Climate Catastrophes Cumulate in China

More roads transformed to rivers as extreme rain events continue to batter China

The concrete jungle bears telltale clues!

Kunming, the capital of southwest China’s Yunnan Province, July 19, 2013. The meteorologic center issued a blue alert for rainstorm on Friday after extensive flooding caused by an extreme rain event inundated the city. (Xinhua/Lin Yiguang) More images…

Tropical Cyclone Cimaron makes landfall in Fujian Province

The cyclone battered Fujian Province dumping up to 520 mm or rain in just a few hours .

Original caption:  A car is submerged among wastes swept down by mountain torrents and torrential rain in Gangwei Township in Longhai of Zhangzhou City, southeast China’s Fujian Province, July 19, 2013. Tropical storm Cimaron made its landfall in Fujian Thursday evening, bringing heavy rain and strong gales to southern part of the province. Xiamen, Zhangzhou, Quanzhou and Putian were severely affected by the storm, with the rainfall in some regions like Longhai reaching 520 millimeters on Friday. About 123,000 residents were afflicted by the storm and no casualties have been reported yet. (Xinhua/Wei Peiquan). More images…

Extreme Rain Events, severe flooding in Guangyuan force 41,400 people to relocate

Original Caption: Photo taken on July 18, 2013 shows the rising flood in Guangyuan City of southwest China’s Sichuan Province. A rain-triggered flood has brought serious damage to Guangyuan City from Wednesday, causing one person missing and forcing 41,400 people to relocate. (Xinhua/Gao Zhinong) More images…

Related Links

• Thousands of Towns and Villages Devastated by Floods in China July 18, 2013
• China to Become Top Wheat Importer after Major Crop Disaster July 17, 2013
• Fire Destroys 200 Houses in SW China July 17, 2013
• Flooding Destroys Town of Caopo in SW China July 16, 2013
• Typhoon SOULIK Affects 2 Million in China  July 15, 2013
• Hundreds of Thousands Evacuated as SOULIK Hits China July 13, 2013
• Extreme Weather Wreaks Havoc in SW China July 10, 2013

Wildfires, Violent Weather Continue Attacking America

Spreading Like Wildfire!

Two ferocious wildfires are spreading across southern Colorado, destroying scores of homes and consuming thousands of acres.

The so-called Black Forest Fire has devoured about 10,000 acres, destroying an estimated 100 homes and prompting evacuation orders and pre-evacuation notices to nearly 10,000 people and 3,500 residences and businesses, according to officials.

The second blaze, Royal Gorge Bridge fire, burning about 55 miles southwest of Black Forest Fire, has consumed about 5 square miles, destroying at least 20 structures.

Deadly Wildfire in California

“Wildfires also were burning in New Mexico, Oregon and California, where a smokejumper was killed fighting one of dozens of lightning-sparked fires,” said a report.

Red Flag Warnings

Red Flag Warnings are in Effect across parts of at least 5 states—Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.

Violent Weather Moving East

Forecasters at the NWS Storm Prediction Center have predicted a Moderate Risk of severe thunderstorms for parts of the Mid-Atlantic Thursday. “Significant wind damage expected, along with the possibility of large hail and a few tornadoes. Heavy rainfall will also accompany the system.”

On Wednesday, at least 12 tornadoes touched down in 3 states—Iowa, Illinois and Ohio.

 

WNV Infections Continue Rising

More than 5,000 WNV infections reported to CDC

WNV infections in the U.S. have caused at least 183 deaths thus far in 2012.

At least five thousand one hundred and twenty-two [number of cases to be confirmed] West Nile virus infections have been reported to CDC ArboNET from 48 states as of posting. The cases are from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

• About 70 percent of the cases have been reported from 8 states (Texas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, South Dakota, Michigan, and Oklahoma).
• More than a third of all cases have been reported from Texas.
• More than 51% of the cases are classified as neuroinvasive disease (such as meningitis or encephalitis).

Multistate Fungal Meningitis Outbreak:

• 23 dead
• 285 infected
• Infections reported across 16 states

NOTE: 282 cases of fungal meningitis, stroke due to presumed fungal meningitis, or other central nervous system-related infection meeting the outbreak case definition, plus 3 peripheral joint infections (e.g., knee, hip, shoulder, elbow). No deaths have been associated with peripheral joint infections, CDC reported.

Spain Earthquake

Large scale groundwater extraction caused a 2011 earthquake in Spain which left at least nine people dead, more than 100 injured and thousands homeless,  researchers said.

• A 5.1 magnitude  earthquake near the city of Lorca in southeastern Spain occurred at a shallow depth 3 km, causing extensive damage.
• Researchers found the water table in the Alto Guadalentin Basin had dropped by 250 meters since 1960 due to groundwater extraction.
• “Modeling results are consistent with a groundwater crustal unloading process, providing a reasonable explanation for the observed fault slip pattern.” They said.

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Disaster Calendar – 24 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,361 Days Left

[June 24, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,361 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Encephalitis Kills 200 in Bihar, India

Death toll exceeds 200 in AES outbreak in Bihar, eastern India

An outbreak of Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) has claimed at least 200 lives in India’s eastern state of Bihar since May, reports quoting government sources said.

State health officials in Bihar have identified 10 districts where the mosquito-borne disease has spread. Most of the dead are children.

The disease has killed thousands of people in India since the late 1970s, reports said.

Encephalitis is an acute inflammation of the brain, which can be caused by a bacterial infection, e.g, bacterial meningitis, spreading directly to the brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of a brain with encephalitis. It has resulted in a large lesion (orange). Source: NHS/UK

Acute viral encephalitis

Acute viral encephalitis is most often caused by a viral infection from a large list of viruses that include rabies virus, herpes simplex virus (the virus that causes cold sores and the sexually transmitted infection, STI, genital herpes), poliovirus, measles virus, JC virus, West Nile Virus, mumps, varicella zoster virus (the virus which is responsible for chickenpox in children and shingles in adults), and rubella.

Exposure to viruses can occur through

• Breathing in respiratory droplets from an infected person
• Contaminated food or drink
• Mosquito, tick, and other insect bites
• Skin contact (Source A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia and others

Other causes may include an allergic reaction to vaccinations, autoimmune disease, bacteria, such as Lyme disease, complication of an existing infectious disease such as syphilis and tuberculosis, parasitic infestations, such as malaria, roundworms, cysticercosis, and toxoplasmosis in AIDS patients and other people who have a weakened immune system, or the effects of cancer.

For a list of other acute infections and symptoms click HERE.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic. An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect from 1 pm Wednesday  to 6 am EDT Friday for New Castle-Mercer-Gloucester-Camden-Northwestern Burlington-Chester-Montgomery-Bucks-Delaware-Philadelphia- including the cities of Wilmington, Trenton, Glassboro, Camden, CherryHill, Moorestown, Mount Holly, West Chester, Norristown, Doylestown, Media and Philadelphia. NWS has forecast Heat Index Values of up yo 103ºF (39.4ºC).
• Arizona and California.  An Excessive Heat Watch remains in effect through Friday for east-central, southwest and south-central Arizona deserts and lower deserts of far southeast California. Cities include the Phoenix Metro area, Yuma, El Centro, Casa Grande, Wickenburg, Parker and Blythe. NWS has forecast temperature high of up to 115ºF (~46ºC).

• North Carolina.A wildfire that is burning in Croatan National Forest has grown to 10,800 acres, a fire official said.
  • “Ash has been falling from the sky in areas near the forest, and high levels of particle pollution have spurred two agencies to issue alerts. The National Weather Service has issued a Code Red Air Quality alert for Craven County until 8:15 PM on June 19. And the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued a Code Red Air Quality Action Day for Craven, Jones, and Pamlico Counties,” said a report.

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa

• Week of June 10, 2012:     396.37 ppm  (1-year increase:  2.75 ppm)
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.62 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.41 ppm

Recent Mauna Loa CO₂

• May 2012:     396.78 ppm  (1-year increase: 2.62 ppm; 10-year increase: 21.13 ppm; 50-year increase: 75.77 ppm)
• May 2011:     394.16 ppm
• May 2002:    375.65 ppm
• May 1962:     321.01 ppm

The graph shows recent monthly mean carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.

The last four complete years of the Mauna Loa CO₂ record plus the current year are shown. Data are reported as a dry air mole fraction defined as the number of molecules of carbon dioxide divided by the number of all molecules in air, including CO₂ itself, after water vapor has been removed. The mole fraction is expressed as parts per million (ppm). Example: 0.000400 is expressed as 400 ppm.  In the above figure, the dashed red line with diamond symbols represents the monthly mean values, centered on the middle of each month. The black line with the square symbols represents the same, after correction for the average seasonal cycle. The latter is determined as a moving average of SEVEN adjacent seasonal cycles centered on the month to be corrected, except for the first and last THREE and one-half years of the record, where the seasonal cycle has been averaged over the first and last SEVEN years, respectively. [Source: NOAA/ESRL]

Recent Global CO₂

• April 2012:     394.01 ppm (1-year increase: 2.18 ppm)
• April 2011:     391.83 ppm

The graph shows recent monthly mean carbon dioxide globally averaged over marine surface sites. The Global Monitoring Division of NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratory has measured carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases for several decades at a globally distributed network of air sampling sites [Conway, 1994]. A global average is constructed by first fitting a smoothed curve as a function of time to each site, and then the smoothed value for each site is plotted as a function of latitude for 48 equal time steps per year. A global average is calculated from the latitude plot at each time step [Masarie, 1995].   Source: NOAA/ESRL

• Typhoon GUCHOL and TS TALIM

Source: SSEC

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Snow Kills 52, Injures Hundreds in Japan

More than 4 meters of snow buries parts of northern and eastern Japan

Snow-related incidents have left at least 52 people dead and about a thousand others injured, more than 350 of them seriously, in northern and eastern Honshu, Japan’s main island.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – February 2

[February 2, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,504 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Japan.  Snow-related incidents have left at least 52 people dead and about a thousand others injured, about 350 of them seriously, in northern and eastern Honshu, Japan’s main island.
  • More than 4 meters of snow has fallen in parts of Aomori Prefecture, northern Honshu.
  • Yamagata and Niigata prefectures have received more than 3 meters, while Tottori and Nagano prefectures each reported more than 2 meters of snow.
  • The Aomori prefectural government has set up more than a dozen disaster relief centers.
  • Niigata Prefecture has issued disaster declaration in at least 7 municipalities, a report said.
  • More snow is expected to fall along the Sea of Japan coast until at least Saturday, Japan Meteorological Agency reported.
  • UPDATE:   At least 4 more people were killed by avalanches in northern Akita prefecture, raising the death toll to 56, as of posting.
  • Temperatures in northern Aomori prefecture fell to 15ºF, with about 4.32 meters of snow reported on the ground.

Other Global Disasters

• Port Said, Egypt. About 80 people have been killed and more than a thousand others injured in clashes between rival fans following a soccer match in the Egyptian city of Port Said, reports said.
• Papua New Guinea (PNG).A ferry carrying at least 350 passengers has sunk off the north coast of PNG, officials said.
  • Between 30 to 50 people have been rescued, according to different groups, with more than 300 others missing, presumed drowned.
• Europe. The weather-related death toll in eastern and central Europe has climbed to at least 120, as the big freeze intensifies.
• Utah, USA.  The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Utah in the area affected by a severe storm during the period of November 30 to December 1, 2011.
  • The severe storm packing winds of  up to 110 mph tore through homes and businesses causing substantial damage in Davis County.

Flying debris caused by high winds in Farmington (Davis County Sheriff’s Office). via abc4

• Mitchell, QLD, Australia. Authorities have declared “a disaster situation” in Mitchell as floodwaters invade the town, a report said.
  • Under the declaration, they have the power to enforce mandatory evacuations.
  • At least 8 other towns in southwest Queensland are on flood alert, with more heavy rain forecast, ABOM said.
• NSW,  Australia.    The New South Wales town of Moree is bracing for its worst flooding in nearly 4 decades, a report said.
  • “About 2,300 people have been ordered to leave their homes or businesses and by tonight the town will be effectively cut in half.”
  • Meanwhile,  at Pallamallawa, helicopters are airlifting 600 trapped residents in major rescue operation.
  • An undisclosed number of tourists have been trapped by flooding at Takarakka Bush Resort, south-west of Rockhampton, central Queensland, since Australia Day, a report said.
  • The State Emergency Service has issued an evacuation ORDER for communities within North West NSW and is continuing to update them on their website.

• Moscow, Russia.   At least ten people have been killed and dozens more injured following a series of car accidents caused by snow and icy roads in Moscow, a report said.
  • “The snowstorm will continue in the Russian capital, and weather conditions may become even more extreme: meteorologists expect an ice storm in the city.”

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

• Freezing Weather Kills Scores in Eastern Europe
• Egyptian army kills at least a dozen demonstrators
• Deadly Winter Follows ‘Arab Spring’
• Australia: 5 disaster areas declared in NSW following severe flooding

• Flooded Australia: Thousands Evacuated in 3 States
• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast

Massive wildlife die-offs occur in Northern Rockies

Big-game animals record die-offs in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming

Harsh winter,  heavy snows and sustained freeze [dividends of climate change] in the Northern Rockies caused the record die-offs

“Elk, deer and moose—those animals are having a pretty tough time,” said a Wyoming Game and Fish biologist.

Rocky Mountain Bull Elk. Image credit: Mongo

“Wildlife managers estimate die-offs in the tens of thousands across thousands of square miles that span prairie in northeastern Montana, the upper Snake River basin in Idaho near Yellowstone National Park and the high country of northwestern Wyoming near the exclusive resort of Jackson.” Said a report.

The estimated mortality rate among mule deer fawns in a wildlife management reserve near McCall in central Idaho jumped to 90 percent this winter, 4 and a half times the average annual rate, the report added.

Die-offs are occurring in the tens of thousands across a vast area measuring several thousand square miles from prairie in northeastern Montana, to the upper Snake River basin in Idaho near Yellowstone National Park and the high country of northwestern Wyoming.  More …

Related Links

• EDRO Models: Mass Die-Offs Looming
•  The 6th Great Extinction: Sooner Than Expected

U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather

Brace for the Worst Ever

Climatic  Extremes, Primeval Geophysical Activities and WILD Weather to Wreak Mega Havoc in 2011/2012 and Beyond …

NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME TO POWER DOWN AND START THINKING HARD.

 Encourage your folks, friends and neighbors to join in!! BECAUSE  for most of us the GAME would be OVER soon.

Flooding and fires, earthquakes and eruptions, deadly tornadoes and strong storms … are just some of the items you’ve ordered from the climate change quick menu!

US Weather Warnings. Click image to enter NWS portal.

Spring-Like Storm System Targets Mississippi, Ohio Valleys Today

Kansas City, Mo., Monday, Feb. 28, 2011 – NOAA forecasters said a strong spring-like storm system will move from the Lower Mississippi River Valley into the Ohio River Valley today, bringing widespread precipitation to the eastern third of the country. The system will draw warm, moist, unstable air from the Gulf of Mexico, setting the stage for strong to severe thunderstorms over a large area of the southern Plains and Southeast. Up to 1-2 inches of rain can be expected over a sizeable area of the Midwest that had to contend with heavy rain and severe weather through the weekend.

Related Links:

• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2011-2012 MegaDisasters

• FEWW Volcano Links
• Volcanoes
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Global Climate Extremes INTENSIFYING

2011 Could Shatter 2010 Records

The wettest, coldest, driest, hottest, severest… could get even worse this year

Extremes of temperature, precipitation, drought and other climatic and weather events would continue to intensify throughout 2011, FIRE-EARTH forecasts.

Click image to enlarge.

• Drought and deluge,  extremes of temperature and precipitation, wild climatic and severe weather events will raise both the frequency and intensity of human-enhanced natural disasters, decimating crops and farm animals globally, affecting food production and prices, and increasing the number of climate refugees.
• Poverty and rocketing food prices could trigger local and cross-border conflicts , escalate into national crisis and precipitate into regional and wider-scale wars.
• Back-to-back disasters could hit the Americas, Afro-Eurasia, Australia …

Related Links:

A Shrinking World

• Future Scenarios
• Nuking Earth for Lifestyle
• World Problems: The Root Cause Matrix
• Giga Trends
• World CO2 Emissions

• How Much Carbon Dioxide Does Your Money Make?
• Cosmic Scale Evil
• Failing Ecosystems
• First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities

Mega Disasters:

• Earth: Wounded and Feverish

• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• FEWW DISASTER FORECAST 2011
• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• Megadisasters Loom

• 2010 Disasters
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2010: The Year of Disasters

Between Hell and High Water

A Most Disturbing Image of the Day

Study this image carefully, and you could/should see yourself and your family in there!

Fighting [sic] Climate Change anyone Right now, the floods are taking their toll in Pakistan. Next, they could hit YOUR hometown.

Original Caption: Pakistani residents stand by flood water that entered a residential area of Muzaffarabad. The death toll from flash floods and landslides triggered by torrential monsoon rains in Pakistan rose to more than 400 as officials reported thousands more displaced. (Xinhua/AFP Photo). Image may be subject to copyright. See Fair Use Notice.

Related Links:

• Remember this Image! [Posted by edro on September 4, 2008]
  
• Disaster Forecast: The United States
• Collapse Diary
• 2010 Disaster Calendar

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion
• Energy Dinosaurs

World Sizzling in Hottest Year to Date

Specter of Global Drought Disasters Looming

Global Food Shortages Would Follow

The Planet Can Survive Higher Temperatures; YOU Can’t!

The first six months of 2010 has been the warmest on record so far. The average global temperatures for the first half of the year were 0.03 degree Fahrenheit higher than the previous record set in 1998, according to the National Climatic Data Center.

The El Nino weather pattern was the major driver for the hot temperatures globally, climate scientists say.

“We had an El Nino episode in the early part of the year that’s now faded but that has contributed to the warmth not only in equatorial Pacific but also contributed to anomalously warm global temperatures as well,” said Jay Lawrimore, chief of climate analysis at the National Climatic Data Center.

Although La Nina could bring in cooler temperatures globally later this year, 2010 could still prove to be the hottest year overall since the records began, overtaking 2005 the previous record holder.

“This year the fact that the El Nino episode has ended and is likely to transition into La Nina, which has a cooling influence on the global average temperature, it’s possible that we will not end up with the warmest year as a whole.” Lawrimore said.

Global View

• The Arctic sea, the ice melted to its thinnest level in June.
• Britain has seen it driest year in 80 years.
• Parts of Middle East are  undergoing the most severe drought since records began.
• Northern Thailand is experiencing the worst drought in living memory.
• The U.S.: “It’s going to be pretty warm across eastern Nebraska, Iowa, western portions of Missouri, mid to upper 90s (F),” said Donald Keeney, senior agriculture meteorologist with CROPCAST Ag Services.
• Large temperatures anomalies in most parts of  Africa, Canada and tropical oceans have been registered, a report said.

Land Surface Temperatures, Early July 2010

Global map shows temperature anomalies for July 4–11, 2010, compared to temperatures for the same dates from 2000 to 2008. The anomalies are based on land surface temperatures observed by MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. Areas with above-average temperatures appear in red and orange, and areas with below-average temperatures appear in shades of blue. Oceans, lakes, and areas with insufficient data (usually because of persistent clouds) appear in gray. Source of Image and caption (edited) NASA E/O. Click image to enlarge. Download large image (3 MB, PNG)

Note from original caption: “Because this image shows temperature anomalies rather than absolute temperatures, not all red areas are warmer than all blue areas. Red-hued northern Canada, for instance, is not warmer than blue-hued northern Mexico. Although deep red tones predominate along the mid-Atlantic coast, absolute temperatures are probably warmer in the barely orange American Southwest. Unusually warm conditions predominate in South America, but the Southern Hemisphere is in winter.”

News Links:

• Soaring temperatures across Russia destroy 10 million hectares of crops and prompt a state of emergency to be declared in 17 regions.

Related Links:

• U.S. Had 8th Warmest June, Wetter
• Earth: Wounded and Feverish

Earth: Wounded and Feverish

103-degrees in Central Park, LaGuardia, Newark

Fire-Earth forecast last month:

June 2010 could also prove be the warmest on record, by a large margin

Max Temperature Forecast

Click image to update.

Daily Map of the Earth Temperatures

Click image to enlarge and update.

National Weather Service (Warnings and Advisories)

Click image to enter portal.

Record-Breaking Heat Hits NYC and NJ

Central Park hit a scorching 103 degrees, breaking a record set in 1999. Newark reached 103, a new all-time high.  Record highs were also set at Newark (103 degrees), LaGuardia (103 degress) and JFK (101 degrees) airports.

Heat Reaches Dangerous Levels in Salem County, NJ

Heatwave grips Salem County, NJ, as Temperature soars above 100 degrees

• Dangerous heat tightened its grip on Salem County today as the mercury soared to the century mark here.

13 FDNY Injuries In Battle Against Stifling Temps

Thirteen firefighters suffered heat related injuries including dehydration and exhaustion as soaring temperatures made their work more difficult. More…

Heatwave Along East Coast kills One

“A heatwave along America’s East Coast has left one person dead and sent temperatures soaring into the triple digits, creating dangerous conditions from North Carolina to Boston.” More …

• Heat wave maintains grip on Louisville, Indiana
• Soaring Temperature May Press Utility Companies In Eastern U.S

Weather Forecast

Click image to enlarge and update.

103 degrees in Central Virginia: “Too darn hot to make hay”

The 103-degree recorded at McCormick Observatory is  “a harbinger of weather to come,” officials said.

“The last time we saw a temperature that high at McCormick was Aug. 1, 1999, when it was 105 degrees,” said Jerry Stenger, director of the University of Virginia’s climatology office. “It’s not a day to be in the roofing trade, that’s for sure. It may not reach that high, but it doesn’t look like we’ll see much relief from above-average temperatures for awhile.”

That’s bad news for farmers across the state who have been hard hit by the heat, Virginia Farm Bureau officials said.

“One more week without rainfall and we will be in an extremely critical situation. All crops have stopped growing and are in survival mode. This includes all row crops, alfalfa and grass hay,” said Jon Repair, of the Virginia Cooperative Extension Agency in Rockbridge County. More…

Large part of China gripped by soaring heat

“In Wenzhou City, in east China’s Zhejiang Province, residents are also suffering from the hot weather, with temperatures climbing up to 41 degrees Celsius (105.8ºF).” More…

Related Links

• May Global Temperature Warmest on Record
• Weather
• Satellite imagery

Latest Landslide in China

Water reservoir sinks in Fuling District, Chongqing, China

As yet another round of torrential rains struck southern China, a combination of flooding and landslides wreak havoc across the region.

According to China’s Xinhua official news agency:

Parts of Shaoguan City in Guangdong Province have been flooded due to the sudden onslaught of heavy rains.

The city’s sewage system was unable to deal with the volume of rain, forcing the closure of some kindergartens and schools on lower levels.

A student of Guangdong Province said, “The water rose to the level of our knees. We came out from the classroom one by one, and rolled up our trousers and took off our shoes.”

The following excerpts are from the same report  released by Xinhua:

In Chongqing Municipality, continuous storms have caused a water reservoir to sink in Fuling District. A split near the top is over 100 meters long, and is getting worse.

Survivoe Chen Mingshu said, “The width of the crack is 30 centimeters, and the sunken area is more than one meter deep.”

Residents of the surrounding areas have been evacuated to safety. Local authorities have dispatched related experts to monitor the situation around the clock.

The storms have also triggered landslides in Luxi county of Hunan Province. A massive falling rock struck the roof of a restaurant, destroying not only the building, but a van parked nearby as well.

Restaurant employee Xiang Ping said, “I was in the kitchen at 9 o’clock when I heard the sound of the landslide. I immediately ran out, and the rock stopped at the gate. I could not get into the house and ran onto the road.”

Related departments have arrived at the accident site and went to great length to remove the huge rock and resume traffic.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2010-05/20/c_13306419.htm

Meanwhile, 4 miners were reported as missing after a coalmine collapsed in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality Wednesday, Xinhua reported local authorities as saying.

Related Links:

• Violent Storms Kill at least 65 in S China
• Deadly Rainstorms, Landslides Strike Central China
• China Mine Explosion Death Toll Rises to 21
• Another China Mine Disaster Kills 12, Traps 32

.

Serial No 1,747. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Landslides Leave 55 Dead or Missing in Tajikistan

Landslide and floods triggered by torrential rains kill at least 15, leave 40 missing, cause $100million damage

Torrential rains caused the Tebalei River to burst its banks resulting in widespread flooding and landslides, destroying 12 bridges, severely damaging at least 1,500 residential units in several districts of the southern Khatlon region. Many roads were destroyed by the floodwater, which also inundated fields and devastated 2,500 hectares of crop fields.

“Preliminary reports estimate the damage at over 100 million dollars. Russian servicemen from a Russian military base deployed in Tajikistan are rendering assistance in rescue operations.” Moscow Times reported.

US Govt Political Map of Tajikistan. Approximate location of the affected area is marked by Fire-Earth.

The causalities from flooding and mudslides in Tajikistan stands at 15 dead, with 40 people still missing, the republic’s Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

Up to 100 people are believed to have been injured, and many others are reported on rooftops awaiting evacuation.

The area was devastated by a large quake measuring 8.0Mw, which struck on October 21, 1907 killing an estimated 12,000 people.

Related News:

Mudslides, floods in southern Tajikistan kill 16, 40 reported missing

Related Links:

• Southern U.S. Flooding Update
• Parking Lot Vanishes Under Landslide
• Landslides Kill Dozens of People

• Landslides Kill Dozens of People
• FLOODING: Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency Posted on May 4, 2010
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May] Posted on May 1, 2010
• Landslide kills at least 10 in Kenya

• Landslide News
• Landslide and sinkhole close part of U.S. 64
• Taiwan Massive Landslide Buries 6-Lane Freeway
• Mudslide Buries Chemical Factory in China

• Super-destructive events may strike anytime
• Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Mudslides 2010
• 2010 Likely the Most Disastrous Year on Record: FEWW
• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters

• 2010 Disasters
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May]
• Landslides

–

Serial No 1,694. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

STOP the ‘political assaults,’ say 255 US scientists

POWER DOWN or FACE DEATH—Fire-Earth

“The reality of anthropogenic climate change can no longer be debated on scientific grounds”

James Hurrell of the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research said.

“The imperative is to act aggressively to reduce carbon emissions and dependency on fossil fuels”

“When someone says that society should wait until scientists are absolutely certain before taking any action, it is the same as saying society should never take action,” the 255 scientists wrote in an open letter published by the journal Science.

“For a problem as potentially catastrophic as climate change, taking no action poses a dangerous risk for our planet,” they added, saying that they were deeply disturbed by “recent escalation of political assaults on scientists in general and on climate scientists in particular.”

Scientists conveyed the same message on Thursday before the U.S. House of Representatives panel on energy independence and climate change, a report said.

“The reality of anthropogenic climate change can no longer be debated on scientific grounds,” James Hurrell of the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research told the committee. “The imperative is to act aggressively to reduce carbon emissions and dependency on fossil fuels.”

The equation is simple and the longer you wait, the worse the conditions get: Power down now, or face large scale death and destruction—Fire-Earth

Related Links:

• 2010 Disaster Calender [May] Posted on May 1, 2010

• Super-destructive events may strike anytime
• Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Mudslides 2010
• 2010 Likely the Most Disastrous Year on Record: FEWW
• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters

• 2010 Disasters
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May]
• Landslides

–

Serial No 1,685. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Parking Lot Vanishes Under Landslide

Image of the Day:

The Vanishing Parking Lot: Now You Don’t See it!

Part of the parking lot at Scott Towne Center has given way, causing a landslide that is covering one lane of Greentree Road below in Scott. James Knox/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Image may be subject to copyright.

A landslide continues to consume parts of the shopping plaza’s parking lot at Scott Towne Center, in Scott Township, Pennsylvania. “The road, which about 22,000 vehicles use daily, is reduced to one lane in each direction, but PennDOT is assessing the situation to determine whether the road must be closed altogether, PennDOT spokesman Jim Struzzi said today.” More…

Related Links:

• Landslides Kill Dozens of People
• FLOODING: Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency Posted on May 4, 2010
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May] Posted on May 1, 2010
• Landslide kills at least 10 in Kenya

• Landslide News
• Landslide and sinkhole close part of U.S. 64
• Taiwan Massive Landslide Buries 6-Lane Freeway
• Mudslide Buries Chemical Factory in China

• Super-destructive events may strike anytime
• Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Mudslides 2010
• 2010 Likely the Most Disastrous Year on Record: FEWW
• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters

• 2010 Disasters
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May]
• Landslides

–

Serial No 1,684. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

Deadly Tornado Hits Chongqing in SW China

Deadly tornado strikes city in SW China, killing at least 50 and injuring 130

The official Xinhua agency, quoting the municipal government, reported  the number of casualties as “at least 23 confirmed dead and 161 others injured” following a powerful storm  and torrential rain that inundated  China’s Chongqing Municipality earlier today.

A violent storm front struck Dianjiang and Liangping counties at about 2:00 a.m. local time, “toppling houses and damaging crops, with at least 23 people dead and 161 others injured, government sources said.”

“Liangping county was also hit by a tornado and hailstorm, leaving six people dead and another 34 injured. Seventeen people died and 127 people were injured in Dianjiang county, according to rough statistics.” Xinhua said.

2010 could prove one of China’s worst years for natural phenomena transformed to human-enhanced disasters. 2011 could be even deadlier.

Related Links:

• Man-made Major Disaster Looming in China [Posted on May 4, 2010]
• 2010 Disasters
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May]

–

Serial No 1,679. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

U.S. Weather at a Glance

Severe weather could seriously impact U.S. agriculture in 2010 and beyond

Severe Thunderstorms Moving Northeast

U.S. Weather Forecast Presented Graphically

Click image to update.

National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Hazard Map. Click image to update and select areas of interest.

Related Links:

• Southern U.S. Flooding Update
• FLOODING: Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency
• U.S. Warmer, Drier in March
• Obama: A Serious Self-Hater

–

Serial No 1,675. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

01001

Southern U.S. Flooding Update

Obama Declares Tennessee Major Disaster Area

At least 30 people killed by widespread storms and flooding in Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi

Houses, schools, bridges and other structure were washed off. The cost of damage in the three battered states could exceed 200million dollars.

At least 9 of the deaths occurred in Nashville, where thousands of homes and tourist attractions, including Grand Ole Opry, were inundated. The Cumberland River that runs through the city crested at a 75-year high,  more than 4m (12 feet) above flood stage, afetr 457mm (18 inches) of weekend rain.

Kentucky

At least four people lost their lives in Kentucky where Governor Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency with 41 counties and 15 cities issuing emergency declarations most of them verbally.

“The safety of our citizens is my first priority,” said Governor Beshear. “That is why I urge individuals who encounter high waters to use extreme caution and avoid unnecessary contact with flood waters if at all possible.”

“It’s serious out there still,” said Mark Marraccini, spokesman for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. “These waters are very dangerous.”

Mississippi

At least 6 people were reported as being killed in various storm and flood-related incident in Mississippi, where a tornado from a separate storm front a week earlier had claimed 10 lives.

When the floodwater reached the sky [metaphorically speaking!]

Airplanes are seen partially submerged in floodwater at the Cornelia Fort Airpark Tuesday, May 4, 2010, in Nashville, Tenn. Heavy weekend rain caused the Cumberland River, which winds through Nashville, to over flow its banks flooding part of downtown and other areas around the city. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson). Image may be subject to copyrights.

Meanwhile The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued continued flood warning for

• Buttahatchie River
• Hatchie River
• Little Tallahatchie Canal
• Mississippi River
• North Fork
• Forked Deer River
• Obion River
• S.F. Fork Forked Deer River…S.F.
• Forked Deer River
• Tennessee River
• Tombigbee River
• Wolf River

NWS Red Flag Warning for Colorado:

Strong southwest winds and dry conditions are expected again on Wednesday over southwest Colorado. Gusty southwest winds will redevelop over western Colorado on Wednesday as a tight pressure gradient will remain over Colorado. The strong winds in combination with low relative humidity and dry fuels at the lower elevations of southwest Colorado will produce critical fire conditions.

Extreme rain inundated Tennessee and Kentucky on May 1-2, 2010. A line of severe thunderstorms moved over the states on Saturday, May 1, and a high-pressure system blocked the storms from moving east. Trapped in place and fed by humid air from the Gulf of Mexico, the storms unleashed heavy rain on the Tennessee Valley. By 7:00 p.m. on May 2, rain gauges on the ground recorded between 10 and 19 inches (250-480 millimeters) of rain in the hardest hit regions.

This image shows rainfall totals between May 1 and May 3, 2010, as recorded by the TRMM satellite. The intense rain shown here caused severe flooding throughout Tennessee, particularly in Nashville. Image and Caption: NASA [Edited by FEWW for brevity.] Click image to enlarge.

2010 could prove to be one of the deadliest and costliest years on record for storms, flooding, landslide and other human-enhanced disasters. —Fire-Earth

Related Links:

• FLOODING: Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency Posted on May 4, 2010
• Super-destructive events may strike anytime
• Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Mudslides 2010
• 2010 Likely the Most Disastrous Year on Record: FEWW

• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters
• 2010 Disasters
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May]

–

Serial No 1,674. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

FLOODING: Kentucky governor declares a state of emergency

Southern U.S. struck by deadly thunderstorms, tornados and flash floods since weekend, 25 dead

Kentucky  Governor Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency afetr  four people died in weather-related accidents on Monday.

“I urge individuals who encounter high waters to use extreme caution and avoid unnecessary contact with flood waters if at all possible,” he said in a statement.

Meanwhile President Obama signed a disaster declaration for Alabama on Monday, in response to the damage caused by tornados and flooding in two counties, the White House said.

Parts of downtown Nashville had to be evacuated Monday as Cumberland River overflowed after 2 days of violent thunderstorms, which triggered an extreme rain event.

At least 25 people have been killed in storm and flooding-related incidents throughout Tennessee, Kentucky and Mississippi.

The flooding Cumberland River that snakes through Nashville forced schools, offices, bars and clubs to shut down. About 1,500 tourists had to be evacuated from the famed Opryland hotel, where the floodwater reached the second in several wings of the building. Photo: AFP. Image may be subject to copyright.

At least 33cm (13 inches) of of rain fell in Nashville over the weekend, almost double the previous record of 17cm that fell in 1979 when Hurricane Fredrick struck.

One of Nashville’s two water treatment plants was submerged in floodwater, and Mayor Karl Dean urged  residents to cut their water use by 50 percent “using it only for drinking and cooking, or risk contamination of the city’s drinking water.” A report said.

The storm cut power lines leaving thousands of residents without electricity.

Meanwhile, about 13cm (5 inches) of rain fell over parts of Alabama overnight, causing extensive flooding As much as 5 inches of rain fell over some parts of Alabama overnight, causing flooding of roads in the Alexander City area in east central Alabama.

Roger McNeil of the National Weather Service in Mobile said Monday the worst flooding was , where there were reports of police having to rescue people from cars in flooded roads. There were no reports of any injuries.in some areas.

Police reported many people caught in their cars on flooded roads, which had to be rescued. There was no report of fatality or injury.

2010 could prove to be one of the deadliest and costliest years on record for storms, flooding, landslide and other human-enhanced disasters. —Fire-Earth

Related Links:

• Deadly storms kill at least 7 in Tenn., 5 in Miss.
• Deadly tornadoes Kill at least 3 in Arkansas
• Giant Tornado Kills at least 10 in Mississippi

• Saturn-like Storms Strike Southeast U.S.
• 2010 Disasters
• 2010 Disaster Calender [May]

–

Serial No 1,668. Starting April 2010, each entry on this blog has a unique serial number. If any of the numbers are missing, it may mean that the corresponding entry has been blocked by Google/the authorities in your country. Please drop us a line if you detect any anomaly/missing number(s).

133,000,000 Wise Monkeys

submitted by a reader

They See NO CO2, Smell NO CO2 and Believe NO CO2

Nearly half of Americans think climate change concerns are overstated and over a third doubt the environmental consequence—Gallop

The original Three Wise Monkeys hear, speak, see no evil. Wood carving at Toshogu, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Source: Wikimedia.

As the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere reaches 390 parts per million (see below),  48 percent of Americans said they believed the seriousness of climate change is overstated, up from 41 percent in 2009 and 31 percent in 1997, when Gallup first ran the survey, Reuters  reported.

“Thirty-five percent said in the latest poll that the effects of global warming either will never happen (19 percent) or will not happen in their lifetimes (16 percent).”

Gallup surveyed about1,000 adults, and the poll had error margin of ± 4 percent.

What Percentage of Americans DO Understand and Care?

It doesn’t take the rocket scientists at NASA to work this one out. Add 48 and 35 and the maximum margins of error (otherwise allow for the “I dunno”), and deduct the subtotal from 100 percent:   100 – (48 + 35 + 4 + 4) = 9% of the U-S population

Only then will you realize what an uphill struggle this can be!

The graph shows recent monthly mean carbon dioxide measured at Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii.

The last four complete years of the Mauna Loa CO₂ record plus the current year are shown. Data are reported as a dry air mole fraction defined as the number of molecules of carbon dioxide divided by the number of all molecules in air, including CO₂ itself, after water vapor has been removed. The mole fraction is expressed as parts per million (ppm). Example: 0.000400 is expressed as 400 ppm.

In the above figure, the dashed red line with diamond symbols represents the monthly mean values, centered on the middle of each month. The black line with the square symbols represents the same, after correction for the average seasonal cycle. The latter is determined as a moving average of SEVEN adjacent seasonal cycles centered on the month to be corrected, except for the first and last THREE and one-half years of the record, where the seasonal cycle has been averaged over the first and last SEVEN years, respectively.

The last year of data are still preliminary, pending recalibrations of reference gases and other quality control checks. The Mauna Loa data are being obtained at an altitude of 3400 m in the northern subtropics, and may not be the same as the globally averaged CO₂ concentration at the surface.

Related Links:

• December Ocean Temperature 2nd Warmest
• Canceling Your Life Insurance Policy with Nature
• Another Ocean Record Broken
• US glaciers shrinking dramatically
• Arctic Tundra 4ºC Hotter Since 1970
• US Gov Releases Intelligence Images of Arctic Ice

• Ice of the Past
• Polar Ice Caps
• Arctic Warmest in 2000 Years
• Small Country, Big ‘Dirty Little Secret’
• ‘Experts’ surprised at coastal ice thinning
• Who is afraid of melting ice sheets?

• Emerging Patterns of Vanishing Ice Shelves
• Global warming worse than predicted: Surprised?
• Climate Change Finals – CO2: 392 Human Chances: 0
• Warmer temperatures destroy forests faster
• Earth’s Climate: A Solar Powered System
• Ice Melt in Alaska, Antarctica, Greenland Accelerating

• Guess what, the Arctic temps are 5 ºC warmer!
• Arctic Sea Ice: Likely Record-Low Volume
• Environmental issues, Big Oil, politics, CORRUPTION, Sarah Palin, even the moose, beluga whale and polar bear …
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar