M6.1 Quake Strikes Japan

Strong Quake Strikes Iyo-nada, Japan

The quake struck at a depth of 80km rattling the entire southern tip of Japan, according to JMA.

NO Tsunami Warning or Advisories are in effect: JMA

Sendai, Ikata and Genkai Nuclear Power Plants

The quake which occurred less than three days after the third anniversary of the triple meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear station, also coincided with the announcement by Japan’s Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) that two reactors operated by Kyushu Electric Power Co have been placed on a list for priority screening at a meeting of officials reviewing restart applications.

The quake occurred about 250km NE of Kyushu Electric’s Sendai Nuclear Power Plant (31.83°N 130.19°E), less than 57km NW of Ikata Nuclear Power Plant (three reactors) located in Ehime Prefecture, and about 180km east of Genkai Nuclear Power Plant (4 reactors) in Saga Pref.

WE consider both the timing and location of this powerful seismic warning as perfect!

Japanese authorities should base any and all of their nuclear planning on one factor alone: There’ll be NO more warning before the big ones…

Earthquake Location Map with the location of Sendai Nuclear Power Plant marked by FIRE-EARTH.  (Map sourced from USGS)

Japan’s Nuclear Facilities. Copyright © Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA, Japan). All Rights Reserved.

Magnitude: 6.1Mw (6.3Mw by USGS/EHP)
Time and Date: 02:07 JST  (UTC + 9:00 hrs) on 14 Mar 2014
Epicenter: 33.7°N, 131.9°E (33.683°N, 131.737°E -USGS)
Depth: 80 km  (82.9km -USGS)
Region: Iyo-nada (The Seto Inland Sea)
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

Related Links

• Who’s Next?  March 11, 2014
• The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake – Third Anniversary March 11, 2014

U.S. Drought Change

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

Severe, Extreme and Exceptional Drought Levels Marginally Spread across Contiguous U.S.

Severe, Extreme and Exceptional Drought levels (D2 – D4) covered 21.71 percent of contiguous U.S. this week, an increase  of about 0.15 percent (0.13 percent of the U.S.) compared with last week, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Abnormally Dry conditions and Moderate Drought receded by about 1.38 percent in the contiguous U.S. (0.74 percent in the U.S.), compared with last week.

The following map shows the weekly change in drought levels (classes) across the U.S.

U.S. Drought Monitor Class Change. Source: The National Drought Mitigation Center

Crop Disasters

Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) declared crop disasters for 15 additional counties in Texas and New Mexico, due to the worsening drought.

Related Links: 2014 Agriculture Disaster Declarations

• Crop Disasters Declared for Texas, New Mexico March 13, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 12 States on March 7, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared in Three States February 27, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared in 3 States February 14, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared For 8 States Due to Extreme Weather  February 7, 2014
• UPDATE: Drought Causes Crop Disaster in 25 Counties across 4 States February 6, 2014
• California Drought Worsens February 6, 2014
• California Drought Could Paralyze the U.S.  February 2, 2014
• California Drops State Water Allocation to Zero  February 1, 2014
• California Drought Intensifies January 30, 2014
• California Communities Could Run Out of Water in 60 to 120 Days January 29, 2014
• Drought Disaster Declared for Multiple Counties in Four States January 25, 2014
• California Declares Drought State of Emergency January 18, 2014
• California Governor to Declare Drought Emergency January 17, 2014
• High Fire Danger in Southern California amid Driest Conditions on Record January 17, 2014
• 520 Counties across 16 States Declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Drought January 16, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared in 40 Counties due to Drought January 16, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 6 States January 10, 2014

Related Links

• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index

State of Emergency Declared for New York

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
BLIZZARD WARNING
STATE OF EMERGENCY
.

NY Declares a State of Emergency following Blizzard Warnings

Gov. Cuomo has declared a state of emergency in 14 counties, after the National Weather Service (NWS) issued blizzard warnings for those counties.

The counties are Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Erie, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Niagara, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Wayne and Wyoming.

Up to 61cm (24 inches) of snow was expected to fall across the region, with strong winds of up to 75km/hr (45mph), causing  “nearly impossible” travel conditions, said NWS.

“These areas are expected to continue to receive heavy snow that may accumulate at rates of around one to two inches per hour, which will make it difficult for plows to keep some roads clear,” said Cuomo. “New Yorkers in these areas should exercise caution until the worst of the storm has passed.”

Crop Disasters Declared for Texas, New Mexico

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

15 Counties in Two States Declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Worsening Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 15 counties in two state—Texas and New Mexico—as crop disaster areas, in two separate designations, due to the worsening drought.

1. Texas. USDA designates 8 counties in Texas as Crop Disaster Areas due to the worsening drought. The counties are Gonzalez, Caldwell, Fayette, Karnes, Wilson, DeWitt, Guadalupe and Lavaca

2. New Mexico.USDA designates 6 counties in New Mexico and one in Texas as Crop Disaster Areas also due to the worsening drought. The disaster areas are

• New Mexico: Dona Ana, Luna, Grant, Hidalgo, Otero and Sierra counties.
• Texas: El Paso County.

Since January 10, 2014 USDA has declared 759 counties across 16 states as crop disaster areas due to drought.

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

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

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

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

v. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on March 12, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

• Major Disaster Declared for South Carolina (DR-4166) March 13, 2014
• Major Disaster Declared for Georgia March 9, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 12 States on March 7, 2014
• White House Issues Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration for South Carolina February 14, 2014

• Crop Disaster Declared in Three States February 27, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared in 3 States February 14, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared For 8 States Due to Extreme Weather  February 7, 2014
• UPDATE: Drought Causes Crop Disaster in 25 Counties across 4 States February 6, 2014
• California Drought Worsens February 6, 2014
• California Drought Could Paralyze the U.S.  February 2, 2014
• California Drops State Water Allocation to Zero  February 1, 2014
• California Drought Intensifies January 30, 2014
• California Communities Could Run Out of Water in 60 to 120 Days January 29, 2014
• Drought Disaster Declared for Multiple Counties in Four States January 25, 2014
• California Declares Drought State of Emergency January 18, 2014
• California Governor to Declare Drought Emergency January 17, 2014
• High Fire Danger in Southern California amid Driest Conditions on Record January 17, 2014
• 520 Counties across 16 States Declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Drought January 16, 2014
• Crop Disaster Declared in 40 Counties due to Drought January 16, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 6 States January 10, 2014

Related Links

• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Another Deadly Storm Swipes Northeastern U.S.

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DEADLY WINTER STORM
.

Powerful winter storm impacting Northeastern U.S.

An intense  storm system moving from the Ohio Valley into the Northeast is bringing accumulating snow from the Lower Great Lakes to northern New England, said the NWS, forecasting more than a foot of snow for some areas, with damaging winds being the main threat.

The forecasters have predicted

• Heavy snow for Northern Maine
• Temperatures as much as 25 degrees below average from parts of the Great Lakes to the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic
• Temperatures as much as 15 degrees above average over parts of the Northern/Central Plains [creating a massive stage for extreme weather events]

Deadly Storm

At least three people were killed and several others seriously injured in a pileup of more than 50 cars and trucks on a 2-mile stretch of the Ohio Turnpike, one of several multiple car crashes in the Buckeye State, after ice and snow covered the Great Lakes region and reduced visibility to near zero on Wednesday, according to media reports quoting state and county officials.

A pileup involving dozens of vehicles on the Ohio Turnpike, near Clyde, left at least three people dead and several others seriously injure. Image credit: Jeremy Wadsworth/ The (Toledo) Blade. Image may be subject to copyright.

National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)
Issued 2 am EDT Thursday, March 13, 2014 by NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD

Low Temperature for Wednesday:

• -26ºC (-15 degrees) at Crane Lake, MN

High Temperature for Wednesday:

• 31ºC (88 degrees) at Pompano Beach, FL
• 31ºC at Miami (Kendall-Tamiami), FL

[Temperature spread 57.2ºC (103 degrees), as calculated by FIRE-EARTH]

FIRE-EARTH Forecast

On January 7, 2014 FIRE-EARTH said [Google and WordPress censored]:

FIRE-EARTH Models show more Extreme Weather Events could wreak havoc across North America in the coming days and weeks.

• More Extreme Weather Events to Hit North America

Related Links

• Polar Déjà vu   January 22, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in Multiple States March 3, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in Virginia, Arkansas March 4, 2014

Major Disaster Declared for South Carolina (DR-4166)

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
CLIMATE RELATED DISASTERS
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARATION
.

Major Disaster Declaration For South Carolina – March 12, 2014

The White House has declared South Carolina a Federal Disaster Area due to a severe winter storm that struck the state during the period of February 10-14, 2014.

The severe winter storm caused widespread losses and damage across at least 21 counties throughout the Palmetto State.

Areas worst affected by the  storm were the counties of Aiken, Allendale, Bamberg, Barnwell, Berkeley, Calhoun, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Florence, Georgetown, Hampton, Horry, Marion, Orangeburg, Saluda, Sumter, and Williamsburg.

The above Federal Disaster Declaration (ref: DR-4166) is in addition to an earlier Presidential Disaster Declaration declared  on February 12, 2014 (ref: EM-3369) for all counties of the State of South Carolina.

Recent Federal Disaster Declarations

• Major Disaster Declared for Georgia March 9, 2014
• White House Issues Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration for South Carolina February 14, 2014
• White House Signs Pennsylvania Emergency Declaration February 7, 2014
• Oklahoma Declared Major Disaster Area January 31, 2014
• Vermont Declared Major Disaster Area January 31, 2014
• Major Disaster Declared for Alaska January 24, 2014

• Alaska Declared Major Disaster Area January 18, 2014
• Major Disaster Declared For Arkansas  January 10, 2014
• Texas Declared Federal Disaster Area December 22, 2013
• Federal Disaster Declared in California December 14, 2013
• Nebraska Declared Federal Disaster Area November 27, 2013

• Major Disaster Declared for South Dakota November 9, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in North Dakota November 1, 2013

• 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

• Major Disaster Declared for Pennsylvania October 3, 2013
• New Mexico Declared Federal Disaster Area October 2, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared for Santa Clara Pueblo September 28, 2013
• Major Disaster Declaration for North Carolina September 26, 2013
• N. Colorado Declared as Federal Disaster Area September 14, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared for Vermont, New Hampshire, Florida August 6, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in El Paso County, CO Posted on August 1, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in West Virginia Posted on July 27, 2013
• Major Disaster Declared in New York, North Dakota July 16, 2013
• Michigan Declared Major Disaster Area June 19, 2013

• Drought 2013/14
• Agricultural Disasters Index