Japan Angry by Cartoon Linking Fukushima to Olympics

“Thanks to Fukushima, sumo is now an Olympic sport.”

The cartoon shows two sumo wrestlers, each with an extra leg or arm, and missing toes or fingers, facing off with the Fukushima plant in the background as an announcer says, “Thanks to Fukushima, sumo is now an Olympic sport.” It was carried by the French satirical Le Canard Enchaine.

The caption reads: “Thanks to Fukushima, sumo is now an Olympic sport”, a reference to Tokyo’s successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

“This cartoon hurts the feelings of those who suffered through the Great East Japan Earthquake,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, referring to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that wrecked the Fukushima nuclear plant, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

[Surely, “those who suffered through the Great East Japan Earthquake” must be much more hurt by the imbecile government’s woefully inadequate response to the ongoing disaster, than a cartoon depicting their plights. More than 2 years on, some 300,000 people remain displaced. Editor]

“It is inappropriate and gives a wrong impression of the Fukushima contaminated water issue. It is extremely regrettable.”

Suga said Japan would lodge the complaint through the French embassy in Tokyo and that the Foreign Ministry had been directed to “thoroughly explain the situation” to avoid similar incidents.

U.S. Drought Expands by 2 Percent

Lake Altus-Lugert drops to a historic low level of 12.6 percent of capacity: US Drought Monitor 

As of September 10, 2013  about 63.75 percent of land area in the contiguous U.S. was covered by D0-D4 drought conditions, up from 61.71 percent last week, while more than half of the country was in moderate drought condition or worse, with about a third experiencing severe, exceptional or extreme drought levels, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

US Drought Map as of September 10, released by US Drought Monitor on  September 12, 2013.

2013 Drought Disaster Areas

As of September 11, 2013 at least 1,338 counties and parishes, or 42.41% of all U.S. counties and county equivalents, were designated as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought.

[Note: The figure includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.]

Drought Summary — Selected Regions — September 10, 2013

[Source: Mirrored from U.S. Drought Monitor with some editing]

• The Northeast: Continuing dry conditions prompted the introduction of abnormal dryness (D0) across central Maryland, southwestern Connecticut, and Long Island, N.Y., this week. According to AHPS, these areas have significant precipitation deficits at 180-, 90-, 60-, 30-, and 14 days. Streams and rivers are also running low, especially in central Maryland.

• The Midwest: Most of the Midwest remained dry this past week… Positive temperature departures of 4-8 degrees F were common throughout the region, with +10 degree F anomalies over portions of Iowa and southern Minnesota … widespread 1-category downgrades were made to the drought depiction across northern and southwestern Missouri, southern, central and eastern Iowa, parts of northern Illinois, northeastern and central Indiana, and central and southern portions of both Minnesota and Wisconsin.

• The Lower Mississippi Valley: Lack of rain during the past 7-days, temperatures 2-6 degrees above normal, and stream flow values in the lowest quartile of their historical distributions prompted 1-category degradations to the depiction across northern and western Louisiana, central and southern Arkansas, and northern and central Mississippi.

• Central and Northern Great Plains: One-category downgrades were warranted across southeastern Nebraska … In Kansas, the area of abnormal dryness (D0) in the northeast was expanded, and D0 conditions were added to southeast parts of the state.

• Southern Great Plains: Continuing dryness over north-central and northeastern Texas warranted a number of 1-category degradations. Texas, as dry weather has followed a reasonably wet summer in the region. In Oklahoma, 1-category downgrades were made across a significant portion of the state, with remaining drought-free areas in central and eastern Oklahoma deteriorating to abnormal dryness (D0). In Jackson County (southwest part of state)… Lake Altus-Lugert dropped to a historic low level of 12.6 percent of capacity.

• The Northwest: … the short-term gains have not offset long-term precipitation deficits… no change… in this area.

• Hawaii: A 1-categorydowngrade was warranted for western and southeastern sides of the Big Island of Hawaii…
  • On the west side, it was reported that livestock and ornamental producers were having to haul water to sustain operations, which is very expensive and significantly reduces profits.
  • On the southeast side of the Island, there were reports of crop stress.

• Alaska: No changes were made in Alaska this week.

Related Links

• Corn Belt Drought Intensifies September 6, 2013
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Disasterous Rainy Season in West and Central Africa

2013 Rainy Season Overview West and Central Africa: UNOCHA

The rainy season in West and Central Africa occurs from June –
October. To date, rainfall across the region has varied both across countries and as compared to normal rainfall patterns in previous years.

Delays to the rainy season occurred in the Gulf of Guinea countries, particularly in western Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Togo and Benin with recently recorded rains occurring at below-average levels.

Insufficient and poorly-distributed rainfall has occurred since June, leading to increasing rainfall deficits across the Gulf of Guinea countries with these countries currently experiencing a 30-day rain deficit.

2013 Flood-Affected countries in West and Central Africa

Rainy Season Impact on Populations. High rainfall has resulted in damaging floods in Benin, Burkina Faso, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, and Senegal. These rains have resulted in damaging floods that have compromised the personal security of affected populations and rendered many homeless and/or with compromised livelihood options. Source: UNOCHA

Report Highlights

• 323,396 people have been affected by floods this rainy season so far.

• More than 40,000 people been displaced by floods, including 20,000 in Mali and at least 10,000 in Benin.

• Floods have destroyed or damaged more than 22,600 homes.

• At least 34,000 Hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed by floods.

• In Nigeria over 80,000 people have been affected by floods in the past two months, with the states of Abia, Zamfara, Bauchi and Kogi being the most affected out of 21 states impacted.

• Delays in onset of the rainy season likely to have impact on agricultural yields.

• 30-day rain deficits recorded in Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia, Togo, and Benin.

• Damaging floods have occurred in nine countries in the region, most recently in Benin, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal. Other affected countries include Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Guinea and Gambia.

Agricultural Disaster Declared for 78 Counties

Drought, Tornado, Frosts and Freezes Cause Agricultural Disasters in 78 Counties across 7 States

Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 16 counties in Texas and two parishes in Louisiana as agricultural  disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the ongoing drought.

• Texas: The disaster areas are Panola, Polk, Trinity, Walker, Angelina, Harrison, Madison, San Jacinto, Grimes, Houston, Montgomery, Shelby, Hardin, Liberty, Rusk and Tyler counties.

• Louisiana: Caddo and De Soto parishes.
  

At least 1,338 counties and parishes, or 42.41% of all U.S. counties and county equivalents, have been designated as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought so far in 2013.

[Note: The lists include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.]

U-S Drought Disaster Map – September 11, 2013

As of September 11, 2013, at least 1,338 counties and parishes, or 42.41% of all U.S. counties and county equivalents, were designated as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought so far in 2013.

Frosts and Freezes, April 1 – June 19, 2013

USDA has designated 44 counties in Michigan and one in Ohio as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frosts and freezes that occurred April 1 – June 19, 2013.

• Michigan: The disaster areas are Antrim, Huron, Livingston, Manistee, Chippewa, Ionia, Luce, Monroe, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, Mackinac, Van Buren, Alger, Crawford, Kent, St. Joseph, Allegan, Eaton, Lake, Sanilac, Barry, Genessee, Lenawee, Schoolcraft, Benzie, Gratiot, Mason, Shiawassee, Berrien, Ingham, Missaukee, Tuscola, Cass, Jackson, Montcalm, Washtenaw, Charlevoix, Kalamazoo, Oakland, Wayne, Clinton, Kalkaska, Otego and Wexford counties.

• Ohio: Lucas County.

Tornado

USDA has designated five counties in South Carolina as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a tornado that occurred on June 4, 2013.

• South Carolina: The disaster areas are Dorchester, Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton and Orangeburg counties.

Frosts and Freezes, April 9 – May 3, 2013

USDA has designated eight counties in Colorado and two in Utah as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frosts and freezes that occurred April 9 – May 3, 2013

• Colorado: The disaster areas are Delta, Mesa , Montrose, Garfield, Gunnison, Ouray, Pitkin and San Miguel counties.

• Utah: Grand and San Juan counties.

[Note: The the trigger point for a disaster declaration is a 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop, USDA said.]

Related Links

• Agricultural Disaster Declared for 138 counties in 14 States
• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index