Scotland Flooding: Historic Abergeldie Castle Could Collapse into River Dee

High winds and heavy rain hit Scotland, prompting multiple flood warnings

Scotland is being battered by high winds and heavy rain, with dozens of flood warnings in effect across the country.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has issued at lest three dozen flood warnings, saying that the key “Inverness to Aberdeen railway line was at risk of flooding.”

Major roads in Scotland have also been closed by flooding with others “passable with care.”

‘The historic castle teetering on the brink of disaster’

In Aberdeenshire, the historic Abergeldie Castle is on the brink of collapsing into a swollen River Dee.

The castle’s owners were forced to evacuate the 16th century A-listed tower house on Sunday, after the river swept away about 60ft (18m) of land behind the property, leaving it only a few feet from the water.

“Most rivers have already peaked or will peak during Monday afternoon and evening. However, due to the continued rainfall they will remain high throughout Tuesday,” the agency said, adding that up to 150mm is expected in some areas.

Storm Frank hit Scotland on Wednesday, causing damage to property and infrastructure, as well as disrupting road and rail travel.

Intense Clusters of Low-Level Seismicity Continue to Plague CA, AK

Thousands of earthquakes of all sizes strike Alaska, California, Hawaii

More than 6,000 earthquakes of all sizes have occurred in Alaska, California and Hawaii in the 30 days to January 3, 2016 (23:59:59 UTC).

The following images and data are sourced from USGS/EHP EQ archive.

4,184 Earthquakes of ALL sizes in map area (30 days)

2,386 Earthquakes of ALL sizes in map area (30 days)

Hawaii and Global Totals

The Hawaii total for the corresponding period was 186, with 7,855 events recorded globally.

Strong Earthquake Strikes Manipur Region, India

M6.7 strikes near Imphal, India

Centered at 24.834°N, 93.656°E the quake occurred at a depth of 55.0 km (34.2 mi), reported USGS/EHP.

The quake was felt as far away as Kathmandu in the NW, Kolkata in the SW, Coxs Bazar in the SSE, and Dibrugarth in the NNW’.

Strong Shaking = Radius of 200 – 250km

According to thed USGS/EHP model:

• Estimated Fatalities: 100 – 1,000 (P = 33%)
• Estimated Economic Losses: USD100 – 1,000 million (P = 35%)

Structure Information Summary

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are unreinforced brick masonry and adobe block with wood construction.

Secondary Effects

Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Initial Reports

Up to 8 fatalities and 150 injuries reported, as of posting.