Mount Tongariro Erupts

Disaster Calendar – 7 August 2012

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,317 Days Left

[August 7, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,317 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

.

Selected Global Disasters/ Significant Events

New Zealand

Mega eruptions could follow in and around New Zealand Islands, as forecast

Mount Tongariro, located in the center of NZ’s North Island, spewed ash and debris more than 6,000 meters into the air at 23:50 on Monday local time.

The force of eruption sent a cloud of ash about 110 km southeast of the volcano, and catapulted volcanic rocks at least a kilometer away, reports said.

• NZ’s Civil Defense said the volcanic activity could pose a threat to  Waikato, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Manawatu, Wanganui, Bay of Plenty and Taranaki.
• Mount Tongariro last erupted in 1897.

see also:

• Worst Case Condition for New Zealand Islands

Large boulders landed on the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track. Photo: NZ Police.

Volcanic rocks ejected from Mount Tongariro damage Ketetahi Hut in Tongariro National Park. Photo: NZ police

USA

• Montana. Gov Schweitzer declared a state of emergency across half the state as strong winds fanned wildfires that have already scorched about 300,000 acres since last week.
  • “The spate of new fires in recent days has pushed Montana above 900 square miles burned so far in 2012. That’s well over the state’s 10-year average and more than three times the amount of land that burned last year,” said a report.

• Florida.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 23 counties in Florida as agricultural disaster areas due to the combined effects of Tropical Storm Debby, excessive rain and flooding that occurred June 1-29, 2012.
  • Georgia. Five counties in Georgia were also declared as disaster areas because they’re contiguous.

• California.  USDA has designated 13 counties in California as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by losses caused by hail, rain and cold temperatures that occurred April 11-13, 2012.
  • Primary disaster areas: Kings and Merced counties.
  • Contiguous disaster areas: Fresno, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Monterey, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Tulare and Tuolumne counties.

• South Carolina.  USDA has designated six counties in South Carolina as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frost, freezes, and a hailstorm that occurred April 5-13, 2012.
  • North Carolina.  Three counties in NC were also declared as disaster areas because they’re contiguous.

Philippines

• Manila.  Extreme rain events have submerged more than half of the Philippine capital, triggering a deadly landslide that killed at least a dozen people.
  • Most parts of the country were already saturated following Typhoon Saola, which left up to 60 people dead and forced more than quarter of a million people to flee their homes last week.
  • The authorities have reportedly evacuated hundreds of thousands of residents along the Marikina River banks, after excess water La Mesa dam spilled into the rivers flowing into Manila’s suburban Quezon City and several other areas.
  • Many others have climbed to rooftops waiting to be rescued.
  • “It’s like a water world,” the chief of  disaster response agency was reported as saying.
  • At least ten provincial areas and cities around Manila have declared states of calamity.
  • Price of basic commodities in areas under states of calamity have skyrocketed by up to 300 percent since last week, reports said.

Flooding in Marikina City, Metro Manila (Photo: Dave Llavanes)

Related Links

• Survivors of the NEXT NZ DISASTER won’t have a chance!
• Powerful Quake Strikes Christchurch, NZ

• New Round of Geo-Assualt at Kermadec Trench
• Strong Quake Strikes Off Coast of NI, NZ
• Mt Ruapehu Eruption Alert
• Mag 5.3 Earthquake Rattles North Island, NZ
• Magnitude 7 Earthquake Hits Kermadec Islands

• Magnitude 6.8 Quake strikes Kermadec Isls Region
• Powerful 7.8 M Quake Strikes New Zealand Region
• http://newzeelend.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/a-warning-to-new-zealand-visitors/

• FEWW Earthquake Links

More Corn Grilled on the Cob

Popcorn Progress – August 6, 2012

The amount of U.S. corn considered to be in very poor and poor conditions increased to 50 percent in the week ending August 5, 2012, a rise of two percent since previous week.

Corn Condition

The amount of corn considered to be in very poor to poor condition increased to 50 percent, a rise of 2 percent since last week, while the crop rated as as ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ fell to 23 percent, due to ongoing drought and lingering heat, according to the USDA Crop Progress released August 6, 2012.

• The amount of corn regarded as being in good or excellent condition fell to 23 percent for the week ending August 5, 2012, a further decline of 1 percent since previous week.  It was 60 percent last year.
• The USDA statistics are based on 18 States which planted 92% of the 2011 corn acreage:  Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wisconsin.

Map of US Counties with Drought Level D0 and Above as of July 26, 2012. USDA

Soybean Condition

The amount of soybeans considered to be in very poor to poor condition was 39 percent, an increase of 2 percent since last week.

• The amount of soybean regarded as being in good or excellent condition remained at 29 percent. It was 61 percent this time last year.
• The statistics are based on 18 States that planted 95% of the 2011 soybean acreage: Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina,
  North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Tennessee and Wisconsin.

Pasture and Range Condition

Pasture and Range Condition for the lower 48 States which are weighted based on pasture acreage and/or livestock inventories, further deteriorated by 2 percent.

• Very poor to poor pasture and range areas rose to 59 percent, from 57 percent last week. It was 38 percent this time last year.
• Total acreage in ‘good’ or ‘excellent’ condition fell to 16 percent.  It was 39 percent last year.

[Source: Crop Progress, USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Report released August 6, 2012.]

“If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.” Tom Vilsack

U.S. Drought Map – U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, shows a map of the drought.  Copyright The Iowa Soybean Association.

“I get on my knees everyday and I’m saying an extra prayer right now,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters after briefing with the Disaster President  Obama. “If I had a rain prayer or a rain dance I could do, I would do it.”

Previous reports

• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012

Related Links

• U.S. Disaster Impact Leaps 24 Folds Posted  August 1, 2012
• U.S. Disaster Areas Expand as Drought Deepens Posted August 1, 2012
• Extreme and Exceptional Drought Spread Across Midwest, South Posted August 2, 2012
• Wildfires Destroy Oklahoma Town Posted August 5, 2012

• Watching Events Unfold, Frame by Frame, Exactly as Forecast Posted July 20, 2012
• Deadly Heat Continues to Devour U.S. Crops Posted July 19, 2012

• Drought Continues to Plague Two-Thirds of Continental U.S. Posted July 17, 2012
• Largest Ever U.S. Disaster Continues Unfolding July 14, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012
• Drought and deluge