Earthquakes Destroy or Damage Thousands of Homes in NE China

Quakes injure a dozen people, but cause much devastation in Jilin Province, NE China

Two moderate earthquakes, measuring magnitudes 5.5 and 5.0 respectively, struck Songyuan City in NE China’s Jillin Province Thursday morning local time, destroying at least 55 homes and damaging more than 4,100 others, said a report.

The larger of the two quakes was centered at 44.6ºN, 124.2ºE, according to the country’s Earthquake Networks Center.

Local officials have relocated more than 14,400 residents in Chaganhua Town, the report said.

“Telecommunications have been cut off in Dongbaiyinhua Village, located at the quake’s epicenter, according to an officer from Qian Gorlos Mongol Autonomous County.”

The cost of damage and associated economic losses have been estimated at about 130 million yuan ($21.33 million).

Original Caption: Rescuers set up tents at a temporary shelter in quake-hit Qian’an County of Songyuan City, northeast China’s Jilin Province, Nov. 1, 2013. Two earthquakes, 5.5-magnitude and 5.0-magnitude respectively, jolted Songyuan City of Jilin Province Thursday morning, leaving at least 12 people injured and many houses damaged. The Jilin provincial government has allotted 10 million yuan (about 1.6 million U.S. dollars) in disaster relief funds to the quake-hit region. Relief teams have also been sent there. A shipment of 1,100 tents, 1,000 quilts and 100 folding beds has been sent to the area. Bottled water, bread and instant noodles are being given out to quake victims.(Xinhua/Zhang Nan). More images…

Major Disaster Declared in North Dakota

North Dakota Declared Federal Disaster Area due to Damage Caused by Severe Winter Storm

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of North Dakota due to extensive damage caused by a severe winter storm during the period of October 4-5, 2013.

Areas worst affected by the severe winter storm are the counties of Adams, Bowman, Grant, Hettinger, Morton, Sioux, and Slope, said The White House Office of the Press Secretary.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, said FEMA.

Recent Federal Disaster Declarations

• North Carolina Declared Federal Disaster Area October 31, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in New Mexico October 30, 2013
• Kansas Declared Federal Disaster Area October 30, 2013

Halloween Storm Forces Thousands of Evacuations

Trick-or-treat storms batter a vast region in the U.S.

Heavy rain and high winds forced dozens of U.S. cities and towns into cancelling Halloween activities on Thursday, battering a vast region from the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes.

“The cities of Indianapolis and Muncie, Indiana, postponed trick-or-treating, local officials said. Toledo and at least 30 cities in Central Ohio put it off until Friday or as late as Sunday, according to the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission’s website,” said a report.

The storm system, aided by the remnants of Hurricane Raymond, which dissipated over the Pacific on Tuesday, dumped as much as 15 inches of rain over Austin area, killing at least two people, and forcing some 1,000 residences to evacuate due to flooding.

“For certain areas, it looks like this will be in their Top 10 [flood events] of all time,” said a meteorologist at the National Weather Service Austin-San Antonio office.

FIRE-EARTH Bulletin NO. 46

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

FIRE-EARTH Bulletin NO. 46 has been issued.

Related links

• https://feww.wordpress.com/2-bulletin-board/

Crop Disaster Declared in Maine and Montana

14 Counties in Maine and Montana Declared Agricultural Disaster Areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated seven counties in Maine as a agricultural  disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive precipitation that occurred from May 8 – September 25, 2013.

• The disaster areas in Maine are Somerset, Aroostook, Franklin, Kennebec, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Waldo counties.

Montana Disaster Designations

USDA has designated seven counties in the state of Montana as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by hail, high winds and severe storms that occurred July 8 – August 3, 2013.

• Those areas are Custer, Carter, Fallon, Garfield, Powder River, Prairie and Rosebud counties.

Crop Disaster Losses 2013

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 3,858 county-level crop disaster areas across 43 states, so far this year.

The crop disasters for year 2013 include losses and damages caused by

DROUGHT
FLOOD
Flash flooding
Excessive rain, moisture, humidity
Severe Storms, thunderstorms
Ground Saturation, Standing Water
Hail
Wind, High Winds
Fire, Wildfire
Heat, Excessive heat, High temp. (incl. low humidity)
Winter Storms, Ice Storms, Snow, Blizzard
Frost, FREEZE
Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tropical Storms
Tornadoes
Volcano
Mudslides, Debris Flows, Landslides
Heavy Surf
Ice Jams
Insects
Tidal Surges
Cold, wet weather
Cool/Cold, Below-normal Temperatures
Lightning
Disease

Notes:
1. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

2. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA between January 9 and October 30, 2013.

Recent Crop Disaster Designations

• Crop Disasters

M6.6 Quake Strikes Off Chile Coast

Strong Quake Strikes 43km SW of Coquimbo, Chile

The quake follows an earlier strong shock that occurred at 35.413°S, 72.368°W on October 30, 2013.

Earthquake Details

• Magnitude: 6.6Mw
• Event Time: 2013-10-31 @ 23:03:56 UTC
• Location: 30.315°S 71.733°W
• Depth: 10.7km (6.6mi)

• Nearby Cities
  • 43km (27mi) SSW of Coquimbo, Chile
  • 47km (29mi) NW of Ovalle, Chile
  • 52km (32mi) SW of La Serena, Chile
  • 73km (45mi) NW of Monte Patria, Chile
  • 360km (224mi) NNW of Santiago, Chile

Earthquake Location Map

Source: USGS/EHP. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH Blog.

Related Links

• Strong Quake Strikes Near Constitucion, Chile  October 30, 2013