United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,228 Days Left 

[October 31, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,228 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Superstorm SANDY dumps enough snow to keep your heads buried

The progress of collapse would be swift, cruel and unceremonious [“abrupt, brutal and grisly.”]

Superstorm SANDY

• Hurricane-force winds of up to 145 km/h (90MPH) were recorded as SANDY slammed into NJ shore.
• “The devastation is unthinkable,” New Jersey Governor said after viewing photos of the New Jersey coast. “The idea … that you see homes [ripped from their foundation and tossed] in the middle of Route 35 southbound and northbound is just unfathomable,” he told reporters.
• SANDY knocked out electricity to more 8 million homes and businesses [figure released by the U.S. Department of Energy,] affecting an estimated 65 million people across 17 states.
• “New Jersey, New York in particular have been pounded by this storm. Connecticut has taken a big hit,” said the Disaster President. “This storm is not yet over.”
• The White House has declared the States of New Jersey and New York as major disaster areas, having issued states of emergency declaration for  New Hampshire, Virginia, Delaware, West Virginia, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey, District of Colombia, New York, Massachusetts and Maryland.
• Thousands of homes and businesses have been inundated, many destroyed by flooding, high winds aor other storm related disasters.
• A large fire, possibly caused by downed powerlines, destroyed 80 – 100 homes in Breezy Point, on the Rockaway barrier island, in NYC’s borough of Queens, reports said.
• Garrett County in Maryland has reported  20 inches of icy snow.
• The storm reached as far inland as the state of Ohio.
• The massive storm has forced cancellation of at least 16,000 flights to and from the affected region thus far.
• “To describe it as looking like pictures we’ve seen of the end of World War Two is not overstating it. The area was completely leveled. Chimneys and foundations were all that was left of many of these homes,” New York Mayor  said.
• Blizzard warnings were issued by NWS for West Virginia, western Maryland, eastern Tennessee, eastern Kentucky and western North Carolina after  Sandy converged with a cold weather system.
• Storm surge buried about three-quarters of Hoboken [pop: ~50,000], NJ under several feet of water.
• Atlantic City remained in an official state of emergency, as of posting, with a 6 p.m.-to-6 a.m. curfew in effect.
• Death toll from SANDY has reached about 120, including 70 in the Caribbean and 20 in NYC [Massachusetts, Maryland, Connecticut, New Jersey, New York state, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Toronto have reported up to 30 deaths due to the storm.]
• Pelting the region with hail, snow, and rain, SANDY “continued to whip southern Ontario with winds,” where a warning for gusts of up to 100 km/h remained in place, said a report.
• Meanwhile, the “Antichrist” and “Mammon” put campaigning on hold for a second day.

Related Links

• WARNING: The United States is now one major disaster away from the onset of large scale collapse! October 18, 2012
• Global Disasters Continue Intensifying October 30, 2012
• Nature Upgrading Her Forces into Quasi-exotic Weapons? October 29, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Could Become a Super Storm  October 27, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Causes Much Destruction in Cuba  October 26, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Global Disasters Continue Intensifying

FIRE-EARTH forecasts proving deadly accurate!

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,229 Days Left 

[October 30, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,229 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Storm surges inundate many towns as Superstorm SANDY slams into East Coast

• Massive storm Sandy crashes ashore in New Jersey
• Superstorm Sandy slams into N.J. coast

Related Links

• Nature Upgrading Her Forces into Quasi-exotic Weapons? October 29, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Could Become a Super Storm  October 27, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Causes Much Destruction in Cuba  October 26, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

PSR Map will be available soon!

Nature Upgrading Her Forces into Quasi-exotic Weapons?

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,230 Days Left 

[October 29, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,230 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

SANDY’s storm surge could be “life-threatening”: NHC

National Hurricane Center (NHC) has described the storm surge threat from Hurricane SANDY as “life-threatening,” ranking the surge and wave “destruction potential” for the hurricane alone, not including the combined force of the hybrid storm, which it could eventually become,  at 5.8 on a scale of 0 to 6.

• SANDY could be the largest storm ever to hit the United States, said NHC.
• The massive storm could affect tens of millions of people hundreds of miles along the Atlantic Coast.
• Some coastal parts of New York and New Jersey could experience surge and waves of up to 11 feet, judging by Hurricane SANDY’s size, said NHC.

• New York Mayor has ordered the evacuation of more than 375,000 people in low-lying areas.
• Some 50,000 people in Delaware and 30,000 in Atlantic City, N.J. have also been evacuated.
• At least 5,000 flights have been cancelled.
• Flooding caused by the storm surge is expected to be particularly severe because the storm’s arrival coincides with a full moon, which causes higher tides.
• Up to 284,000 residential properties valued at $88 billion could sustain damage from storm-surge flooding, according to risk analysts CoreLogic, Reuters reported.
• The massive storm has already claimed at least 66 lives in the Caribbean.
• The Disaster President has declared States of Emergency for New York and Massachusetts.
• States of emergency have also been declared by the governors in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Hurricane SANDY – IR Sat Image (NHC Enhancement).  SANDY was centered about 420 miles south of New York City, at 00:01UTC on Monday moving NE, parallel to the Atlantic coast, at about 15 mph.  Image source: CIMSS.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Myanmar

• “The UN has reported that over 22,000 people were displaced in a week of renewed sectarian fighting between Buddhists and Muslims living on Myanmar’s west coast. The total number of displaced since violence erupted in June is now around 100,000 [with at least 200 dead or injured, and more than 3,000 homes destroyed,]” said a report.

NW Pacific: TYPHOON SON-TINH

• “More than 80,000 people in south China’s Hainan Province have been relocated following the arrival of Typhoon Son-Tinh, which has brought gales and downpours to the region since Saturday,” said a report.
  

SW Pacific

• Good bye SOWPI.

Related Links

• Hurricane SANDY Could Become a Super Storm Posted October 27, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Causes Much Destruction in Cuba Posted October 26, 2012

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Magnitude 7.7 Quake Strikes Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada

Earthquake Measuring 7.7 Mw Strikes Queen Charlotte Islands Region generating a tsunami

FIRE-EARTH Forecast: Mega Quake measuring at least 8.8Mw could strike the region in the coming weeks with a probability of 0.75.

The powerful quake struck off Canada’s Pacific coast at a depth of about 16 km generating a tsunami, which forced  the authorities in Hawaii to order more than 100,000 people evacuate the shorelines.

• Dozens of aftershocks, including at least 10 shocks measuring ≥5.0Mw had occurred, as of posting.

• A Geophysicist at Tsunami Warning Center said the tsunami had caught scientists by surprise, Reuters reported.

• “We thought that the earthquake was on land and when we learned that it was deeper undersea and we gathered more information, we had no choice but to issue a warning,” he said.

Quake Details

Region: Queen Charlotte Islands
Time: 2012-10-28 03:04:09.7 UTC
Magnitude: 7.7 (Mw)
Epicenter: 52.59°N, 132.19°W
Depth: 16 km
Source: GEOFON

EQ Location Map. Source: GEOFON © Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

The Largest Earthquake in Canada

Canada’s largest earthquake (magnitude 8.1) since 1700, occurred on August 22, 1949 off the coast of BC. It occurred on the Queen Charlotte Fault (Canada’s equivalent of the San Andreas Fault) – the boundary between the Pacific and North American plates that runs underwater along the west coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands off the west coast of British Columbia. The shaking was so severe on the Queen Charlotte Islands that cows were knocked off their feet, and a geologist with the Geological Survey of Canada working on the north end of Graham Island could not stand up. Chimneys toppled, and an oil tank at Cumshewa Inlet collapsed. In Terrace, on the adjacent mainland, cars were bounced around, and standing on the street was described as “like being on the heaving deck of a ship at sea”. In Prince Rupert, windows were shattered and buildings swayed. —Natural resources of Canada

Related Links:

• Volcanoes
• Earthquakes [Main Index Page]
• FEWW Volcano Links

• California Earthquake Forecast – Update 3
• Alaska Earthquake Forecast: Update 3

• Powerful Quake Strikes Queen Charlotte Islands Region Posted November 18, 2009

Hurricane SANDY Could Become a Super Storm

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,232 Days Left 

[October 27, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,232 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

SANDY prompts States of Emergency Along Atlantic Coast: “Frankenstorm” threatens the East Coast after killing dozens in the Caribbean

Hurricane SANDY, dubbed the “Frankenstorm,” which caused numerous deaths and large-scale destruction in the Caribbean, especially Cuba, has prompted governors in states along the Atlantic coast to declare states of emergency, issuing warnings and planning mass evacuations.

• Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia have declared states of emergency ahead of the storm’s arrival.
• SANDY has claimed dozens of lives in the Caribbean.
• The massive storm is expected to merge with at least two other weather systems that are moving out of the Eastern U.S. and become a “hybrid” super storm.

Hurricane SANDY. IR Sat Image (NHC Enhancement). Source: CIMSS.

Click Image to enlarge. Click HERE to Animate Image. (Source: SSEC/Wisc-Uni)

CONTINUED…

Hurricane SANDY Causes Much Destruction in Cuba

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,233 Days Left 

[October 26, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,233 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

SANDY leaves at least two dozen people dead across the Caribbean

The deadly hurricane slammed into Cuba with 180kph winds, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

Santiago de Cuba, the country’s second largest city, took a direct hit from the Cat 3A hurricane, when the storm landed  early Thursday morning.

Hurricane SANDY

Hurricane SANDY Slamming into the Bahamas afetr leaving behind a deadly trail of destruction in Jamaica and Cuba. IR Sat Image (NHC Enhancement)  sourced from CIMSS.

• “Everything is destroyed in Santiago [located about 470 miles SE of Havana; population of >500,000.] People are going to have to work very hard to recover,” a resident of the city, told Reuters.
• The deadly hurricane has reportedly destroyed or damaged many of the city’s 300,000 homes.
• A local TV reporter has described Santiago de Cuba as “a city without trees” after so many were uprooted by SANDY.
• As of 3:00am EDT, SANDY had claimed at least two dozen lives across the Caribbean.
• The hurricane could land along the Mid-Atlantic coast next week.
• Hurricane warnings, storm warnings and watches are in effect along the entire east coast of Florida and Mid-Atlantic coast, as of posting ( Updated Friday @ 9:30UTC ).

SANDY Leaves Battered Bahamas

Hurricane SANDY leaving the Bahamas after battering the islands. IR Sat Image sourced from CIMSS.

Australia

Far western portion of the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has been declared a disaster area after bushfires scorched 25,000 hectares of land  in less than a week, a report said.

Myanmar

State of Emergency has been declared  by the Myanmar government after five days of deadly violence between the Buddhists majority and Rohingya people, which have left about 100 dead and thousands of homes burned.

• This week’s clashed are said to be the worst since violence flared up in June, which left at least 80 people dead and up to a 100,000 forced out of their homes, after an alleged rape.
• Myanmar’s estimated 800,000 Rohingya, who are officially stateless, are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world, according to the U.N.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

U.S. Counties Declared Disaster Areas

Dozens of counties across 13 states designated agricultural disaster areas

USDA has designated 151 additional counties (includes both primary and contiguous designations and some duplications) across 13 states as agricultural disaster areas. All but 9 of the designations were due to drought and excessive heat.

The states are Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont and Utah.

• USDA has now designated a total of 2,645 counties as agricultural disaster areas thus far in 2012 [includes 2,206  counties listed as primary and 439 as contiguous disaster areas.] The designations extend across the lower 48, Hawaii and D.C.

[NOTE: The disaster list represents 85 percent of all 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.]

DROUGHT DISASTER MAP. All Drought Disaster Incidents as of 10/24/2012- Map provided by USDA Farm Service Agency Production, Emergencies and Compliance Division.

• See also: List of Designated Drought Disaster Counties (PDF, 574KB)

Additional Drought Information

• Drought is expected to persist into winter across most of Rockies, Great Plains and Midwest.
• More than two-thirds of winter wheat is currently in drought
• Up to 55% of crops are in poor to very poor conditions

U.S. Drought Map, October 23, 2012. Released by US Drought Monitor on October 23, 2012.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Aditional U.S. Counties Declared Disaster Areas

West Nile Virus (WNV) – Update

219 deaths caused by WNV infections in the U.S. (YTD)

As of October 23, 2012,  five thousand two hundred and one [4,725 cases tabulated] human West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

• About 35% of the total cases were reported from Texas.

U.S. Update: West Nile virus (WNV) activity reported to ArboNET

Neuroinvasive disease cases comprise 51% of the reported total for the year with the remaining 49% recorded as nonneuroinvasive disease cases. Five hundred and sixty two WNV presumptive viremic blood donors (PVDs) have been reported at this time, CDC said.

Incidence by state map data description: West Nile virus neuroinvasive disease incidence maps reflect surveillance reports released by state and local health departments to CDC’s ArboNET system for public distribution. Map shows the incidence of human neuroinvasive disease (encephalitis, meningitis, and/or acute flaccid paralysis) by state for 2012 with shading ranging from .01 to 0.24, 0.25 to 0.49, 0.50 to 0.99, and greater than 1.0 per 100,000 population.

Related Links

• WNV Infections Continue Rising Posted October 22, 2012
• Rising Threat of Fungal Infections: Exserohilum Rostratum Posted October 11, 2012

• West Nile Virus Activity Intensifying Posted October 1, 2012

• United States: West Nile Virus (WNV) – [UPDATED Sept 20, 2012]
• WNV Cases Climb 71%, Deaths Up 89% Posted September 6, 2012
• U.S. Facing Worst Ever WNV Outbreak  Posted August 25, 2012

Fire Leaves Hundreds Homeless in Quezon City, Philippines

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,235 Days Left 

[October 24, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,235 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Massive fire destroys slum area in Quezon City, Philippines

A major fire has razed a slum area in  Sangandaan village, Quezon City leaving hundreds of residents homeless,  according to the Philippines Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), 

A major blaze in Quezon City, Philippines destroyed many homes leaving hundreds of residents homeless (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali). Image may be subject to copyright. More images …

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Italy Scientists Convicted Over Quake Warning Failure

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,236 Days Left 

[October 23, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,236 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Italy quake scientists guilty of manslaughter

Six scientists and a government official were convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 6 years in prison by an Italian court for failing to give adequate warning of the 2009 deadly earthquake in L’Aquila that killed at least 309 people,  left more than a thousand injured  and destroyed tens of thousands of homes and other buildings.

• The prosecutors successfully argued that the experts had had provided “incomplete, imprecise and contradictory” statements, despite the warning signs, “playing down the threat of a repeat of the earthquakes which wrecked the town in 1349, 1461 and 1703, saying the smaller shocks were a ‘normal geological phenomenon,'” said a report.

• The prosecution had accused the seven, all members of a body called the National Commission for the Forecast and Prevention of Major Risks, “of negligence and malpractice in evaluating the danger and keeping the central city informed of the risks,” the report said.

• The Commission had met on March 31, 2009, a few days before the M6.3 earthquake struck, but failed to provide adequate information on the dangers despite clusters of low-level tremors that occurred the region in the months preceding the deadly quake.

• In addition to their sentences, the Commission members have been barred from ever holding public office again, La Repubblica reported.

• It remains to be seen whether the justice systems in the U.S., Japan and New Zealand, among other countries, would bring similar action against their scientists and officials for failing to warn the public about the deadly earthquakes and tsunami that have occurred in those countries.

• Any expert who asserts earthquakes were “inherently unpredictable” should not be allowed to hold office, or teach science. [All of the above, of course, is academic now.]

Related Links

• The Ghost of L’Aquila Quake Posted on April 22, 2009
• Magnitude 6.3 quake strikes Italy Posted on April 6, 2009
• Italy Quake Update Posted on April 8, 2009

• Images of the deadly quake near Rome
• Magnitude 6.3 quake strikes Italy
• Earthquakes
• More photos

• Row over Italian quake ‘forecast’

• NZ scientists: Intellectual rigor mortis set? Posted on March 18, 2011

WNV Infections Continue Rising

More than 5,000 WNV infections reported to CDC

WNV infections in the U.S. have caused at least 183 deaths thus far in 2012.

At least five thousand one hundred and twenty-two [number of cases to be confirmed] West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from 48 states as of posting. The cases are from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

• About 70 percent of the cases have been reported from 8 states (Texas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, South Dakota, Michigan, and Oklahoma).
• More than a third of all cases have been reported from Texas.
• More than 51% of the cases are classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis).

Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak:

• 23 dead
• 285 infected
• Infections reported across 16 states

NOTE: 282 cases of fungal meningitis, stroke due to presumed fungal meningitis, or other central nervous system-related infection meeting the outbreak case definition, plus 3 peripheral joint infections (e.g., knee, hip, shoulder, elbow). No deaths have been associated with peripheral joint infections, CDC reported.

Spain Earthquake

Large scale groundwater extraction caused a 2011 earthquake in Spain which left at least nine people dead, more than 100 injured and thousands homeless,  researchers said.

• A 5.1 magnitude  earthquake near the city of Lorca in southeastern Spain occurred at a shallow depth 3 km, causing extensive damage.
• Researchers found the water table in the Alto Guadalentin Basin had dropped by 250 meters since 1960 due to groundwater extraction.
• “Modeling results are consistent with a groundwater crustal unloading process, providing a reasonable explanation for the observed fault slip pattern.” They said.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Hundreds Evacuated as Floods Hit Lourdes, France

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,238 Days Left 

[October 21, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,238 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Flooding forces hundreds of pilgrims to evacuate Lourdes shrine in France 

Hundreds of pilgrims have been evacuated from Lourdes Roman Catholic shrine in France after heavy flooding swamped the area.

About 500 pilgrims, including the sick and disabled, were evacuated from the shrine, nearby campgrounds and parts of the southern city of Lourdes after the Gave de Pau river burst its banks following days of torrential rain, local officials said.

• Lourdes became famous after a local girl claimed she had a vision of the Virgin Mary more than 150 years ago.
• Millions of pilgrims visit the shrine each year, especially the sick and disabled.
• The shrine’s success rate in curing the sick must be a closely guarded secret!

ITALY

The Italian Supreme Court has ruled ‘mobile phone use can cause brain tumors,’ reports said.

FRANCE

Twitter’s censorship policy has been extended to block ‘offensive’ accounts in the U.S., U.K. and Germany, as well as removing anti-Jewish messages and photos in France, said a report.

United Kingdom

At least 130,000 people marched though central London to protest the government’s austerity measures, reports said.

• Similar protests were held in Belfast and Glasgow.
• “There were few reports of trouble although disabled protesters blocked Park Lane and supporters of UK Uncut threatened to take over Starbucks coffee shops,” said a report.
• Youth unemployment in the UK now exceeds one million.

ICELAND

Significant seismic activity has been reported north of Iceland. Some 350 earthquakes, which appeared to be volcanic tremors, have occurred north of Iceland since Friday October 19 [started 19:00 local time] according to Iceland Met Office (IMO).

• Two of the largest quakes struck at a depth of about 10km, measuring 4.9 and 5.2 respectively,  GEOFON Extended Virtual Network (GEVN) reported.
• The quakes occurred about 40km east of the  Tjornes Fracture Zone and 30km SW of Grímsey.
• At least 46 of the quakes measured M3.0 or larger, IMO reported.

Source: Iceland Met Office. © Veðurstofa Íslands

Related Links

• Iceland’s Bárdarbunga May Be Erupting
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption – UPDATE 21 April
• Eyjafjallajökull Eruption Links Page
• The Next Icelandic Volcano Likely to Erupt Posted April 22, 2010

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever Breaks Out in SW Uganda

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,239 Days Left 

[October 20, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,239 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Outbreak of Deadly Marburg Disease in SW Uganda Kills 5, Leaves 6 Hospitalized

An outbreak of deadly Marburg disease has left at least 5 people dead and 6 others hospitalized in SW Uganda, reports said.

The latest death occurred in Bukora Kitumba in Kabale district, said a report.

The following information is provided by CDC:

Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever

Marburg hemorrhagic fever (Marburg HF) is a rare, severe type of hemorrhagic fever which affects both humans and non-human primates. Caused by a genetically unique zoonotic (that is, animal-borne) RNA virus of the filovirus family, its recognition led to the creation of this virus family. The five subtypes of Ebola virus are the only other known members of the filovirus family.

Marburg virus virion. A colorized negative stained transmission electron micrograph (TEM), captured by F.A. Murphy in 1968, depicts a Marburg virus virion, which had been grown in an environment of tissue culture cells. Marburg hemorrhagic fever is a rare, severe type of hemorrhagic fever which affects both humans and non-human primates. Caused by a genetically unique zoonotic (that is, animal-borne) RNA virus of the filovirus family, its recognition led to the creation of this virus family. The four species of Ebola virus are the only other known members of the filovirus family. See PHIL 7219 for a black and white version of this image.

After an incubation period of 5-10 days, the onset of the disease is sudden and is marked by fever, chills, headache, and myalgia. Around the fifth day after the onset of symptoms, a maculopapular rash, most prominent on the trunk (chest, back, stomach), may occur. Nausea, vomiting, chest pain, a sore throat, abdominal pain, and diarrhea then may appear. Symptoms become increasingly severe and may include jaundice, inflammation of the pancreas, severe weight loss, delirium, shock, liver failure, and multi-organ dysfunction. Because many of the signs and symptoms of Marburg hemorrhagic fever are similar to those of other infectious diseases, such as malaria or typhoid fever, diagnosis of the disease can be difficult, especially if only a single case is involved. [CDC/ Frederick Murphy.]

Marburg virus was first recognized in 1967, when outbreaks of hemorrhagic fever occurred simultaneously in laboratories in Marburg and Frankfurt, Germany and in Belgrade, Yugoslavia (now Serbia). A total of 31 people became ill; they included laboratory workers as well as several medical personnel and family members who had cared for them. There were 7 deaths among the reported cases. The first people infected had been exposed to African green monkeys or their tissues. In Marburg, the monkeys had been imported for research and to prepare polio vaccine. In addition to the 31 cases, an additional primary case was retrospectively serologically diagnosed.

Other Details of MHF

• The case-fatality rate for Marburg hemorrhagic fever is between 23-90%, CDC reported.
• An outbreak of Marburg in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2000 claimed at least 128 lives (83% fatality rate).
• Another outbreak in Angola killed at least 227 prople in 2005 (90% fatality rate).

Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers (VHFs)

Viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) are a group of diseases caused by ribonucleic acid (RNA) viruses from four distinct families. These diseases include Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever, Marburg Hemorrhagic Fever, Lassa fever, Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, and Yellow Fever. Symptoms vary with the disease, but often include fever, fatigue, and muscle aches. There may be bleeding, although death from blood loss is rare. Severe cases can include shock and coma. Although some types of VHFs are relatively mild illnesses, many of them can cause severe, life-threatening disease with high fatality rates.

Along with smallpox, anthrax, plague, botulism, and tularemia, hemorrhagic fever viruses are among the six agents identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the most likely to be used as biological weapons. Many VHFs can cause severe, life-threatening disease with high fatality rates. Source: U.S. Gov.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

U.S. Drought Update

U.S. drought retreats fractionally, expected to persist through winter

Abnormally Dry to Exceptional Drought conditions (D0 to D4 drought levels on the U.S. Drought Monitor scale) now cover 74.98 percent of Continental United States, down from 76.72 percent last week, due to multiple storm system moving across the country.

U.S. Drought Map

U.S. Drought Map, October 16, 2012. Released by US Drought Monitor on October 18, 2012.

“The large majority” of the drought is expected to persist, however, and spread westward, said deputy director of NOAA.

“We even see drought expanding westward … into Montana, Idaho and part of Oregon and Washington.” He said.

Forecasters at NOAA also predict a dryer-than-usual and warmer winter.

“The main issues facing the U.S. going into this (winter) outlook period stem from persistent heat and drought,” chief of climate monitoring at NCDC told Reuters. “It is likely that 2012 will be the warmest of the 118-year record for the contiguous United States.”

2012 Drought Disaster Update

USDA has designated 2,673 counties as agricultural disaster areas. The designations, which extend across 47 states and D.C., include 2,234 counties listed as primary and 439 as contiguous disaster areas, as of October 17, 2012.

Total All Crop Approved Designations Disaster Incidents as of 10/17/2012- USDA Farm Service Agency Production, Emergencies and Compliance Division.   NOTE: The above map does NOT appear to have been fully updated.

CONTINUED…

U.S. Crop Disaster Losses Spreads to 2,673 Counties

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,241 Days Left 

[October 18, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,241 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

WARNING: The United States is now one major disaster away from the onset of large scale collapse!

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

U.S. Drought Disaster Plagues 2,673 Counties across 47 States and DC

USDA has designated 2,673 counties as agricultural disaster areas. The designations, which extend across 47 states and D.C., include 2,234 counties listed as primary and 439 as contiguous disaster areas, as of October 17, 2012. 

[NOTE: The disaster list represents 85 percent of all 3,143 counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.]

List of of the states included in the USDA disaster designations:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming and District of Columbia.

Total All Crop Approved Designations Disaster Incidents as of 10/17/2012- USDA Farm Service Agency Production, Emergencies and Compliance Division. NOTE: The above map does NOT appear to have been updated.

• See also: List of Designated Drought Disaster Counties (PDF, 574KB)

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Million Plus Displaced by Floods in Nigeria

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,242 Days Left 

[October 17, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,242 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

NOTE: Countdown was revised on October 16, 2012

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Flooding in north-central Nigeria displaces at least a million people, killing 300, destroying homes and public infrastructure

Flooding has ravaged vast areas in 6 states of north-central Nigeria, displacing more than a million people, killing at least 300 people and tens of thousands of livestock, destroying farmlands and hundreds of thousands of homes, roads and bridges.

• “The worst hit was Kogi State, closely followed by Benue State. The two states had the worst cases because of their positioning along the River Niger and River Benue. In fact, in the case of Kogi, many people have even fled to parts of Anambra State located in the southeast region, but we have followed them and established camps there also,” according to the National Emergency Management Agency.
• “Many people are still missing and we still receive distress calls from communities in danger of being submerged.”
• “Describing the flood as colossal, the NEMA official mentioned Plateau, Nasarawa, Kwara, and Niger as other north-central states badly hit by the flood,”  said a report.
  

Mali

The humanitarian crisis in the north of Mali continues deteriorating, as people struggle with the effects of armed conflict and severe flooding, which  has destroyed crops and sent food prices soaring, said ICRC.

• “Basic foodstuffs have become difficult for most people to obtain in the Timbuktu, Kidal, Mopti and Gao areas because of the high cost,” said the head of the ICRC regional delegation for Mali and Niger.
• About 420,000 people in Timbuktu, Gao, Kidal and Mopti areas have been severely affected.

U.S. Weather Hazards

US Weather Hazards map., 17-10-2012. Source: NWS

CONTINUED …

Global temperature tied with 2005 as record highest for September

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,243 Days* Left 

[October 16, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,243 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

*Countdown has been revised

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Global temperature for September 2012 tied with 2005 as the warmest on  record: NOAA

“The globally-averaged temperature for September 2012 tied with 2005 as the warmest September since record keeping began in 1880.” NOAA reported.

• Combined average temperature over land and ocean surfaces for September was 60.21°F (15.67°C) or 1.21°F (0.67°C) above the 20^th century average.
• September 2012 was also the 36^th consecutive September and 331^st consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20^th century average.
• 2012 January-September period was the warmest first nine months of any year on record for the contiguous United States, with the national temperature of 59.8°F, which  was 3.8°F above the 20^th century average.
• “The October 2011-September 2012 period was the warmest such 12-month period on record for the contiguous U.S., with an average temperature of 56.2°F, 3.2°F above average. This 12-month temperature average tied the June 2011-May 2012 period as the 3^rd warmest of any 12-month period. The six warmest 12-month periods have all ended during 2012.” NOAA said.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Flooding Displaces 1.8 Million Children in India

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,248 Days Left

[October 15, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,248 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Three waves of flooding displace 5 million Indians

Severe flooding in June, July and September have displaced about 5 million people in India‘s north state of Assam this year including at least 1.8 million children, said Save the Children.

• “Children are neither able to escape if there is a flood, an earthquake or a tsunami, nor are they able to deal with the hardships caused by displacement, lack of food and clean water. The disruption of schooling and their normal activity can lead to deep stress which affects their cognitive development progressively,” said Save the Children.

Nigeria

• Schistosomiasis [aka, bilharzia, bilharziosis, blood-flukes or snail fever] has infected at least 15,000 people in NE Nigeria’s Gombe State.
  
  • Bilharzia is considered to be the second most devastating parasitic disease.
  • “The parasites that cause schistosomiasis live in certain types of freshwater snails. The infectious form of the parasite, known as  cercariae, emerge from the snail, hence contaminating water. You can become infected when your skin comes in contact with contaminated freshwater. Most human infections are caused by Schistosoma mansoni, S. haematobium, or S. japonicum.” CDC said.

Signs and symptoms of schistosomiasis

Within days after becoming infected, you may develop a rash or itchy skin. Fever, chills, cough, and muscle aches can begin within 1-2 months of infection. Most people have no symptoms at this early phase of infection.

Eggs travel to the intestine, liver or bladder, causing inflammation or scarring. Children who are repeatedly infected can develop anemia, malnutrition, and learning difficulties. After years of infection, the parasite can also damage the liver, intestine, lungs, and bladder. Rarely, eggs are found in the brain or spinal cord and can cause seizures, paralysis, or spinal cord inflammation.

Symptoms of schistosomiasis are caused by the body’s reaction to the eggs produced by worms, not by the worms themselves. [CDC]

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

US, UK Munitions ‘Cause Birth Defects’ in Iraq

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,249 Days Left

[October 14, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,249 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Iraq: What a wonderful world, indeed!

Number of birth defects in Iraq’s Al Basrah Maternity Hospital rose from 1.37 per 1,000 live births between October 1994 and October 1995 to an astonishing 23 per 1,000 live births in 2003, a 17-fold increase in one decade, according to researchers who published their findings in a report titled Metal Contamination and the Epidemic of Congenital Birth Defects in Iraqi Cities.

In Fallujah, more than 50 percent of all babies surveyed between 2007 and 2010 were born with birth defects. Before the war, the figure was about 10 percent. Further, more than 45 percent of all pregnancies surveyed between 2005 and 2006 resulted in miscarriage, compared to only 10 percent before the invasion.

Photos of some birth defects reported from Fallujah General Hospital between May and August 2010. a Gastroschisis, b Hydrocephalus, c Encephalocele, d Macrocephaly, e Spina Bifida; f Cleft lip and palate. Source and copyright:Savabieasfahani et al., 2012, Metal Contamination and the Epidemic of Congenital Birth Defects in Iraqi Cities.

The number of babies born with birth defects n the region increased by more than 60 percent (37 out of every 1,000 are now born with defects) since 2005. This rise is consistent with increased exposure to metals released by the bombs and bullets used during the Iraqi occupation, according to the report.

Populations caught in war-zones or forced to live with severe nutritional restrictions (such as those imposed on the Iraqi population by U.N. sanctions from 1991 to 2003) suffer immediate and chronic stress that leads to long-lasting physical and mental damage. In addition to the harsh effects of sanctions, many Iraqi cities have experienced large-scale bombardment. An accurate tally of the types and volume of ammunition dropped on the Iraqi population is not available. However, reports have indicated that large numbers of bullets have been expended into the Iraqi environment (Buncombe 2011). Thus the environmental contamination of Iraqi cities with materials contained in bullets and bombs may be expected. Toxic metals such as mercury (Hg) and Pb are an integral part of war ammunition and are extensively used in the making of bullets and bombs (Departments of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, Joint Technical Bulletin 1998; US Department of the Army Technical Manual 1990).

“Fallujah, around 40 miles west of Baghdad, was at the epicenter of these various health risks. The city was first invaded by US Marines in the spring of 2004, and then again 7 months later. Some of the heaviest artillery in the US arsenal was deployed during the attack, including phosphorus shells,” said a report.

See also:

• Alleged use of uranium-enhanced weapons by US-led forces might have caused birth defects and cancer increases.

• Chernobyl legacy to linger long after most humans have gone

Living in Depleted Uranium Dust

Depleted Uranium Babies

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Major Disasters in China Affect 855 Million People

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,250 Days Left

[October 13, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,250 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Multiple droughts, deadly earthquakes and floods in China

“Natural disasters” have affected hundreds of millions of people in China over the last decade, with about 855 million of the victims receiving assistance from the government, according to official data.

• “Multiple droughts, and floods have hit several parts of China over the last decade, including severe earthquakes that struck Sichuan and Qinghai provinces in 2008 and 2010, respectively,”said a report.
  

Pakistan Flooding: “Humanitarian Crisis”

“Flash floods and hill torrents triggered by heavy monsoon rains that fell across Pakistan in early September have caused widespread loss of life, livelihoods and infrastructure across the country.  Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh provinces have been hardest hit. Many of the affected districts, particularly in Balochistan and Sindh, were already struggling to recover from the floods of 2010 and 2011.” U.N. reported.

• Flooding and landslides have affected at least 5 million people, leaving about 4,000 people dead or injured, hundreds of thousands of villagers displaced more than half million homes destroyed or damaged.
• “Infrastructure, roads, crops, houses and educational institutes have been severely affected in seven districts of Sindh, two districts of Punjab and four districts of Balochistan.” U.N. said.
• About 4,000km²of land is still submerged under floodwaters.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Drought Disaster Spreads to 2,423 U.S. Counties

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,251 Days Left

[October 12, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,251 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

U.S. Drought Continues Worsening

U.S. areas covered by various drought levels increased by about 1 percent since last week. D0 to D4 drought levels now cover 76.72 percent of Contiguous United States. 

U.S. Drought Map, October 9, 2012. Released by US Drought Monitor on October 11, 2012.

2012 Drought Disaster Update

USDA has declared 2,423 counties across the country as [primary and contiguous] agricultural disaster areas so far this year.

U.S. Drought Disaster Designation Map as of October 10, 2012.

See also: List of Designated Drought Disaster Counties

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Rising Threat of Fungal Infections: Exserohilum Rostratum

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,252 Days Left

[October 11, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,252 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Exserohilum Rostratum

Several of the meningitis patients who received epidural steroid injections (medication injected into the spine), have had strokes related to the infection, according to CDC. The meningitis was found to be caused by fungi that are common in the environment but rarely cause infection.

Exserohilum is a common mold found in soil and on plants, especially grasses. Exserohilum can cause keratitis (eye inflammation), subcutaneous phaeohyphomycosis, endocarditis (inflammation of the lining of the heart), osteomyelitis (bone infection), and sinusitis. (Source: CDC)

Fungal Meningitis Outbreak in the U.S.

• Case Count: 137  [October 10, 2012 5:45:00 PM EDT]
• States: 10
• Deaths: 12

West Nile Virus Infections

“Four thousand seven hundred and thirteen [4,713] human West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET [4,249 cases cited elsewhere on the CDC website] from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.” CDC reported.

• 168 deaths reported
• Cases reported from 47 states and District of Columbia
• More than 70 percent of the cases have been reported in 8 states: Texas, Mississippi, Michigan, South Dakota, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Illinois and California.
• Texas reported about 40 percent of all cases.
• The Dallas-Fort Worth area has reported 33 deaths, the highest number in the country.
• “The Dallas Morning News reported Wednesday that health officials in Tarrant County, home to Fort Worth, may have vastly underreported cases of the serious neuroinvasive form of West Nile,” a report said.

WNV activity reported from 47 states and DC

West Nile virus (WNV) activity reported to ArboNET, by state, United States, 2012 (as of October 9, 2012). 

U.S. Agri Disaster Areas

USAD has designated 64 counties across six states as agricultural disaster areas. The disaster list also includes independent city of Charlottesville in Virginia and Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Montana.

• In Montana and surrounding states—Idaho and the Dakotas—losses have been caused by “the combined effects of early spring frosts and freezes, drought, excessive heat, high winds, wildfires, insects, hail, lightning and tornadoes that began Jan. 1, 2012, and continues.”

• North Carolina counties were designated as disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain and flooding that occurred May 14-16, 2012.

• In Virginia disaster areas were declared due to losses caused by excessive rain, hail, high winds and lightning associated with a derecho.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Outbreak of Naegleria Fowleri in Pakistan

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,253 Days Left

[October 10, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,253 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

‘Brain-eating’ amoeba outbreak claims 10 lives in Pakistan

The deadly outbreak has claimed at least 10 lives, including two children, with the latest three deaths occurring last week.

• “The three people who died in September had not been to a swimming pool. It is a serious cause for concern that people are contracting the infection by using tap water,” Pakistan’s Health Minister told reporters.
• N. fowleri has an estimated  fatality rate of 98%.
• N. fowleri deaths have previously been reported in Czechoslovakia, Pakistan, United Kingdom, and the U.S. (Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Virginia).

Trophozoite of Naegleria fowleri in CSF, stained with H&E.  Source: CDC

Trophozoite of Naegleria fowleri in CSF, stained with trichrome. Image courtesy of the Texas State Health Department via CDC.

USA:  Meningitis outbreak linked to epidural steroid injections

• Case Count: 119 [as of October 10, 2012 @ 8:45 AM EDT]
• States: 10 (1 case reported in NJ)
• Deaths: 11

Russia: Severe flooding prompted the officials in Russia’s North Caucasus Republic of Dagestan to declare a state of emergency.

• Mudflows caused by extreme rain events have claimed at least 7 lives and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in the southern Russian city of Derbent, said a report.
• At least 1,100 people including 280 children have been displaced.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Severe Flooding Displaces 600,000 in Nigeria

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,254 Days Left

[October 9, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,254 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Hundreds of communities inundated following mega-flooding in Nigeria’s Kogi State

At least a dozen people are dead or missing and there is rising concern about outbreaks of waterborne diseases. 

• Widespread flooding triggered by extreme rain events have severely affected at least 18 of the country’s 38 states in recent weeks, destroying public infrastructure and impacting health, education and agriculture, reports said.
  

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Deadly Gas Leak: SK City Declared ‘Special Disaster Zone’

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,255 Days Left

[October 8, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,255 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Deadly gas leak sickens thousands, destroys crops in Gumi, S. Korea

The government of South Korea has designated a large area affected by a deadly gas leak in the southeastern city of Gumi as a special disaster zone amid mounting casualties and damage from the incident.

• “On Sept. 27, some eight tons of hydrofluoric acid, an acute poison that can damage lungs and bones and affect the nervous system, leaked from chemical maker Hube Globe in Gumi, some 200 kilometers southeast of Seoul, killing five workers and injuring 18 others,” said a report.

• At least 3,000 residents of Gumi and hundreds of nearby villagers have since been sickened by the poisonous gas, prompting mass evacuations and the disaster declaration.

• “Crops and fruit on more than 212 hectares of farmlands and orchards have withered, and some 3,200 livestock animals have been drooling heavily or showing symptoms similar to a cold,” according to the report.

A large area in and around the S. Korean city of Gumi has been declared Special Disaster Zone by the authorities after a major chemical leak killed at least 5 people and sickened thousands of others. Photo: Yonhap News Agency. Image may be subject to copyright. More images …

Highly toxic hydrofluoric acid destroys crops and fruit orchards near Gumi, in S. Korea’s North Gyeongsang Province, dubbed the Korean Silicon Valley. Image from twitter user @foreverphoenix7 via RT.com

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!