Posted by feww on August 14, 2012
Disaster Calendar – 14 August 2012
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,310 Days Left
[August 14, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,310 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…
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UPDATE: Gov. Gregoire has declared a state of emergency for Kittitas and Yakima counties in response to Taylor Bridge Fire burning near Cle Elum, about 75 miles east of Seattle.
Wildfires burn scores of homes, hundreds of sq miles across Washington, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon …
A fast-moving wildfire has consumed up to 100 homes and left about 50 square miles of land charred in central Washington.
Taylor Bridge Fire has forced hundreds of residents to evacuate their homes and is currently threatening 300 additional homes. The blaze is one of many major fires raging across the West.
- Holloway Fire, a Mega Wildfire burning along the Nevada-Oregon state line, has grown to about 700 square miles, forcing many evacuations.
- In Idaho, where a fire crew was killed by a falling tree, at least a dozen blazes are raging.
- In Utah, a lightning-sparked fire has charred about 40 square miles.
- In California, at least a dozen blazes have been sparked by lightnings.
- Lake County fire has grown to 10 square miles, destroyed several homes, forcing authorities to issue evacuation orders for the residents of about 500 homes.
- A wildfire in Plumas National Forest has consumed about 60 square miles, threatening at least 600 homes, and prompting evacuation orders.
- Major wildfires are also raging in Lassen Volcanic National Park and Joshua Tree National Park.
- Smaller fires have been reported across New Mexico and Wyoming.
Heat and Drought Increasing Wildfire Activity in the West: NWS
“The Heat Wave and drought in the West have dried vegetation to the point where fires can rapidly spread out of control. A number of wildfires have been started this week in several states from the Desert Southwest to the Pacific Northwest. The main culprit is lightning strikes associated with thunderstorms that produce little rainfall.”
Red Flag Warnings
NWS has issued Red Flag Warnings for parts of about a dozen states in the West, Midwest, South and Southwest.
Excessive Heat Warnings
Excessive Heat Warnings have been issued for south-central Arizona, southwest Arizona and southeast California, where afternoon temperatures are forecast to reach 110 – 116 degrees, NWS said.
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought | Tagged: Arizona Heat Warning, California Heat Warning, Cle Elum, Excessive Heat Warning, Holloway Fire, Joshua Tree National Park, Kittitas County, Lake County, Lassen Volcanic National Park, Mega Wildfire, Plumas National Forest, Red Flag Warning, Taylor Bridge wildfire, Washington state of emergency, wildfire | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 14, 2012
Large fish kill off Galveston blamed on neurotoxic algal bloom
As many as a million dead Gulf menhaden that littered Galveston’s West End beaches on the weekend are believed to have been killed by an algal bloom known as Karenia brevis.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept (TPWD) said it had received reports of fish kills from Sea Rim State Park, Sargent Beach and Surfsidehas, and confirmed a bloom of Karenia brevis, also known as red tide, in Galveston Bay.
Karenia brevis. Photo: FFWCC
Current Status
August 13, 2012 – afternoon
TPWD began receiving reports of fish kills on Friday, August 10. The reports were from Quintana Beach to the mouth of the Colorado River and included mostly Gulf menhaden with a few mentions of gafftopsail and hardhead catfish. Additional fish kills were reported over the weekend at Surfside Beach and Galveston; samples were collected from the Surfside jetty and San Luis Pass to look for Karenia brevis. Dead flounder and stingrays have been reported at Kemah and Bacliff; biologists originally thought that low oxygen levels were to blame, but additional investigations will be conducted to determine if K. brevis is the cause. In addition, fishermen reported coughing and dead fish 4 miles offshore of Galveston.
Related Links
Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, Global Food Shortages | Tagged: Colorado river, Fish Holocaust, Galveston beaches, Gulf menhaden, Karenia brevis, Red Tide, Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept, TPWD | Leave a Comment »
Posted by feww on August 14, 2012
51 percent of the U.S. corn crop in very poor or poor condition
The amount of U.S. corn crops considered to be in very poor or poor conditions increased to 51 percent in the week ending August 12, 2012, a rise of one percent since previous week, according to the USDA Crop Progress released August 13, 2012.
- The amount of corn regarded as being in good or excellent condition remained unchanged at 23 percent. 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.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
Previous Corn Progress
Related Links
Posted in Global Disaster watch, global disasters, global disasters 2012, global drought | Tagged: Corn Condition, Corn Progress, crop progress, Crop Progress report, Fukushima butterflies, Fukushima Daiichi, fukushima Nuclear disaster, Map of US Counties with Drought, Pasture and Range, Pasture and Range condition, Popcorn, radioactive exposure, soybean, Soybean Condition, U.S. Corn crop, USDA, Zizeeria maha | Leave a Comment »
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