Fire Earth posts important news & analysis that could help save you from harm, but are blocked by Google. If you incur any injury because of information denial, you may sue the Internet Mafia for damages.
STOP CENSORING THE NEWS
WordPress is HACKING this blog!
WordPress continues hacking FIRE-EARTH, affiliated blogs at the behest of its major clients.
Blog Moderators condemn in the strongest possible terms the removal of content and hacking by WordPress!
On January 29, 2013, Wordpress/Google further tightened access to this blog reducing traffic by about 75 percent.
But, we'll have the last laugh!
Caution
Technical information and scientific data from the US Government agencies (NASA, EPA…) are subject to variation due to political expediency.
This caution also extends to the UN organizations (e.g., FAO, WHO…).
FIRE-EARTH will no longer reprint photos from NASA, as of August 2011.
Some 89 mine workers were buried in a Major landslide in Tibet on Thursday, but NO survivors or bodies have been found yet!
A major landslide in a gold-mining area of Tibet, in Maizhokunggar County of Lhasa, capital of southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region left 83 workers buried. Rescuers had not found any survivors or bodies 28 hours after the massive collapse. Credit: Xinhua/Zhang Quan. Image may be subject to copyright. More images…
The miners’ camp, located at an altitude of 4,600m, was buried by an estimated 200,000 tons of rock, which covered a 4km² area.
Meantime, 28 miners were killed and 13 others injured in a coalmine gas blast in northeast China’s Jilin Province on Friday. The explosion occurred at at Babao Coal Mine in Jiangyuan District in the city of Baishan, authorities said.
Whidbey Island, Washington, USA
Large landslide probably part of greater landslide complex, a legacy of the Puget Sound’s glacial past: Geologists
Image Credit: Ted S. Warren/AP photo. Image may be subject to copyright.
A large landslide on Whidbey Island, about 50 miles north of Seattle, has destroyed at least one home, and left four others under evacuation orders Friday. The slide has also isolated or threatens at least 32 other homes.
The slide area, part of greater landslide complex, a legacy of the Puget Sound’s glacial past, probably dates back to about 11,000 years ago, State geologists said.
The landslide displaced about quarter of a million cubic yards of earth.
The landslide has a 400m wide front on the beach and extends about 100m into the sound.
Torrential Rains, flooding and landslides affect 5 million people in South America
Extreme rain events in the Andean region along the Pacific coast side of South America have affected about 5 million people, leaving at least 10 dead, and thousands of others displaced.
Chile
Extreme rain events in the Andean region of Chile have triggered landslides near San Jose de Maipo causing fresh water shortages in the capital, Santiago, affecting more than 4 million people.
The landslides contaminated two major rivers that supply the city’s water plants.
In January, another contamination of the river Maipo left about 4 million people in the Chilean capital without water.
Peru
The government has declared a state of emergency following severe flooding in the southern city of Arequipa, where tens of thousands of people were left without electricity and drinking water.
Extreme weather dumped the equivalent of three months of rain in about seven hours, Peru’s meteorological service reported.
“It’s a record of records. There are no records of an event of this magnitude,” the Andina news agency quoted an official as saying.
Up to a 100,000 people have been affected by extreme weather.
Bolivia
Torrential rains and flooding throughout most of Bolivia have destroyed homes, crops and infrastructure, affecting about 20,000 people.
Other Events
Flooding in Madagascar
“In Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Felleng caused the deaths of 9 people, affected 4,958 people, and displaced 1,303 people, all of whom have since returned to their homes. Furthermore, an estimated 162 houses were totally destroyed, 54 partially destroyed, and 670 houses flooded.” UN OCHA reported.
Flooding in Malawi
In southern Malawi more than 33,000 people have been displaced due to flooding, which has left many without shelter or clothing. “Crops have been destroyed, while over 20 schools have been disrupted, affecting thousands of children.” UN OCHA reported.
.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,126 Days Left
[February 10, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,126 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,143 Days Left
[January 24, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,143 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …
.
Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Drought disaster grows, deadly freeze grips Midwest and Northeast, NC declares state of emergency after landslide
At least 62 additional counties across 6 states—Georgia, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas—have been declared drought disaster areas by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought. The latest designations cover both primary and contiguous disaster areas.
As of January 23, 2013 some 917 counties (650 primary and 267 contiguous) across 2 dozen states have been designated as drought disaster areas, USDA reported.
Drought Map for Contiguous U.S. as of January 22, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on January 24.
The states of Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma remain in severe drought or worse, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported.
The worst levels of drought continued to grow in Kansas which produces about a fifth of the total U.S. wheat.
The extreme drought in Kansas grew to 79.53 percent, up from 79.34 percent, and exceptional drought spread to 36.14 percent of the state from 34.87 percent.
A Partial Map of the 2013 U.S. Drought Disaster Areas. Source: USDA
Northern United States
Meantime, a deadly Arctic blast that gripped the U.S. Midwest and Northeast on Tuesday brought “life-threatening temperatures in Minnesota and northern Wisconsin.”
Icy winds made some areas feel as cold as minus 50 degrees Fahrenheit (-46ºC).
Up to 50cm of snow fell in NE Ohio, NW Pennsylvania and upstate New York, media reported.
Hypothermia and icy conditions have claimed at least half dozen lives in Ohio, Minnesota and Illinois.
The deep freeze is expected to last for several days.
NC declares a state of emergency after landslide
North Carolina Gov. McCrory has declared a state of emergency for mountain counties affected by a major landslide triggered by extreme rain events earlier this month.
A major landslide destroyed a 70-meter section of US 441 on January 15.
The emergency declaration covers Graham, Jackson and Swain counties and areas within the Qualla Boundary of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee, media reported.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,155 Days Left
[January 12, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,155 Days Left to the most Fateful Dayin Human History
Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...
.
Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Dangerous air pollution lingers in Beijing, as landslide kills 46 in SW China
Air quality indexes in Beijing were approaching 500 on Saturday, as monitoring stations in various parts of the Chinese capital warned the density of PM2.5 particulates had reached 700 micrograms per cubic meter.
An hour earlier, monitors at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing had recorded an off-the-chart air-quality reading of 728 and PM2.5 density of 845 micrograms per cubic meter, reports said.
The air quality is regarded as ‘safe’ when the index is at 50 or lower, but hazardous for indexes between 301 and 500, when outdoor physical activities should be avoided.
Beijing city government issued new rules last year under which all outdoor sports activities must cease and factories have to reduce production capacity when air-quality index exceeds 500.
“Several other cities, including Tianjin on the coast east of Beijing and southern China’s Wuhan city, also reported severe pollution over the last several days.” AP reported.
The authorities have blamed the the high concentration of air pollutants on dense fog and lack of wind.
Original caption:Visitors walk at the fog-enveloped Temple of Heaven in Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 12, 2013. Heavy fog hit Beijing on Saturday. (Xinhua/Li Wen).More images…
Landslide in SW China’s Yunnan Province
The death toll from a landslide that buried a village in a mountainous region in southwest China’s Yunnan Province Friday climbed to 46, rescuers said.
“The landslide hit the Zhaojiagou area of Gaopo Village, Zhenxiong County around 8:20 a.m. Friday. Zhenxiong is some 550 km northeast of the provincial capital, Kunming.”
The victims included 27 adults and 19 children, according to the local authorities.
DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,198 Days Left
[November 30, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,198 Days Left to the most Fateful Dayin Human History
Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...
.
Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Flooding and landslides damage or destroy thousands of homes in Panama
Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed by flooding and landslides in Arraijan, Capira, La Chorrera and Colon City, Panama following extreme rain events in the region.
About 10,000 people have been forced to flee their homes along the Caribbean coast, Panamanian authorities said.
Dozens of rivers in the region overflowed their banks inundating and destroying homes, roads, bridges and other public infrastructure, local reports said.
Panamanian President, Ricardo Martinelli, has declared a state of emergency in the flooded areas.
“This is more serious than people thought,” Martinelli said. [No $$$$, Sherlock! Moderator]
A Bahraini activist has been sentenced to six months in jail for allegedly insulting Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who recently self-promoted himself to a king. Three other bloggers remain in custody, awaiting court rulings, reports said.
A deadly landslide that claimed at least 19 lives in southwest China’s Yunnan Province was caused by a combination of continuous rain, geological conditions and earthquakes, Chinese geologists have said.
“… the area where the landslide occurred received about 297 mm of precipitation from Sept. 1 to Oct. 4, three times the amount received during the same period in previous years… Rock and soil that was loosened by multiple earthquakes that occurred in early September formed a landslid,” said a report.
Other Disasters/ Significant Events
United States
Nine states have reported cases of meningitis linked to epidural steroid injections, CDC reported. An estimated 17,000 people may have received the injections. As of October 6, 201 2:00pm ET2:
Total count: 64 cases, 7 dead
Florida: 4 cases
Indiana: 5 cases
Maryland: 3 cases, including 1 death
Michigan: 8 cases, including 2 deaths
Minnesota: 1 case
North Carolina: 2 cases
Ohio: 1 case
Tennessee: 29 cases, including 3 deaths
Virginia: 11 cases, including 1 death
California
San Bernardino. The city of San Bernardino has become the third California city in two weeks to file bankruptcy protection in the face of a $45-million budget shortfall, reports said.
Atwater. The small Central California city of Atwater (Pop: ~28,000) has declared A fiscal emergency, which could translate to the state’s fourth municipal bankruptcy this year, said a report.
“Early season” snowstorm surges south and east across the U.S.
A powerful early season snow storm is forecast to bring light to heavy snow, freezing temperatures and strong winds to the north-central Plains today. Snow will expand to the central Plains and the northern Rockies on Friday and Saturday, NOAA forecasters said.
Forecasters in several locations are calling for overnight low temperatures in the 20s that will bring an end to the growing season. A hard freeze with temperatures in the 20s is expected through 9 a.m. Friday in western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming. Freezing overnight temperatures are also expected in parts of Colorado, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri.
The cold front is expected to move into much of the Eastern United States and the Deep South.
Hard Freeze Warnings, Freeze Warnings, Hazardous Weather Outlook, and various winter-weather watches and advisories are in effect across much of the country.
Other Disasters/ Significant Events
China. Landslide death toll in Yiliang County, located in SW China’s Yunnan province, has climbed to at least 19, including 18 primary school children.
Eight-hundred residents were relocated after the landslide.
Yiliang was struck by a cluster of earthquakes on September 7, which left 81 people dead and 800 others injured, said a report.
Rescuers search at the landslide site in the village of Zhenhe, located in Yiliang County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, southwest China, October 4, 2012. Nineteen people, including 18 primary school students, who were buried in the landslide on Thursday are now confirmed dead. (Xinhua/Long Jiao). More photos…
South Africa. Anglo American Platinum, world’s largest platinum producer, has fired 12,000 striking South African miners after a protracted strike over wages, reports said.
Clashes between striking miners and police left one worker dead.
Some 34 miners were shot dead by the “post-apartheid” police in August.
Flooding and landslides triggered by extreme rain events have left hundreds of people dead, missing or injured, tens of thousands of people homeless, thousands of properties destroyed or damaged and much of the farmland submerged in Ghana, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, SW China and Vietnam.
Vietnam. Flooding and landslides in Vietnam have left dozens dead or missing. “Floods have submerged over 3,500 houses and more than 22,000 hectares of crops and fruit trees, mainly in the two provinces of Ha Tinh and Nghe An,” said a report.
United States. Marathon Detroit refinery has reportedly released unknown chemical into the atmosphere, NRC said.
“The material is causing nausea, burning eyes, and difficulty breathing to local residents.”
Alabama Declares a State of Emergency in All 67 Counties
Deadly tornadoes and severe storms leave at least 2 dead, more than a hundred injured and hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged.
Disaster Calendar 2012 – January 24
[January 24, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,513 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
Alabama, USA.Gov. Bentley has declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties after deadly tornadoes and severe storms left at least 2 dead, more than a hundred injured and hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged.
Heavy rains has intensified flooding across North Alabama.
Chilton County: WKLF RADIO STUDIO DESTROYED … AND 302 FOOT TRANSMISSION TOWER WAS TOPPLED AT THE INTERSECTION OF ALABAMA HIGHWAY 22 AND COUNTY ROAD 37. (Source: SPC)
Butler County: DAMAGE TO METAL BUILDING WITH ONE INJURED NEARBY. (Source: SPC)
US Tornado Map Jan 23, 2012. (Source: SPC)
US Tornado Map Jan 22, 2012 -UPDATED. (Source: SPC)
Southern U.S. Wintertime Tornado Outbreak
Several damage surveys were completed today in the wake of a tornado outbreak in Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama last night. Most of the damage surveyed so far has been rated EF-2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, indicating considerable damage with wind speeds reaching between 111 and 135 mph. However, the tornado that passed through Clay, Alabama, which is just north of Birmingham has been rated an EF-3. This tornado produced significant damage and was capable of wind speeds between 136 and 165 mph. (Source: NWS)
The Storm Prediction Center received 23 tornado reports, 118 high wind reports and 35 large hail reports from Sunday’s outbreak:
Arkansas: 10 tornado reports
Alabama: 9
Mississippi: 2
NWS STORM SURVEY DETERMINES AN EF-2 TORNADO WITH MAX EST WINDS OF 120 MPH CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE IN EXTREME NE BOLIVAR COUNTY. PATH LENGTH 3.75 MI. (NWS)
Tennessee: 1
Kentucky: 1
TORNADO BEGAN AT HAZEL KY TO NEW PROVIDENCE KY. 100 YRDS WIDE AND 5.6 MILES LONG. PK WND 95MPH. PROPERTY DAMAGE 50K. HUNDREDS OF TREES UPROOTED/SNAPPED. HOUSE WITH SHIN. (NWS)
Tornadoes have destroyed or damaged about 500 homes throughout the region and uprooted/snapped thousands of trees.
Other Global Disasters
Papua New Guinea (PNG). A massive landslide has completely buried two villages in PNG.
“The landslide is about a kilometer long and about 300 meters wide. There are people buried underneath and a number of them are from what I have heard, children.” Local MP Francis Potape has told Radio Australia.
At least 40 people are reportedly missing, reports said.
The landslide occurred near Exxon-Mobil’s liquefied natural gas project in the new Hela Province, blocking the main road and stopping work at the site and a nearby airfield.
NY Gov. Cuomo has declared a State Disaster Emergency in Essex County
States of emergency have also been declared forClinton County, Tupper, Champlain and portions of City of Plattsburgh following severe flooding, power outages and damage caused by storms
At least two bridges have reportedly collapsed and many homes flooded in Moriah.
Anna Mayhood of Moriah leaped to safety from her car, shown here, after the Broad Street Bridge in Moriah collapsed beneath it Wednesday morning. Torrential rains flooded the stream under the bridge and undermined it. Press Republican Staff Photo / Lohr McKinstry. Image may be subject to copyright.
“It was breathtakingly bad,” Cuomo said about his tour of flooded areas. “I’d seen photos, but it’s much worse when you see it in person.”
“That woman was going over the bridge. Thank God that turned out as well as it did. If I saw her, I would say to her, ‘You are lucky; light a candle.’”
U.S. Flood Map
309 Locations in flood during 48 hour forecast period
At least 22 people were killed with dozens more missing, feared dead, when a large landslide buried a crowd trying to dig out a bus from mud.
Large areas of the country are flooded following the heaviest rains in living memory; many roads and bridges have been washed away.
About 500 bridges across Guatemala, including the main bridge that links the country to Honduras, have been destroyed or damaged.
Dozens of separate landslides, including several major occurrences have closed down at least 100km (65 miles) of the Inter-American Highway, killing dozens of people, with dozens more missing.
“A wall of earth fell on a bus and around 100 local people organized themselves to dig out the victims,” according to fire department spokesman Sergio Vasquez. “Then another landslide came along and buried them.”
President Alvaro Colom declared a state of emergency and said: “It’s a national tragedy.”
The weekend death toll from about a dozen different landslides stands at 45, but it is expected to rise considerably.
Water reservoir sinks in Fuling District, Chongqing, China
As yet another round of torrential rains struck southern China, a combination of flooding and landslides wreak havoc across the region.
According to China’s Xinhua official news agency:
Parts of Shaoguan City in Guangdong Province have been flooded due to the sudden onslaught of heavy rains.
The city’s sewage system was unable to deal with the volume of rain, forcing the closure of some kindergartens and schools on lower levels.
A student of Guangdong Province said, “The water rose to the level of our knees. We came out from the classroom one by one, and rolled up our trousers and took off our shoes.”
The following excerpts are from the same report released by Xinhua:
In Chongqing Municipality, continuous storms have caused a water reservoir to sink in Fuling District. A split near the top is over 100 meters long, and is getting worse.
Survivoe Chen Mingshu said, “The width of the crack is 30 centimeters, and the sunken area is more than one meter deep.”
Residents of the surrounding areas have been evacuated to safety. Local authorities have dispatched related experts to monitor the situation around the clock.
The storms have also triggered landslides in Luxi county of Hunan Province. A massive falling rock struck the roof of a restaurant, destroying not only the building, but a van parked nearby as well.
Restaurant employee Xiang Ping said, “I was in the kitchen at 9 o’clock when I heard the sound of the landslide. I immediately ran out, and the rock stopped at the gate. I could not get into the house and ran onto the road.”
Meanwhile, 4 miners were reported as missing after a coalmine collapsed in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality Wednesday, Xinhua reported local authorities as saying.
Serial No 1,747. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).
A landslide, which killed at least 20 people in the remote Himalayan region of Northern Pakistan on January 4, blocked the Hunza river creating a steadily rising lake.
The water level in the lake has risen to more than 100 meters (323 feet), and is still rising.
“About 1,700 people have been forced to flee their homes after flooding swept Ayeenabad and Shishkat villages in the district of Hunza, wiping out dozens of houses about 750 kilometers (467 miles) north of Islamabad.” AFP reported.
The looming disaster also threatens Gulmit, a tourist resort near the main Karakoram Highway, which connects Pakistan and China.
“We are expecting water from the 15 kilometer-long lake to reach the spillway by May 27 and then (overflowing) will begin,” local official Asif Bilal Lodhi told AFP.
The army engineers are working around the clock to build a spillway to avert a looming disaster, however, their work will take at least 15 more days to complete.
Hunza river landslide lake
ASTER on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this false-color image of the landslide lake on the Hunza River on May 2, 2010. Blue indicates water, red indicates vegetation, and shades of beige and gray indicate bare rock. The approximate extent of the lake on March 16, 2010, appears as a white outline. Image and caption: NASA E/O [edited for brevity.]
India
Two massive landslides triggered by torrential rains have blocked National Highway 44 at Sonapur in Meghalaya, India, and several other roads, causing major disruptions to road traffic to Tripura, Mizoram and southern Assam, according to several reports.
Canada
A giant sinkhole described as “four times larger than a football field” swallowed a house killing 4 members of a family including two children.
The landslide occurred near in the outskirts of Saint-Jude, Quebec, near a tributary of the Yamaska River (50 kilometers outside of Montreal), damaging a two-lane road and prompting the evacuation of five other houses nearby.
Local geologists suggested that the landslide was a “lateral spread,” described as sideways landslide.
Serial No 1,716. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).
Part of the parking lot at Scott Towne Center has given way, causing a landslide that is covering one lane of Greentree Road below in Scott. James Knox/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Image may be subject to copyright.
A landslide continues to consume parts of the shopping plaza’s parking lot at Scott Towne Center, in Scott Township, Pennsylvania. “The road, which about 22,000 vehicles use daily, is reduced to one lane in each direction, but PennDOT is assessing the situation to determine whether the road must be closed altogether, PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi said today.” More…
Serial No 1,684. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).
Kenyan landslide kills at least 10, many reported missing
A landslide triggered by extreme rain killed 10 people in western Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross (KRC) reported.
The latest deaths raised the the number of victims killed by floods and landslides in Keny to 100 since January, KRC said.
At least 10 bodies have been recovered from a landslide disaster area in Kitony Village, Kaben Location, Tot Division in Marakwet East District.
It is feared that some people are still buried in the landslide. Kenya Red Cross Society team from North Rift Region is assisting the villages to dig into the mud. At least 10 people with critical head injuries are expected to be flown from the area for further treatment.
“Ten bodies have been retrieved from the landslide scene and 10 other people have been injured,” Nelly Muluka, communications officer for KRC, told Reuters by telephone.
“It is feared that some people have been buried in the landslide but we don’t know how many, maybe dozens,” she said.
Meanwhile…
Georgia landslide damaged Russian gas pipeline to Armenia
“Georgia has suspended the transit of Russian natural gas through Georgian territory today following landslides that reportedly damaged the pipeline carrying it to Armenia, RFE/RL’s Armenian Service reports.
“Georgian media reported that the landslides caused by heavy rains occurred in a mountainous area close to the Russian border. The head of Georgia’s National Oil and Gas Corporation, Zurab Janjgava, said repairs on the damaged section of the pipeline have begun and will take two or three days.” More …
Landslide in Bogota destroys houses, traps people under the rubble
A Landslide triggered by heavy rains destroyed at least a dozen houses, leaving many people trapped under the rubble. A second landslide, which occurred shortly after, trapped soldiers who had come to the rescue of the first wave of victims.
At least 20,000 people have been left homeless Colombia since the country’s rainy season started, with 88 municipalities across 22 departments affected by the extreme weather events. The death toll stands at 8, as of posting.
Landslides[Index page for landslides and related links]
-
Serial No 1,650. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).
Serial No 1,522. If any post is blocked in your country, please drop us a line.
Frequency of landslide events increasing at an alarmingly accelerated rate
Middletown, Connecticut
About 100 feet of a parking lot of an apartment complex fell into the river prompting the evacuation of 50 residents. A mudslide exposed the foundation of the block.
A landslide occurred in Greenville, New Hampshire, on Wednesday evening, the Fire Chief said, as a result of which a large chink of land fell into Souhegan River.
Landslide closes section of bikepath in Amherst, N.Y.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina
A landslide in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park disrupted traffic on U.S. 441, the main highway over the mountains, about one mile south of the Tennessee-North Carolina line, AP reported.
East Tennessee has also experienced several recent rock and landslides, the report said.
“There have been four other landslides in the region: a major one in Maggie Valley that forced an evacuation of several homes, one that took out a road and a lot in the Water Dance development in Jackson County, one that took out a road and a lot in the Wildflower development in Macon County, and one in Macon County that could be partly to blame for destabilizing a home foundation.” Said a report.
Orange County, California
The two transition roads that were shut down on February 18, after a massive landslide dropped tons of earth and rocks on the roads were reopened, Caltrans officials said.
The westbound 10 connector to the northbound 57 freeway and the northbound 71 connector to the northbound 57 were blocked and Caltrans had to remove about 100,000 cubic meters of earth at a cost of $3.5 million to reopen them.
“The slope has been sprayed with a seed mix to make the slope look a little better and will provide for erosion control,” a Caltrans official said.
Two killed in Cacuaco landslide
Two Angolan workers were killed in a landslide in Cacuaco district, Luanda, Angop reported.
The accident reportedly occurred when seven workers were repairing the main road in Cacuaco.
“The two workers got buried when part of the hill crumbled down and the SNB team found them already dead,” an official said.
The Lembah Anai tourist resort in West Sumatra has been struck by flooding and landslide.
Disaster Mitigation Agency coordinator in west Sumatra, Ade Edward, said landslides had struck at least 15 areas. “They damaged four houses and dozens of cars, but fortunately there were no casualties,” he said.
Parts of the highway were washed away after the Batang Anai River burst its banks. “The Batang Anai waterfall in the tourist resort, meanwhile, discharged three times its normal volume of water, carrying with it mud and rocks.”
Flooding also severely damaged a nearby bridge, the report said.
3 Miners killed in Goldmine Collapse
Three miners died after a landslide blocked a tunnel in Itogon town in Benguet in northern Philippines, police said.
“A mudslide Thursday about a mile north of Mukilteo covered one of the two main rail tracks through the area. Crews cleared the slide – which was 2 feet deep and about 50 feet long – later that day but the railway required a 48-hour waiting period before resuming passenger service to ensure safe operating conditions.”
A mudslide a few blocks from the Iowa State Penitentiary was discovered by a train engineer. “The mud from a steep bluff covered at least 300 feet of track and was six to 10 feet deep.”
“Two women were killed and 21 others injured when they were buried in a mudslide from a cliff at Hattilet-1 in Mahottari district on Friday.” Mahottari is a part of Janakpur Zone, one of Nepal ‘s seventy-five districts.
“A hillside broke loose after heavy rains, sending mud sliding onto Highway 30 and partially closing the road near St. Johns Bridge in North Portland on Wednesday, according to ODOT.”
2,300 people evacuated as an avalanche of mud and rocks buries scenic Italian town
Some 2,300 residents of small town of Maierato in the Calabria region, southern Italy were evacuated, as an “apocalyptic” landslide triggered by heavy rainfall brought down an entire hillside burying the town under an avalanche of mud and rocks. There was no report of deaths or injuries, Xinhua said.
The entire region has been severely affected by flash floods and landslides. Many small towns close to Cosenza, located at the confluence of the Busento and the Crathis rivers, have also been evacuated recently due to the floods.
More than 100 smaller landslides in Calabria, all of which were apparently caused by heavy rains, have since been reported, sources say.
A deadly landslide in the Sicilian city of Messina killed about 40 people and left up to a 1,000 others homeless in October 2009.
La Cañada Flintridge. Smashed vehicles are pushed together on Ocean View Boulevard in La Cañada Flintridge. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times / February 7, 2010) Image may be subject to copyright. LATIMES Photo Gallery
On Saturday, more than 500 homes were under mandatory evacuation orders. About 43 homes have been damaged including 12 that sustained major structural damage, in Paradise Valley, La Cañada Flintridge and La Crescenta, LA Times said.
“About 25 vehicles were damaged, flowing down the street and smashing against walls, trees and one another.”
“Mubserged” in Mexico
Everything on wheels are seen submerged on a flooded highway in Chalco, Mexico City (Feb. 5, 2010). Severe rain from several different weather systems have created chaos killing at least 30 people and causing substantial to several Mexican states, government met services said. Credit: REUTERS. Image may be subject to copyright.
Meanwhile, the death toll from severe and unseasonable winter rain, which have triggered floods and mudslides in Mexico reached 29. At least two dozen others were reported missing, presumed dead, in the mudslides near Toluca, Mexico State. “A mix of drain water and sewage flowed into thousands of homes and blocked major thoroughfares in the metropolis of 20 million people. About 7,500 homes were flooded, prompting emergency personnel to ferry people from their homes through chest-high water.” AP reported. “… at least 2,000 homes were damaged. The federal government declared three Michoacan townships disaster zones, opening access to relief funds.”
Source: ABC News Aust. Image may be subject to copyright.
After record rainfall in parts of Australia (70 mm fell in 15 mins at Usher Falls at Bouldercombe, south of Rockhamptonn central Queensland,) dozens of cars “ended up under water and boats washed from the Gold Coast marine precinct at Coomera,” and two people were killed. “The weather bureau says Mount Tambourine and Canungra in the Gold Coast hinterland set rainfall records, each receiving more than 360 millimetres in the 24 hours to 9am AEST yesterday.” ABC News Aust reported.
Bolivia’s Evo Morales declares a national emergency
The Bolivian President, Evo Morales, declared a national emergency Friday amid weeks of heavy rains and flooding that have killed at least 10 people and affected some 24,000 families nationwide.
Political map of Bolivia. Click image to enlarge.
“We are declaring a national emergency across Bolivia in response to the effects of flooding, hailstorms, landslides and rivers breaking their banks,” according to a decree issued by the President and his cabinet.
The worst hit regions include Santa Cruz region, Cochabamba, Chuquisaca and Beni, news agencies reported.
The heavy rains have swept away livestock and submerged thousands of hectares of cropland and grassland in flood water.
A large landslide obliterated at least 72 homes on the outskirts of the capital La Paz on Thursday.
The government is concerned however that the Beni region could top the list of their disaster-stricken regions because Bolivia’s major rivers converge there.
Photo: Rio Beni (2008). Credit: Pattrön. For licensing details click here. Beni (capital: Trinidad), a northeastern department of Bolivia, is located in the lowlands region of the Bolivia and is the second largest department in the country (after Santa Cruz), covering about 213,600 square kilometers.
“Beni’s capital Trinidad, home to some 120,000 people, was on aler2t Friday as the water level rose within inches of breaching nearby dams.” AFP reported.
Heavy rains are expected to continue, Bolivia’s National Meteorology and Hydrology Service reported.
Although Bolivia’s rainy season falls in January and February, the weather forecasters believe both the climate change and El Niño have intensified the severity of the rain events.
Four people were killed and 13 others injured when tropical depression “Urduja” pummeled several provinces in Mindanao, Philippines according to disaster officials.
Three of the fatalities occurred as a result of landslides triggered by heavy rain and flooding.
“A total of 82,324 families or 404,623 persons were affected in 93 barangays, four cities and 23 municipalities in the provinces of Camiguin, Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental in Northern Mindanao and Agusan del Norte and Dinagat Island in Caraga Region,” the NDCC reported.
“At the height of Tropical Depression ‘Urduja,’ 3,293 persons, 110 vehicles and 99 vessels were stranded in various ports in Southern Tagalog, Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas and Northern Mindanao.”
Northeast Monsoons
In the first week of November, Northeast Monsoons and strong winds affected up to 120,000 people in 165 districts throughout Mindanao, northern and eastern Luzon and other regions in the Philippines.
Argentina, Uruguay:
Severe flooding caused by the “heaviest rains in 50 years” have killed at least 10 people and forced 15,000 people to evacuate in northern parts of Argentina and Uruguay. The fatalities were caused by drowning and mudslides.
The recent heavy rain in the regions follows months of drought in NE Argentina. Extensive deforestation in the country’s northern regions has impacted the regional climate resulting in extreme of droughts and deluge.
The land use change, transforming forests to agricultural land for growing soybeans, has negatively affected the soil’s water-carrying capacity, environmentalists say.
The local weather service has warned that a severe storm front could bring additional heavy rainfall, wind gusts and hail this week.
