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If Homo sapiens sapiens couldn’t get their act together in 200,000 years…

SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 911 Days Left

FIRE-EARTH Climate Models show climate change forcings and feedbacks switching global weather patterns onto “primordial tracks.”

FIRE-EARTH Population Models show mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

Critical Planetary Overload

• Earth is fighting to stay alive! A dead planet cannot support life
• Critical Overload Threatens Planetary Life Support Systems
• RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

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

Collapse in Progress

• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Colorado Floods Worsen

“biblical rainfall amounts” trigger historic  flooding along Colorado’s Front Range mountain

Flash Flood Warnings remained in effect for much of eastern and northern Colorado including the entire Denver/Boulder metropolitan area, with a population of more than 3 million.

The National Weather Service issued an urgent bulletin at 9:41am on Thursday that expressed the scale of the threat: “Major flooding/flash flooding event underway at this time with biblical rainfall amounts reported in many areas in/near the foothills.”

Boulder was pounded with more than 7 inches of rain in 24 hours, which shattered the town’s 95-year rainfall record.

“This is not an ordinary day. It is not an ordinary disaster,” said Boulder County Sheriff.

• Cascading floodwaters from Boulder Canyon above the city forced the evacuation of more than 8,000 Boulder residences.

• The enclave of Jamestown north of Boulder was completely evacuated.

• Entire town of Eldorado Springs in south Boulder County were ordered to evacuate due to the threats of rising waters and mudslide.

Coal Creek Canyon. Photo credit: Jefferson County Sheriff. More images…

Near the town of Lyons, St. Vrain River jumped its banks, and a dam failed near Pinewood Springs, isolating the town, said a report.

In Longmont (population: ~ 88,000) about 14 miles northeast of Boulder, St. Vrain Creek again overflowed its banks, inundating the main roads and dividing the city.

• At least  7,000 residences in Longmont were under mandatory evacuation orders.

The University of Colorado campus in Boulder was one of  the hardest hit areas. More than 500 hundred students and staff members were ordered evacuated, as devastating floodwaters damaged a quarter of the campus buildings, officials said.

Colorado Governor Hickenlooper declared a disaster for the flooded areas.

“We have declared a disaster for the flooded areas and are requesting emergency declaration from FEMA for search and rescue and emergency protection and other support,” said Hickenlooper. “We want to get something in front of President Obama as rapidly as possible.”

“The State Emergency Center has been activated to a Level 3 category of alert or action 24/7. So they will be providing direct resources across the state to the counties affected by the flooding.”

The White House signed a federal emergency declaration Thursday night.

Mudslides and rockslides have blocked parts of U.S. 6, Boulder Canyon, Colorado 14 and U.S. 287, said the Denver Post. Lefthand Canyon was reportedly blocked by multiple slides.

The disaster has claimed at least three lives, but authorities expect the toll to rise.

Related Links

• Deadly Flooding Forces Thousands of Evacuations in Colorado

Peru Declares State of Emergency as Ubinas Erupts Again

Volcanic ash from Ubinas sickening nearby residents

Ubinas Volcano’s 10th eruption since September 1, 2013 prompted the authorities to declare a 60-day state of emergency in various districts of the Moquegua and Arequipa departments, which are affected by volcanic emissions, especially silica ash, and near constant explosions.

The latest eruption sent a plume of ash and smoke to a height of about 2,500 meters above the crater summit, said the Geophysical Institute of Peru.

Ubinas Volcano. Photo credit: El Comercio/Carlos Zanabria

The silica ash from the volcano is damaging crops, polluting water sources, and threatening villagers and their livestock.

Authorities are distributing face masks and evacuating villagers living closest to the volcano. They are also planning to relocate at least one village to a safe area.

El Comercio reported earlier this week that some residents in the nearby town of Querapi, which authorities are planning to relocate,  had arrived at a local hospital complaining of vomiting, headaches, and stomach pain, most likely cause by ingesting silica ash.

Villagers are also concerned for the health of their livestock, a major source of income. “In the district of Ubinas alone, there are an estimated 40,000 llamas and alpacas. According to El Comercio, up to 15% of these animals could be seriously affected by the silica ash, which has contaminated their grazing areas.”

Peru’s most active volcano, Ubinas is located about 70 kilometers from the city of Arequipa (metro pop: ~ 1,260,000), and 1,250km south of the capital Lima, close to the country’s Pacific coast, about  230 km east of the Peru-Chile trench and about 150 km above the Benioff-Wadati plane, where the Nazca plate is subducting under the continental part of the South American Plate.

Christie Declares State of Emergency as Fire Destroys Boardwalk

Fire Destroys New Jersey Shore Boardwalk, Dozens of Businesses

New Jersey Gov. Christie declared a state of emergency on Thursday as fire crews worked to contain a massive blaze that has ravaged a large section of the boardwalk along the New Jersey Shore, devouring dozens of nearby businesses, according to reports.

Hundreds of fire crews have been deployed to tackle the blaze in the Seaside Heights area which became a six-alarm fire in less than two hours, destroying large sections of a landmark that was recently restored following the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

“I feel like I want to throw up… After all the effort and time and resources that we’ve put in to help the folks of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights rebuild, it’s just unthinkable.” WCBS quoted Christie as saying.

The massive blaze began in Kohr’s Frozen Custard near the boardwalk in Seaside Park, and rapidly spread over seven blocks. About 50 businesses were destroyed, said NJ.com.

Deadly Flooding Forces Thousands of Evacuations in Colorado

Disaster declared in flooded areas: Gov. Hickenlooper

“We’ll see what the data tells us but this could easily be a 50 or 100-year flood,” said Hickenlooper.

Disastrous flooding has caused substantial damage in parts of three Front Range counties and the governor has declared a state of emergency in Boulder County. Thousands of people have been evacuated, however, emergency crews are unable to reach residents in some towns.

Floodwaters have cut off major highways, isolated mountain towns and inundated the main campus of the University of Colorado, damaging tens of buildings, officials said.

More than 500 students and staff members were ordered evacuated.

Highway 72 is washed out in Coal Creek Canyon, Colorado. Photo credit: Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office

“We have declared a disaster for the flooded areas and are requesting emergency declaration from FEMA for search and rescue and emergency protection and other support,” said Hickenlooper. “We want to get something in front of President Obama as rapidly as possible.”

“The State Emergency Center has been activated to a Level 3 category of alert or action 24/7. So they will be providing direct resources across the state to the counties affected by the flooding.”

“Part of the problem with us is not that we don’t have the equipment or the manpower it’s just the conditions haven’t permitted it. We couldn’t get up the valleys,” said Hickenlooper.

“This is completely different from the fires and yet preparation means trying to anticipate what you don’t expect. We’ve been trying to train across the state for unexpected eventualities, things that we would never expect to happen. I’m not sure that anyone laid out a scenario where Boulder County and every single county from Coal Creek to the St. Vrain got close to 8 inches of rain in a 24-hour period.” Hickenlooper said.

Not Your Ordinary Disaster

“This is not your ordinary disaster,” said Joe Pelle, the sheriff of Boulder County, where two of the deaths occurred. “All the preparation in the world, all the want-to in the world, can’t put people up those canyons while debris and walls of water are coming down.”

A message posted on the university’s Web site Thursday warned: “Wall of water coming down Boulder Canyon. STAY AWAY FROM BOULDER CREEK.”

Multiple Flash Flood Warnings, Flood Warnings and Flood Watches are in effect across Colorado, said National Weather Service (NWS).

• Tri- State Area Rainfall Reports (September 12, 2013)
• Flood Evacuation: overflowing dam forces evacuation of Leyden neighborhood in Jefferson County