EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
HIGH WINDS
DEADLY STORMS
SCENARIOS 900, 888, 444, 178, 111, 070, 066, 064, 08, 07
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Killer storms wreak havoc in U.S. Midwest
A line of killer storms brought heavy winds, torrential rains and lightning to Illinois and Michigan, uprooting trees, downing power lines and leaving at least two people dead, said officials on Saturday, Reuters reported.
Hundreds of thousands of Michigan residents were left without power, with the the Detroit area being the hardest hit, AP reported.
Wind gusts of more than 120 km/h (75 mph) downed more than 2,000 power lines Friday, said DTE Energy Co, leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
“An Illinois woman died Saturday of injuries she sustained when she was struck by a falling tree and a Michigan man was electrocuted after touching a power line,” Reuters reported local media as saying.
Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events
“Mystery virus” infecting hundreds of children across the US
A severe respiratory illness is sickening hundreds of children across the U.S., according to reports describing disease as a “mystery virus.”
“The disease hasn’t been officially identified but officials suspect a rare respiratory virus called human enterovirus 68. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus is related to the rhinovirus, which causes the common cold,” ABC reported.
The disease is said to be similar to a common cold, but is more severe. Symptoms include high fever, breathing difficulty, and a wheezing couch.
“Officials at Children’s Hospital Colorado said they have treated more than 900 children since Aug. 18 for severe respiratory illness and admitted 86 to the hospital,” said a report.
Hundreds of additional cases have also been reported in Illinois, Missouri and Ohio.
Significant Seismic Activity Continues at Bardarbunga Volcano
Researchers monitoring Iceland’s massive volcano reported a total of 70 earthquakes between midnight and 08:00GMT on September 7, 2014, said IMO. The largest quake measuring magnitude M5.7 occurred at 07:08 in the Bárðarbunga caldera. “The lava has reached Jökulsá á Fjöllum. Steaming occurs.” [The quake was later downgraded to magnitude 5.4 — Editor]
Another significant quake measuring M5.0 occurred Saturday morning some 7.2km NE of Bárðarbunga, said IMO.
Large changes on the ice surface: up to 15 m subsidence has occurred in the centre of Bárðarbunga caldera [which corresponds to a volume change of 0.25 km³]. There are no signs of eruption or increased geothermal activity in the caldera.The main eruptive activity is on the fissure that has been active since the eruption began. In addition, the fissure that opened yesterday morning is still active. Depressions in the ice have grown deeper.
The shape of the subsidence area is in accordance with the elevation of the caldera floor having lowered by that amount. [IMO]
Deadly Floods Force Evacuations in S. Italy
Several people are dead or reported missing as severe floods inundated large parts of southern Italy forcing more than 1,000 families to evacuate.
Rainfall in the region has been the heaviest in at least 80 years, officials said.
Thousands evacuated as Hurricane NORBERT lashes Mexico’s Pacific coast
More than 2,500 people were evacuated as Hurricane NORBERT inundated large areas along Mexico’s Pacific coast, damaging at least 1,500 homes, officials said.
The hurricane also severely flooded the coastal town of San Carlos [population: ~7,000,] after levees protecting the area were breached by storm surges.
Fire Earth 