2010 Disaster Calendar [May]

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

2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters

• FEWW Amendment to Murphy’s Law: If more things can go wrong they will go wrong about now!

• In the next few years, YOU or someone close to you will likely have experienced a man-made, or human-enhanced ‘natural disaster.’

• “About 99.98 percent of human effort goes to debilitate the ecosystems. In other words, for every single step taken to restore the natural life support services, humans take 6,400 steps in the opposite direction, destroying the planet’s ability to maintain life.” —EDRO

2010 Disaster Calendar

Click links for previous entries:  January 2010 |February 2010 | March 2010 | April 2010 |

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

May 2010

• Day 121 [May 1, 2010]
  • North Dakota, USA. President B.O. has declared 22 North Dakota counties and the Spirit Lake Sioux Indian reservation as federal disaster areas. The declaration allows federal aid to go to repairing damage caused by recent spring flooding, since Feb. 26.The affected counties are Barnes, Benson, Cass, Dickey, Emmons, Foster, Grand Forks, LaMoure, Logan, Mercer, Morton, Nelson, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Richland, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Traill, Walsh and Wells, a report said.
  • Alabama, USA. Governor Bob Riley of Alabama declared an official state of emergency on Friday, to enable him “to invoke various emergency preparedness measures” as the state braces itself for the oil attack, a report said.
  • Iraq.  “A total of 274 civilians were killed by bomb blasts or other attacks last month, compared with 216 in March and 211 in February, government figures showed on Saturday,” a report said.
  • Mogadishu, Somalia. At least 30 people were killed and many others wounded after two explosions rocked a mosque in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu, a report said.
  • Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan. At least thirty people were killed and many wounded after bombing, shootings and by the US drones. The victims include civilians, soldiers and “militants.”
  • China. “Ten construction workers were killed after an unfinished three-story building collapsed in east China’s Anhui Province Friday afternoon, local authorities said Saturday.” A report said.
    “The building at Zonglou village in Suli township of Huaibei city collapsed at about 4:30 p.m. Friday, crushing ten workers to death at the site, the Huaibei city government said in a statement.”
  • Arkansas, USA. Saline County was declared a disaster area following at least one confirmed tornado touch-down in East End,  a report said. One dead, 25 others hurt as tornadoes hit Arkansas, another report said.
• Day 122 [May 2, 2010]
  • Gulf of Mexico, USA. On April 30, Fire Earth forecast: “The catastrophe  could escalate even further and enter a new nightmarish dimension if the damaged underwater well were to develop a major rupture, resulting in the entire content of the well, a humongous amount of crude oil, spilled into the Gulf.” That nightmare has now come true.  Regretfully, the worst case condition is now occurring.
    • The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has determined that deteriorating conditions on the sea bed may result in an even greater flow of 50,000 barrels a day, which would result in America’s worst ecological disaster ever.
    • Professor Ian MacDonald, an ocean specialist at Florida State University, believes that the leak from the ruptured well has already spewed 9m gallons of heavy crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico.
    • On April 29, Fire-Earth Forecast:  “The leak in the Gulf of Mexico could exceed the Exxon Valdez crude spill in less than 30 days, if not stemmed.”
    • Also:  The Gulf of Mexico nightmare enters a new phase—the first stage in the collapse of the Gulf states may have begun.
    • Our forecasts are not “alarmist,” “exaggerated,” nor meant to be “fear-mongering”; they are merely to awaken and inform our readers as to the true extent of the collapse that is rapidly beckoning the “Google [disinformation and censorship] Civilization.”
    • Fire-Earth Forecasts 10 Major Oil Spills to End 2011
  • Alabama, Mississippi and Florida, USA. Alabama, Mississippi and Florida have now joined Louisiana declaring states of emergency as the massive oil slick moves, driven by winds, edges toward their fragile marshlands and fishing grounds, a report said.
  • Mogadishu, Somalia. “The officials of the African Union’s peacekeeping force in Somalia yesterday said that twin explosions at a mosque in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu killed at least 45 people and left several others injured. ” A report said.
  • Chad. “The government in Ndjamena had said the army killed 105 rebels with the Popular Front for National Renaissance (PFNR) and captured 62 in fighting in eastern Chad, and also said one of its troops was killed.” AFP reported. The figures disputed by PFNR. They say 33 people were killed.
  • Timergara, Pakistan. “Death toll from last month’s Timergara suicide blast rose to 57 as another policeman succumbed to injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar on Friday,” a report said.
  • Tennessee, USA. At least 5 people have been killed in heavy flooding across Tennessee, and dozens more injured. The death toll is expected to rise.  “A line of strong thunderstorms Saturday dumped at least 10 inches of rain on Memphis and produced tornadoes and hail along the Mississippi River Valley in Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky and northward,” a report said.
  • Kisangani, Congo. “United Nations officials said Saturday that the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel force killed up to 100 people in a previously unreported massacre in the remote northeastern corner of this country,” a report said.
  • PESHAWAR, Pakistan. “At least 40 militants were killed and their 10 hideouts were destroyed on Sunday in aerial bombing carried out by security forces in Orakzai Agency,” a report said.
  • Kunar, Afghanistan. At least a dozen people were killed in Afghanistan today including two young girls (shot by NATO troops), two US soldiers, a NATO soldier and a British soldier, Several others were wounded, according to various news bulletins.
  • MOSUL, Iraq. “Iraqi authorities say two bombs today killed one person and injured at least 80 in an apparent attack on the country’s minority Christian community. “
• Day 123 [May 3, 2010]
  • ESC, United States. Deadly line of thunderstorms strikes Tennessee and northern Mississippi, killing at least 12 15 people, damaging homes and closing most of highways. Storm related death toll  in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee since April 24 has now risen to at least 27 with several people reported as missing.
  • Afghanistan. “A roadside bomb tore through a minibus in eastern Afghanistan on Sunday as the government said civilian casualties are on the rise ahead of a military buildup to combat the resurgent Taliban.” AP reported. There was no official death toll available, however witnesses said about 21 people were killed or wounded.
  • Afghanistan. “Earlier Sunday, the Interior Ministry said there have been 173 civilian deaths in violence in Afghanistan from March 21 to April 21, marking a 33 percent increase over the same time period last year. A recent quarterly report by the U.S. office overseeing Afghanistan’s rebuilding confirmed an increase in civilian deaths.”   AP reported.
  • Mexico. Twenty—two people have been killed in  Mexico, officials said. Seventeen of the dead were killed in the infamous  Chihuahua state,  while five others lost their lives during an stamped at a concert in Nuevo Leon state, a report said. At least 12 others were injured  at the concert according to other reports.
  • Bangladesh. At least 23 people were killed in nine districts throughout the country and dozens more  injured after being struck by lightening lightning, a report said. Most of the dead were farmers working in the fields.
  • Pakistan.  “Helicopter gunships pounded Taliban positions in the restive Orakzai tribal region in northwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing 40 militants and destroying ten hideouts.” A report said.
  • Mogadishu, Somalia. Two powerful explosions in the Somalian capital of Mogadishu killed more than 34 people and injured over 70 others  in a second attack in a week on a mosque, a report said.
• Day 124 [May4, 2010]
  • Southern U.S. FLOODING: Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency.  Southern U.S. struck by deadly thunderstorms, tornados and flash floods since weekend (1-2 May). The death toll rose to at least 25. States that have been affected are Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee.
  • Massachusetts, USA. President B.O. has signed an emergency disaster declaration in response to a major water main break in Massachusetts. “The 10-foot wide pipe has been repaired, but health officials say testing must be finished before tap water in Boston and about 30 other communities is approved for drinking.” AP reported.
  • Klamath, USA. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared the upper Klamath Basin and Klamath’s neighboring counties in Oregon and California as natural disaster areas due to drought, a report said.
  • Gulf of Mexico, USA. Hundreds of dead jellyfish have been spotted along the beach on an island at the southern end of the Mississippi, AP reported. At least two dozen dead sea turtles have also been found over the weekend in the same area, but wildlife officials have to await the result of necropsies before declaring the oil spill as a cause of death, AP and others reported.
  • Alabama, USA. President B.O. has signed a major disaster declaration for the two counties of Marshall and DeKalb in response to the April 24 tornado damage, a report said.
  • Arkansas, USA. Governor Mike Beebe declared 10 Arkansas counties disaster areas following  deadly tornadoes and floods that killed two people and damaged many homes and businesses, according to various reports.
  • China and Myanmar Border. At least a dozen Chinese workers have been killed and several others were missing after a landslide in a Myanmar region bordering with southwest China’s Yunan Province, reports said.
  • Kenya, Taiwan and elsewhere. At least two dozen people have been killed in landslides in Kenya, with similar fatalities in other countries also reported.
• Day 125 [May5, 2010]
  • Tennessee, USA. President B.O. has declared the state of Tennessee a major disaster area. The declaration covers Davidson, Williamson, Cheatham and Hickman counties. The death toll from weekend flooding in Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky reached 30.
  • Riyadh, Arabia. Flooding caused by violent thunderstorms has wreaked havoc across Riyadh since weekend, killing at least 2 people. “Some 155 people had to be rescued as cars, buses and commercial vehicles stalled in up to two metres (6.6 feet) of water in underpasses and low-lying roads when the flooding hit during the afternoon rush hour on Monday,” AFP reported.  Jeddah  has experienced exterme rainfall since November 2009, when flooding killed 126 people and left tens of thousands of residents homeless.
  • Johannesburg, South Africa. The death toll in a bus accident has  risen to 28, after investigators discovered another three bodies, according to Western Cape traffic officials.
  • Myanmar-China border. The death toll in Monday’s landslide in Myanmar-China border reach 15, media reported.
  • Afghanistan. Three NATO soldiers were killed in southern Afghanistan, as  coalition troops killed five “Taliban,” who in turn had killed three men suspected of spying for the government, a report said.
• Day 126 [May6, 2010]
  • SW China. Deadly tornado strikes city in SW China, killing at least 50 and injuring 130. The official Xinhua agency, quoting the municipal government, reported  the number of casualties as “at least 23 confirmed dead and 161 others injured” following a powerful storm  and torrential rain that inundated  China’s Chongqing Municipality earlier today.
  • Tennessee, USA. President B.O declared Shelby County a federal disaster area.  Also declared as disaster areas were Tipton, McNairy, and Dyer counties, a report said.
  • China. Cases of syphilis in China are rising dramatically as a result of rapid social change, US researchers say. About 20 people in every 100,000 in China are carrying the infection, with pregnant women passing the disease to their unborn children. At least one baby with congenital syphilis was born each hour in 2008, a report said.
  • Djibouti. “About half of Djibouti’s rural population will need emergency food assistance this year due to the combined effects of drought, livestock losses, unfavourable livestock-to-cereal terms of trade and high staple food prices, according to an assessment by the government and UN agencies.” A report said. “Most pastoralists had lost a considerable proportion of their livestock [70-80 percent] over the last five years and they suffered from diminished sources of food and income and had exhausted their coping strategies,” Peter Smerdon, spokesperson for the UN World Food Programme (WFP) in Nairobi, said.
  • Yunan Province, China. A severe drought has destroyed “massive numbers of cycas panzhihuaensis trees” and more than 1 in five of all “young pinus parviflora trees” in the Yaoshan National Nature Reserve, Qiaojia County, Zhaotong.  Hundreds of other trees trees have also died from the drought in Nanhua County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, a report said. “Statistics show that around 5,000 square kilometers of natural preservation area has suffered from the drought.”
  • Afghanistan. Flash floods have killed at least 31 people in Afghanistan, the government was reporetd as saying, and warning the death toll may rise. Torrential downpours since May 2 have caused heavy flooding in northern and western Afghanistan , according to the head of the National Disaster Management Authority. “So far we know that up to 12 people have died in Herat and at least 19 in Ghor,” he said, referring to provinces in western Afghanistan. “The death toll may rise as we are still investigating.” The floods have reportedly destroyed hundreds of homes as well as crops and irrigation systems, the officials were reported as saying.
• Day 127 [May7, 2010]
  • Maryland, USA. President B.O. has signed a disaster declaration for Maryland in response to  severe snowstorms that hit the state in February, a report said.
  • Tennessee, USA. Gov. Phil Bredesen said 17 more Tennessee counties had been declared federal disaster areas, making up a total of 27 counties eligible for federal assistance. The latest additions are:  Carroll, Crockett, Decatur, Fayette, Gibson, Hardeman, Haywood, Henderson, Houston, Madison, Obion, Benton, Dickson, Humphreys, Maury, Sumner and Rutherford counties, a report said.
  • Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China. Death toll in Chinese ethnic unrest reaches 140, a report said. “Riots began in the regional capital of Urumqi on May 2 when a group of protesters demanded an investigation into the deaths of two ethnic Uighurs killed in a fight with Han Chinese workers at a toy factory in late June. “
  • India. The death and injury toll from  the coal mines explosion in the  Chhattisgarh’s Koria district has risen to 38 with 6 others reported as missing.
  • Paraguay. The death toll from dengue hemorrhagic fever reached 11 this week, a report said. “Over the last few months, 4,971 dengue cases have been confirmed across Paraguay.”
  • Afghanistan. “Suicide bombers” disguised as police attacked a government compound in Afghanistan leaving 13 people dead, authorities said.
• Day 128 [May8, 2010]
  • Imperial Valley, California, USA. President B.O. has declared Imperial Valley a major disaster area following April 4, 2010 earthquake which struck  the U.S.-Mexico border causing an estimated $91million worth of damage, a report said.
  • Tajikistan. Landslide and floods triggered by torrential rains kill at least 15, leave 40 missing and cause $100million damage in Tajikistan. Torrential rains caused the Tebalei River to burst its banks resulting in widespread flooding and landslides, destroying 12 bridges, severely damaging at least 1,500 residential buildings. Many roads were destroyed by the floodwater, which also inundated fields and devastated large amounts of crops. Tajikistan flood death toll rises to 21. [Tajikistan toll reaches 24: AP, Day 130.]
  • Afghanistan. Fresh flash floods have claimed up to 70 lives, destroying hundreds of homes in Afghanistan, the Afghan authorities said. Torrential rain in northern and western Afghanistan caused extensive flooding, killing about a thousand livestock , according to the head of the local National Disaster Management Authority.
  • South China. Deadly storms and torrential rains claimed at least 65 lives leaving about 200 people injured and 14 others  missing, with more than  50 thousand people made homeless, the official Xinhua reported the authorities as saying.
• Day 129 [May9, 2010]
  • Kemerovo Region, Russia. At least 11 people have died and 41 others  injured afetr a coalmine explosions in Russia’s Kemerovo Region, Itar-Tass reported a regional emergency source as saying. The explosions occurred in the Raspadskaya mine in Mezhdurechensk, the Kemerovo region.
  • China. “Death toll from fierce storms and torrential rains battering southern China has risen to at least 70 people with tens of thousands left homeless, state media reported Sunday.” AFP reported.
  • India.The death toll in the dust storm and squall in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar rose to over 50, a report said.
  • Peshawar, Pakistan. “Nineteen militants were among 23 people killed in the restive northwest Pakistan, where a US drone targeted insurgent hideouts while security forces backed by helicopter gunships stepped up ground attacks on terrorist hideouts in the region,” a report said.
• Day 130 [May 10, 2010]
  • Iraq. At least a dozen people including 7 Iraqi policemen and soldiers have been killed and 40 others injured in a series of attacks in Iraq over the past 24 hours, according to various reports. UPDATE: “Suicide bombers, car bombs and gunmen using silencers killed at least 66 people in Iraq on Monday after insurgents carried out a wave of assaults against markets, a factory car park and police and army checkpoints.” A report said.
  • Russia. The death toll from the coal mine explosion in the Siberian region of Kemerovo has risen to 30, according to Russian news agencies. “Thirty people are dead and 60 others [80 others according to other news sources] missing are still trapped in the mine,” Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu was quoted by Itar-Tass as saying.
  • United Kingdom. The British Ministry of Defense said a soldier was struck by an explosion and killed in Sangin, Helmand Province, raising the number of UK troops killed  in Afghanistan to 285 since the occupation war began
  • Serbia. Serbia’s war crimes prosecutor has revealed that a new mass grave, believed to contain the bodies at least 250 Kosovo Albanians has been discovered in the country, a report said.
  • Pakistan. At least 10 Pakistani soldiers and 30 “Taliban militants” were killed following  an ambush on military operation in Pakistan’s Orakzai region, a government was reported as saying.
  • Global Biodiversity. World governments have failed to meet an agreed 2010 target to stop biodiversity loss, a UN report said.
  • CIREBON, West Java, Indonesia. The death toll from the consumption of moonshine alcoholic beverages rose to 13, a report said.
  • Peru. Freezing temperatures have killed at least 190 people in the Peruvian Andes provinces of Cuzco Pasco and Puno since January 2010, the Ministry of Health data shows. Some 95 of the victims were children younger than 5,  with 42  of them claimed by pneumonia, a report said.
• Day 131 [May 11, 2010]
  • Iraq. At least 114 people have been killed  and hundreds others wounded in a series of attacks throughout Iraq, a report said.
  • Russia. The death toll from the coal mine explosion in the Siberian region of Kemerovo has risen to 52, with another 38 still missing, according to Russian news agencies.
  • Southern China. Amid forecasts of more torrential  rains throughout southern China, the death toll from earlier storms rose to 70, with many others injured and at least 145,000 displaced since May 5, 2010, a report said.
  • Pakistan. U.S. drone aircraft have fired more than a dozen missiles into Pakistan’s North Waziristan, killing at least 14 militants, Pakistani security officials were reported as saying.
• Day 132 [May 12, 2010]
  • Tripoli, Libya. The Afriqiyah Airways flight from Johannesburg to Gatwick, UK, crashed in Libya, killing at least 104 people on board. The Airbus 330 carried at least 93 passengers, and 11 crew. Most of the passengers are believed to have been British and South African nationals, while the crew were reported to be Libyans.
  • Kentucky, USA. President B.O. has declared the state of Kentucky a major disaster area, following damage caused by the severe storms,tornadoes, flooding and mudslides in the counties of Allen, Hart, Lewis, Logan, Metcalfe, Monroe, and Rockcastle, a report said.
  • The Kemerovo, Russia. The death toll from the coal mine explosion rose to 60 after eight more bodies were found in the western Siberian mine, officials said.
  • Shaanxi Province, China. Ten people have been killed in an attack on a kindergarten in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. At least 11 other children were injured, two critically. “The deadly rampage took place at about 8 a.m. Wednesday at the privately-run kindergarten in Linchang Village, Shengshui Township of Nanzheng County, when 48-year-old villager Wu Huanming hacked to death seven children and a kindergarten owner using a kitchen cleaver, the Shaanxi Provincial Emergency Response Office said in a statement.” This is the 5th reported attack on Chinese kindergartens since March 24, 2010.
  • Oklahoma, USA. Gov Henry has declared states of emergency in 56 counties in Oklahoma after two dozen tornadoes killed at least 3 people, and injured 104 others. A number of people are still unaccounted for.
    “The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management reported that 103 homes were destroyed and that 70 homes had major damage from the storm. In addition, 43 businesses were destroyed, 13 barns were destroyed or damaged, and 69 homes had minor damage.”
• Day 133 [May 13, 2010]
  • Afghanistan. Flooding in 20 of Afghanistan’s provinces kills 120 people, destroys or damage 10,000 homes, Afghanistan’s VP said. Flooding has also destroys crops, agricultural land, roads and other infrastructure, he said in a statement.
  • Mongolia. More than 8 million of the country’ 41 million livestock have died and more are still dying after the coldest winter in 50 years. The government has declared 15 of the country’s 21 provinces as disaster areas, with 4 more provinces expected to join the list, a UN official said. The spring in Mongolia is now being called the ‘silent spring.’ “Roughly one-quarter of the country’s 3 million people are nomads, while others also raise livestock in fixed settlements.” The report said.
  • New Hampshire, USA. President B.O. has declared New Hampshire a major disaster area in response to damages caused by severe storms and flooding from March 14 through March 31, 2010, a report said.
  • Southern China. Deadly rainstorms continue to pummel southern China for an eight day. Since May 5 some 86 people have perished and about 20 others are missing, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. The storms have affected up to 8 million people in 10 provinces and municipalities with about 300,000 people relocated. The cost of damage,  resulting from direct economic losses are estimated at about RMB6 billion (about $876 million), according to the government. See also this report.
  • Wisconsin, USA. Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin is asking federal government to declare Marathon County a disaster area in response to the damage caused to ginseng crop by the cold weather. About 95 percent of the U.S. ginseng is grown in Wisconsin, most of it in Marathon, Governor’s office said.
  • Tajikistan. UPDATE: 24 dead, 50 missing, 200 injured, 12 cities damaged. More than 2,000 apartment houses, 30 bridges, 10km of highways, and much infrastructure have been destroyed, a report said.
• Day 134 [May 14, 2010]
  • Midwest, USA. Flooding in the U.S. Midwest has killed at least one person, closing roads, inundating farmland and forcing an Amtrak train to be diverted, a report said.  The full extent of damage has not yet been assessed, as of posting. Meanwhile, destructive storms struck southwest Missouri. A tornado touched down breakfast time, destroying a Pizza Hut restaurant near downtown Monett and damaging a number of  other businesses.
  • Anshun, Guizhou province, China. China Mine Explosion Death Toll Rises to 21. The death toll in a coal mine explosion in SW China’s Guizhou province rose to 21, a report said. The explosion occurred at a mine in the city of Anshun in Guizhou province.
  • Central China. The death toll from rainstorm and landslides in central China reached 12, with 42,000 people displaced. About 200,000 hectares of crops, 35 million tons of fish stocks, 2,850 heads of cattle and 105,000 poultry have been destroyed, a govt official said.
  • Cardston, Cardston, Canada. Southern AlbertaThe county of Cardston in  Southern Alberta has declared itself a disaster area after high numbers of livestock perished. Some of the ranchers have lost about 25 percent of their herds.
    However, no figures have been released as to the overall size of the loss.
    “The rain, snow, wind, and plummeting temperatures due to the recent spring storms are being blamed on the increasing number of dying livestock.”  A report said.
  • Canada-Afghanistan. Canadian death toll in Afghanistan rose to 144 soldiers, and 2 civilians. “Pte. Kevin McKay, 24, died after an improvised explosive device exploded about 15 kms southwest of Kandahar City. McKay, a native of Richmond Hill, Ont., was with the Edmonton-based 1st Battalion of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.” A report said.
  • Kishoregonj district, Bangladesh. The death toll reached 17 after the Bangladeshi ferry capsized in   Kishoregonj district, about 120 km northeast of capital Dhaka, a report said.
• Day 135 [May 15, 2010]
  • Bangkok, Thailand. At least 10 17 civilians have been killed and 125 injured as the Thai military fired live rounds at protesters demanding a new election amid “systemic corruption by the monarchy and government,” informed observers say.  Three foreigners have been wounded, including a French-Canadian journalist who was reportedly hit by three bullets and is in a critical condition.
  • Iraq. At least 10 people have been killed and 120 others injured when bombs went off in a football stadium,  in the northern Iraqi town of Tal Afar, west of Mosul, police say. The death toll from the bombing reached at least 25, AFP said.
  • Sri Lanka. 3 days of torrential rain, strong winds and lightening heralded start of the first of two monsoon season in Sri Lanka. The storms have claimed at least one life and injured many others, affecting about 20,000 people throughout the country.
  • Sri Lanka. The dengue fever death toll has risen to 76, with another 13,500 people infected since January 2010, a report said. Epidemiologists with the Dengue Eradication Program have warned that the disease could spread rapidly as the rainy season progresses. “The scientists accuse the government of failing to take appropriate steps to stop the spreading of the tropical disease, like stockpiling insecticides or adequately informing the public.”
  • Pakistan. The death toll from air strikes on Tirah Valley in Khyber Agency has risen to 16 as five more bodies alleged to be militants were recovered, local sources reported.
  • Afghanistan. “A night raid by American troops in the eastern province of Nangarhar left at least 10 Afghans dead, and within hours, on Friday morning, protests by their relatives and friends turned violent, killing at least one other person, according to accounts from witnesses and Afghan officials.” NYT reported.
  • Afghanistan. “At least three dozen suspected insurgents were killed in 2 days of joint NATO-Afghan operations across Afghanistan,” officials said.
  • Lake Warden, Australia. Eutrification has caused thousands of fish to die in Lake Warden, Australia, a report said.
• Day 136 [May 16, 2010]
  • Bangkok, Thailand. Another disastrous day unfolded in Thailand as the death toll in the anti-corruption protest reached 30, with hundreds of others wounded. A protest leader described the clashes between the situation in Thailand as being close to a “civil war,” according to a report.
  • Mississippi, USA. President B.O. has approved a federal disaster declaration for 6 counties in northern Mississippi which were hit by severe weather earlier this month.
  • Afghanistan. The death toll of British soldiers  in Afghanistan continues to rise with 285th soldier killed in an explosion today. “This year, 137 British soldiers have been seriously wounded in action and hundreds more admitted to hospital.” A report said.
  • Kenya. Kenya has issued a flood alert saying three dams on the country’s longest river might overflow anytime as heavy rains continue to pummel East Africa. Since January, floods and landslides have killed more than 80 people, and left about 70,000 people displaced, reports say.
  • Sudan.  Sudanese military says it killed 108 members of the ‘Justice and Equality Movement’ in the troubled Jebel Moon area, a report said.
  • Manila, Philippines. A third fire in as many months lit the Manila skyline, destroying an estimated 1,000 to 2,000 home in the city’s shanty town area, and leaving an estimated  10,000 – 20,000 people homeless.
  • Iraq. “Death toll from an act of terror in the north of Iraq has grown to reach 25 more than 125 other people have been wounded, says the Iraqi Foreign Ministry in a statement,” a report said.
• Day 137 [May 17, 2010]
  • Global. Internal displacement is at record high.  By the end of 2009 an alarming total of 27.1 million were internally displaced, a report said.
  • Yemen. About 120 children under five have died of measles since  March 1, 2010 in nine districts, UN IRIN said.  “Measles became endemic in Saada due to repeated clashes since 2004 [with 6 rounds of fighting occurring between the army and Houthi-led rebels in northern Yemen.”
  • Thailand. Clash between anti-corruption demonstrators and government forces in Bangkok has left 37 dead, and at least 266 injured. Earlier, a Maj Gen who was sympathetic to the demonstrators’ cause died after being shot in the head by a sniper last week.
  • India.The so-called Maoist rebels, anti-government forces in India, attacked a bus in central India, killing at least 20 people earlier today, officials said.
  • Hungary. At least 2,000 people were forced to evacuate their homes in northern Hungary as flash floods triggered by heavy rains wreaked havoc throughout the region. At least one storm fatality was reported.  “Unusually bad weather, with heavy gusts of wind and two months’ worth of rain in some areas, sent water levels surging to record highs on smaller rivers, forcing the evacuation of 2,093 people, news agency,” MTI reported.
  • Serbia. At least two people have died in floods in Serbia’s southern town of Trgoviste. The officials described the situation as “catastrophic,” with no electricity, phone lines or running water. as they evacuated more than 300 people from the area.
• Day 138 [May 18, 2010]
  • Afghanistan.  One of Obama’s favorite occupied countries. At least 19 people have been killed and some 60 others  injured in a car bomb attack targeting a Nato convoy in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, police said.
  • Pakistan. One of Obama’s favorite war theaters. An explosion in northwest Pakistan killed at least 12 people on Tuesday, official source said. “The attacker targeted a police van that was traveling on the outskirts of the town of Dera Ismail Khan in North West Frontier Province,”  a report said.
  • Central Europe. At least 6 people have been killed and thousands more forced to abandon their homes as storms continue to pound central Europe, causing extensive flooding throughout the region. “So far, 2,093 people have been forced to leave their houses, most of them in the northeast of the country,” a spokesman for Hungary’s National Disaster Authority said. The PM of Hungary has declared a state of emergency in parts of NE Hungary.
  • Czech Republic. In the Czech Republic, at least 10,000 people were left without electricity as strong winds fell trees and brought down power lines. “Many places are facing a critical situation,” said Czech regional governor.
  • Poland. In southern Poland, about 2,000 people evacuated their homes as floods inundated large areas including roads, railway tracks and farms, according to reports.
  • Slovakia. Military has been deployed to help the emergency services as floods inundated many villages, reports said.
  • Victoria County, Texas, USA. Following a heavy rain storm that struck Friday night and continued into Saturday, triggering  flash floods that  damaged at least 160 homes and hundreds of vehicles, the officials declared the county a disaster area, a report said.
  • Kentucky, USA. A May 11 disaster declaration for recent flooding in Kentucky has been extended to include Boyle, Franklin, Garrard, Jessamine, Madison and Mercer counties, a report said.
• Day 139 [May 19, 2010]
  • Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) has asked the Commerce Department Secretary Gary Locke for a fisheries disaster declaration in the Gulf of Mexico following BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill. “Under current law, the Department of Commerce has the discretion to designate a commercial fishery failure as a result of man-made causes beyond the control of fishery managers,” a report said.
    “It is indisputable that the crisis we now face is man-made,” Shelby wrote.  “If the oil continues to spill in the Gulf unabated, it will not only destroy the fisheries this year, but will adversely impact the Gulf’s ecosystem for decades.  Alabama’s fishing industry represents one of the largest economic engines in the state – accounting for more than $800 million in sales and nearly 18,000 jobs. We must proactively work to adequately deal with this situation.”
  • Sri Lanka. The death toll from flooding and lightning in Sri Lanka has risen to 15, as  fourth day of non-stop heavy rains continued to pound parts of the country.  At least 400,000 people have been displaced due to weather-related disasters, the officials were reported as saying.
  • Afghanistan. The U.S. death toll in Afghanistan has now passed 1,000 after a large bomb struck a NATO convoy, killing at lest 18, including five US troops, a report said.
  • Raipur, India. The death toll in Monday’s Naxal attack on a in the  Chhattisgarh has risen to 40, including  15 Special Police Officers, a report said.
• Day 140 [May 20, 2010]
  • Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill. As the Tail of Deepwater Horizon Oil Slick Dragon Enters Loop Current Moving Toward Atlantic Ocean, its Ugly Head Penetrates Louisiana Shore.  The astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station reported  seeing the oil spill while passing over the Gulf of Mexico. “It looks very scary,” Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kotov told reporters via a communication link.
  • Central Europe. Flash floods have inundated much of central Europe, including vast areas in of Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, over the past week. The death toll has now reached 11, with thousands more displaced, according to various reports.
  • India. Up to 50,000 people have been evacuated from the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh as Cyclone Laila approaches southern India.
    “Already the Andhra Pradesh coast is being battered by high tides and fierce winds. Even though the windfall is expected only in the evening, the waves and the winds have already caused extensive damage in coastal districts, where trees have been uprooted, cars smashed and roads damaged. Communication and power supplies have also been disrupted and air and train services have come to a halt,” a government official said.
    At least 13 people have already been killed in the past 36 hours  as a result of  torrential rains, according to various News Bulletins.
• Day 141 [May 21, 2010]
  • Black Sea port of Zonguldak, Turkey. The bodies of 28 miners who were buried in a Turkish coalmine have been found, officials said, adding they held little hope to find the remaining workers alive.  The state-owned mine near the Black Sea port of Zonguldak exploded on Monday, trapping at least 30 miners, reports said.
  • Afghanistan.The wreckage of a Pamir Airways passenger plane from the northern town of Kunduz to Kabul has been found. The plane went missing in bad weather on Monday. It’s believed all 48 people aboard including 3 Britons, an American and two other foreigners have been killed, a report said.
  • Global Temperatures. April 2010 and the period from January-April recorded the warmest combined global land and ocean surface temperature, NOAA said. “Additionally, last month’s average ocean surface temperature was the warmest on record for any April, and the global land surface temperature was the third warmest on record.” A report said. As of posting, global temperatures in some parts of world are about 30 to 45 days ahead of their seasonal norms, Fire-Earth Moderators have learned.
  • Gampaha, Sri Lanka. At least 26 people were killed today in Gampaha, Sri Lanka as a result of the floods triggered by heavy rains from TC Laila
  • India. The death toll from TC Laila in coastal Andhra Pradesh state reached 23, an official said Friday.  At least 55 fishermen were reported missing, reports said.
  • Karachi, Pakistan. “Five people were killed last night in target killings and nine others injured in different areas of the city. The death toll of target killings reaches at 35 while the tense situation and fear prevail in the city. The target killings started since Tuesday evening.” A report said.
  • Bangkok, Thailand. The death toll in Bangkok’s anti-corruption demonstrations climbed to 60 with at least 500 people injured (between May 14 and 21), most of them from bullet wounds fired by the military. On Wednesday alone the King’s troops killed at least 15 people and left more than 120 wounded, according to various reports.
• Day 142 [May 22, 2010]
  • Bay of Bengal, India and Sri Lanka. Tropical Cyclone Laila Kills 83 in India, Sri Lanka.   Cyclone Laila weakened into a depression on Friday and later became a low pressure area as it moved toward south Orissa, leaving in its wake a trail of death and destruction including at least 57 dead and 75,000 more people displaced, official sources said. In Sri Lanka, meanwhile, a week of heavy rains and flooding left at least 26 people  dead and more than half a million others displaced, officials at the Disaster Management Center reported on May May 21.
  • Mangalore, India. Indian Airliner Crashes Killing 158. The Boeing 737-800 plane, flight IX-812 from Dubai to Mangalore, apparently skidded off the runway in rain at Mangalore airport in India’s Karnataka state at about 05:30UTC, killing 158 of 166 people aboard, the Airline said, adding that all the passengers were Indian nationals.
  • Diyala province, Iraq. A car bomb exploded at an open market in Diyala province, north of Iraq, killing at least 23 people and wounding another 53, police was reported as saying.
• Day 143 [May 23, 2010]
  • East China. The death toll from a train derailment in east China rose to 19 with another 71 passengers injured, 11 of them seriously. The accident in Jiangxi Province occurred when the train , a landslide blocked the railroad, a report said.
  • Kenya. The death toll in Kenya rises to at least 100, with thousands of others displaced, a report said.
  • DRC. “A landslide that devastated a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed 19 people, while rescue workers are looking for 27 others still missing, the civil protection service said Friday.” AFP reported
    “To date, we have found 18 bodies, an injured person has died since the tragedy, and there are 27 people whose bodies are apparently buried in the mud,” said Joseph Makundi, civil protection coordinator for Nord-Kivu province.
    “Families left homeless by a landslide on the slopes of a volcano which left 54 people missing in the Democratic Republic of Congo will be relocated, the UN says,” according to another report. A UN spokesperson said about 250 homes had been destroyed.

• Day 144 [May 24, 2010]
  • Montana, USA. Asbestos’ death toll is climbing in Montana. Health workers say at least 400 people have died of asbestos-related illnesses in Libby, a report said.
  • India. The death toll from the latest heatwave reaches 36 in India Gujarat, and 14 in Ahmedabad, a report said.
• Day 145 [May 25, 2010]
  • Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, USA. The U.S. government has declared Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabamaa “fishery disaster” areas amid continued oil leak from the ruptured Deepwater Horizon wellhead, a report said. At least 326 sea birds, mostly brown pelicans and northern gannets, have been found dead along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida during the first five weeks of the oil leak, wildlife officials reported.
  • Oklahoma, USA. President B.O. has declared Oklahoma a major disaster area following storms and tornadoes that struck the state. More than 3 dozen tornadoes touched down statewide, killing two people and injuring at least 400. About 1,500 homes and businesses were damaged, including nearly 300 that were obliterated,  a report said
  • Poland. Germany prepares for floods as death toll reaches 15 in Poland.
  • South China. “Continuous strong rains with hail and gales had left 115 people dead and 21 missing in southern China as of Monday, latest figures from the Ministry of Civil Affairs show,” a report said.
• Day 146 [May 26, 2010]
  • India. The death toll from heatwave across India is approaching 300, according to various reports.  In one city, Ahmedabad, the death toll reached 47 on Wednesday, with at least 35 people hospitalized. See report.
  • USA. “The death toll stemming from Toyota Motor Corp.’s sudden acceleration problems is on the rise, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration released Tuesday.” A report said.
• Day 147 [May 27, 2010]
  • China.  The death toll in Foxconn Technology Group factory in ShenZhen, China rose to at least 10, according to reports. Foxconn is the maker of DELL and APPLE products.
• Day 148 [May 28, 2010]
  • Kingston, Jamaica. Corpses are piling up in the streets of Kingston, Jamaica, as police operation leaves at least 73 civilians.
  • India. The death toll from India’s train collision reached 80 with more than 150 people.
• Day 149 [May 29, 2010]
  • Lahore, Pakistan. Death toll reached 80 in gunmen attack on worshipers in a Lahore mosque on Friday, official sources said.
  • Hungary and Poland. Hungary joins Poland to ask EU member states for assistance in flood-stricken regions of the country. Flood related incidents have killed at least 18 people in Poland, with many thousands of people and livestock displaced in the two countries.
• Day 150 [May 30, 2010]
  • Central America. At least 86 people have been killed in Central America as the remnants of tropical storm Agatha dumped torrential rains across the region.  Up to 100,000 people are believed to have fled their homes, fearing mudslides.
• Day 151 [May 31, 2010]
  • India. Death toll now stands at 140 in India train wreck.
  • Central America. The death toll from storm Agatha reached at least 132, reports say.

Disaster Calendar 2010 is Copyright of Fire-Earth Blog Authors. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.