weeks.
• As water levels of major rivers including Ganges, Gomti and Sone continue to rise, tens of thousands of people flee their homes to seek shelter in higher grounds.

[September 27, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,632 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Manila, Philippines. Typhoon NESAT made landfall on the eastern coast of Luzon island as a category 3Bf typhoon punching winds of 200 km per hour and a diameter of about 700 km.
• At least 18 people were killed, dozens injured and many were missing as of posting.
• The typhoon created storm surges in Manila Bay, which overflowed onto the capital,  flooding large areas of the city with more than a meter of water.
• More than a 100,000 people were evacuated as the Marikina River in metro Manila rose to nearly 20 meters (60 feet).
• The typhoon is estimated to have destroyed or damaged tens of thousands of hectares of crops.
• NESAT dumped more than an inch of water per hour in many parts of the island.
• The typhoon, weakened to a category one storm as of posting, is headed towards northern Vietnam.
• The casualty tolls from NESAT (named locally PEDRING) are expected to rise from drowning, flash floods, landslides and storm surges.

Disaster Calendar 2011 – September 28

[September 28, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,631 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• USA. CDC has confirmed 13 deaths from listeria-tainted melons in the US. Three other deaths in Kansas, New Mexico and Wyoming are probably linked to the outbreak, health officials said.
• The outbreak is now officially the worst mass food poisoning in the US for a decade, as the death toll tops that of the salmonella outbreak caused by tainted peanuts in 2009, which killed9 people.
• Vermont, USA. USDA has designated 14 counties in Vermont as agricultural disaster areas because of losses caused by extreme rain, flooding and flash flooding that began April 1, 2011 and continuing. The counties are
• Primary Disaster Areas: Addison, Bennington,  Caledonia, Chittenden,  Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Orange, Orleans, Rutland, Windsor counties.
• Contiguous areas: Lamoille, Washington and Windham counties.

• Nine counties in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and New York are also included in the disaster declaration because they are contiguous areas.
• Massachusetts: Berkshire and Franklin counties.
• New Hampshire: Coos, Grafton and Sullivan counties.
• New York: Clinton, Essex, Rensselaer and Washington counties.

• Philippines. Death toll from Typhoon NESAT has climbed to at least 31, with dozens of people reported as missing.
• Heavy rains and powerful winds caused widespread flooding and triggered landslides, displacing at least 60,000 families.
• The typhoon destroyed about 40,000 tons of rice, more than  6,000 tons of corn and 100 tons of vegetables at a cost of about $17million.
• Having left the Philippians bruised and battered, NESAT is now headed towards southern China/northern Vietnam region.

[September 29, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,630 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA. The Lone Star State has now experienced its driest one-year period on record in the past 12 months.
• Entire Texas is now plagued by drought, with 99.16 percent of the state listed as being in severe, extreme or exceptional drought levels (D2 – D4).
• “It is possible that we could be looking at another of these multiyear droughts like we saw in the 1950s, and like the tree rings have shown that the state has experienced over the last several centuries,” State Climatologist John Nielson-Gammon told Reuters.
• Gammon said the current drought began in  in 2005, but was mitigated in 2007 and 2010. However, it could linger on for another 9 years, if the pattern holds.
• “We’ve had five of the last seven years in drought, and it looks like it is going to be six out of eight,” he said.
• “We’re very lucky that we had 2007 and 2010, which were years of plentiful rain,” he said. “2010 was the wettest year in record. Were it not for last year, we would be in much worse shape even than we are today.”
• Texas is currently up to 20 inches of rainfall behind the month’s average, September usually being one of the state’s wettest months, Gammon said.
• Wildfires. Wildfires in Texas have consumed 3,764,123 acres and 6,919 homes and other structures.
• YTD Data provided by Texas Forest Service, (TFS) on September 29, 2011
• Wildfires: 21,546
• Acres Burned: 3,764,123

• Texas drought-related losses YTD: At least $10 billion
• YTD Texas wildfire stats by TFS as of September 29, 2011 are found here.
• Friday September 30, 2011 is forecast to be another extremely hazardous day for wildfires in Texas, TFS said.
• East Texas Weather Forecast: “Hotter, Drier and More Unstable Today……Winds increasing from the North Tonight with poor humidity recovery…A critical fire weather situation will be developing later today and persist into Friday.” TFS said.

[September 30, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,629 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• ASIA. Flooding  in Mekong Delta has killed at least 150 people in Cambodia and Vietnam, destroying or damaging half a million acres of rice paddies.
• Flooding has affected millions in Cambodia and Vietnam displacing at least half a million people, sources said.
• “Flooding across the fertile Mekong Delta helped drive rice prices to a three-year high in Vietnam this week, traders said, which will add to inflation problems. The delta produces more than half of Vietnam’s rice and 90 percent of its exportable grain.” Said a report.
• Two typhoons hit Japan in September month, leaving at least 110 people dead or missing.
• Prolonged monsoon rains, numerous storms and back-to-back typhoons have triggered epic flooding across the continent destroying or damaging millions of acres of crops and leaving large swathes of fertile land in ruins.
• “At least four towns in the rice-growing province of Bulacan, north of Manila, remained submerged two days after Typhoon Nesat had moved on.” AP reported.
• Climate-related disasters have claimed thousands of lives,  left tens of millions displaced and caused billions of dollar worth of damage in Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Pakistan, the Philippines and Vietnam this year so far.

Other Disasters

• Wisconsin , USA. The U.S.  Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared agricultural disasters in 16 northern Wisconsin counties hit by extreme weather this year, which included more than 10 inches of snowfall in April.
• The counties designated as primary disaster areas are Ashland, Bayfield, Douglas, Florence, Forest, Iron, Oneida and Vilas.
• The following counties are contiguous: Burnett, Langlade, Lincoln, Marinette, Oconto, Price, Sawyer and Washburn.
• USA. In line with FIRE-EARTH forecast, some 3,285 counties across the United States have been declared disaster areas in the last 9 months.

[NOTE: This listing is by no means exhaustive.]

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2011 Disaster Calendar

January 2011 | February 2011 | March 2011 | April 2011 | May 2011 | June 2011 | July 2011 | August 2011| September 2011 |

2010 Disaster Calendar

January 2010 | February 2010 | March 2010 | April 2010 | May 2010 | June 2010 | July 2010 | August 2010 | September 2010 | October 2010 | November 2010 | December 2010

Related Links:

• Nature’s Warnings Exponentially Intensifying  Posted by edro on April 14, 2011
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010

“The antiphase will rapidly transform humans into vicious animals, fighting each other for water, food, fuel, land and all other dwindling natural resources. The fighting, in turn, enhances the positive feedbacks, accelerating the downward spiral.” —EDRO

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