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!

Global CO2 Update

Current Global Monthly Mean CO₂

Weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa

• Week of May 27, 2012:     396.46 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     394.11 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     376.20 ppm

The graph, updated weekly, shows as individual points daily mean CO₂ up to and including the week (Sunday through Saturday) previous to today.

Recent Mauna Loa CO₂

• April 2012:     396.18 ppm
• April 2011:     393.28 ppm

Recent Global CO₂ (ESRL/NOAA)

• March 2012:     393.87 ppm
• March 2011:     391.46 ppm

The graph shows recent monthly mean carbon dioxide globally averaged over marine surface sites, as measured by the Global Monitoring Division of NOAA/ESRL.  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.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Virginia, USA.  City of Hampton declared a state of emergency after a tornado struck Petersburg and Hampton, destroying or damaging dozens of building and causing injuries to residents.
  • The tornado left several families displaced and caused millions of dollars in damage.

• U.K.   Britain has undergone a moral decline over the past six decades, the Bishop of London has decried.
  • Ironically, the period coincides with Queen Elizabeth’s 60 year reign on the throne.
  • Promiscuity has reached “epidemic” levels. “Literally millions of children grow up without knowing a stable, loving, secure family life …,” he said.
  • “Dr Chartres also called for action to tackle ‘depressingly high’ youth unemployment in Britain,” said a report.
  • “The extent of youth unemployment is appalling. The waste of human talent is unsustainable morally and economically,” he 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

Thailand Flooding at ‘Crisis Level’

Worst ever flooding in Thailand threatens capital Bangkok

Rising floodwaters which have killed or injured hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of homes across Thailand are now threatening the capital Bangkok.

READ THIS FIRST

Continued hacking and content censorship

In view of the continued hacking and censorship of this blog by the Internet Mafia, the Moderators have decided to maintain only a minimum presence at this site, until further notice.

FIRE-EARTH will continue to update the 2011 Disaster Calendar for the benefit of its readers.

WordPress is HACKING this blog!

WordPress Continues to Hack Fire-Earth, Affiliated Blogs

The Blog Moderators Condemn in the Strongest Possible Terms the Continued Removal of Content and Hacking of FIRE-EARTH and Affiliated Blogs by WordPress!

United States of Censorship

Even Twitter Counters are disabled when Blog posts criticize Obama, or contain “forbidden phrases.”  See also: Google’s Top 10 List of ‘Holy Cows’

Disaster Calendar 2011 – October 8

[October 8, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,621 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Bangkok, Thailand. Rising floodwaters have killed or injured hundreds of people, destroyed thousands of homes across Thailand and are now threatening the capital Bangkok, the Prime Minister has warned.
• Floodwater has also destroyed millions of acres of crops, toppled bridges, severed rail links, shut dozens of highways and inundated the city of Ayutthaya.
• Government may be unable to cope because “the water volume is extraordinary and is beyond expectations.” Thailand’s new Prime Minister said, “it is now going to have a direct impact on Bangkok.”
• The floods which have triggered massive mudslides have killed at least 253 people, injured scores more and affected more than 8 million people in 60 of the country’s 77 provinces since late July, Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation said.

Other Disasters

• Philippines.  Combined toll from two deadly typhoons, NESAT and NALGAE, which struck the Philippines last week  have climbed to at least 95, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
• Some than 85 are injured and 34 missing, the agency reported.
• The heaviest flooding occurred in the three rice-producing provinces of Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac, affecting more than 3 million people.
• About 110,000 people have been displaced.
• The government had earlier declared several provinces as disaster areas.
• Central African Republic. A cholera outbreak in the Central African Republic has claimed 16 lives, with 57 other cases reported, AFP said.

Related Links

• 3 million Filipinos affected by 2 typhoons

• Up to 10 Million People Affected in Pakistan Floods
• Pakistan flood death toll tops 1,000
• Unprecedented flooding in SW China forces 300,000 to evacuate
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – September
• Unprecedented flooding in SW China forces 300,000 to evacuate
• Mega Heatwaves Could Kill Tens of Thousands in the U.S.  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2011 Disaster Calendar – September
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Disaster Calendar – August
• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

When Weather Went Really Crazy

Too Bad Climate Juggernaut Delivering Deadlier Loads Next Year!

Based on various climatic indicators and recent weather trends, FIRE-EARTH forecasts an increase of about 24% in the severity of extreme weather events during the next 20 months, compared with the previous period.

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Severe Weather Headlines from NWS

URGENT: Severe Warnings In Effect (Louisiana)

Click images to enlarge and animate.

Update at Severe Weather & Heavy Rain Forecast Center

Hazard Warnings

• Tornado Warning
• Severe Thunderstorm Warning

• Flash Flood Warning
• Fire Warning

• Winter Storm Warning
• High Wind Warning
• Avalanche Warning

• Tornado Watch
• Flash Flood Watch
• Severe Weather Statement

• Flood Warning
• Gale Warning

• Hard Freeze Warning
• Freeze Warning

• Red Flag Warning
• Fire Weather Watch
• Child Abduction Emergency
• Rip Current Statement

• Special Weather Statement
• Hazardous Weather Outlook
• Hydrologic Outlook
• Short Term Forecast

Flash flooding worsens over night in several Plains, Eastern locations

Click image to enter NWS portal.

Kentucky

• Latest info on major river flooding and associated rainfall amounts
•  Latest local storm reports from this round of severe weather/flooding
•  Damage survey reveals tornado hit Poole Kentucky Friday night
•  Wabash County, IL storm damage surveys added to April 19 event summary

Flash Flood Watch

• Flash Flood Watch in effect for SE Oklahoma, SW Arkansas and Extreme NE Texas Today through Tonight

Related News Links

• Tornadoes, Flooding Leave 10 Dead in Arkansas
• Tornadoes leave destruction in East, Central Texas
• Tornado threat extends from Dallas to Memphis
• Tuesday Afternoon Tornado Confirmed In Williamston, NC

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

14% Less Solar Energy Reflected Back to Space

Dwindling Snow and Ice Cover Reflect 0.45Wm-² Less sunshine to Space: Study

Ever-shrinking snow and ice cover in the Northern Hemisphere, which contribute to “cyrospheric cooling,” now reflect only about 3.3Wm-² Solar Energy back to space, an average of 0.45Wm-² less than they did in the late 1970s, a new study says.

Cyrospheric cooling has declined by an average of 0.45 W m-² from 1979 to 2008, according to the study, which was published in the Nature Geoscience journal Sunday.

The following is an excerpt from the report abstract:

The extent of snow cover and sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere has declined since 1979, coincident with hemispheric warming and indicative of a positive feedback of surface reflectivity on climate. This albedo feedback of snow on land has been quantified from observations at seasonal timescales and century-scale feedback has been assessed using climate models. However, the total impact of the cryosphere on radiative forcing and albedo feedback has yet to be determined from measurements. Here we assess the influence of the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere on Earth’s radiation budget at the top of the atmosphere—termed cryosphere radiative forcing—by synthesizing a variety of remote sensing and field measurements. We estimate mean Northern Hemisphere forcing at −4.6 to −2.2 Wm-², with a peak in May of −9.0±2.7 Wm-².

The planet’s shrinking snow and sea ice cover means less heat reflected back to space resulting in a positive feedback loop heating the globe. The warming is intensifying at a higher rate than climate  models have predicted, according to new research. Image Credit: Mark Flanner.

[Moderator’s Note: The cryosphere refers to those parts of our planet where water is in solid form including glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, sea ice, snow cover and the permafrost.]

Scale of Positive Feedback

For each degree Kelvin (1.8 degree Fahrenheit) increase in temperatures, which reduces the Northern Hemisphere’s snow and ice cover, the solar energy reflected back to space decreases by between 0.3 and 1.1Wm-²K-². The study conclude that the albedo feedback from the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere decline is “substantially larger” when compared to estimates obtained from 18 other climate models. That is an average shortfall of 0.6Wm-² in Flanner’s research compared to IPCC allowance of 0.25Wm-² over the same period.

The reduction in cyrospheric cooling effect, caused by snow and ice cover losses, increases the amount of solar energy that our planet absorbs, Mark Flanner, an assistant professor at the University of Michigan and lead author of the study, told Reuters.

1979–2008 time series of cryosphere radiative forcing (CrRF) anomalies, relative to 1979–2008 means, from land-based snow, sea-ice, and the combination of both components. Each line depicts the mean anomalies of the 12 all-sky scenarios of albedo contrast and ∂F/∂α listed in Tables 1 and 2, and shading indicates the full range of anomalies for the snow+sea-ice forcing from all 12 cases. The 5-year moving average of snow+sea-ice forcing anomaly is shown in orange. Credit:  Mark Flanner et al. ‘Radiative forcing and albedo feedback from the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere between 1979 and 2008’

How does the new estimate compare with previous climate models?

“This reduction in reflected solar energy through warming is greater than simulated by the current crop of climate models,” Flanner said.

“Our analysis of snow and sea ice changes over the last 30 years indicates that this cryospheric feedback is almost twice as strong as what models have simulated. The implication is that Earth’s climate may be more sensitive to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other perturbations than models predict.”

“The cryospheric albedo feedback is a relatively small player globally, but it’s been a surprisingly strong feedback mechanism over the past 30 years,” Flanner said. “A feedback of this magnitude would translate into roughly 15 percent more warming, given current understanding of other feedback mechanisms.”

“If the Earth were just a static rock, we could calculate precisely what the level of warming would be, given a perturbation to the system. But because of these feedback mechanisms we don’t know exactly how the climate will respond to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide,” he said.

“The conclusion is that the cryosphere is both responding more sensitively to, and also driving, stronger climate change than thought.”

The Cyrospheric Impact on Our Planet

“On a global scale, the planet absorbs solar energy at a rate of about 240 watts per square meter averaged over a year. The planet would be darker and absorb an additional 3.3 watts without the Northern Hemisphere cryosphere,” Flanner said.

“The cryospheric albedo feedback is a relatively small player globally, but it’s been a surprisingly strong feedback mechanism over the past 30 years,” Flanner said. “A feedback of this magnitude would translate into roughly 15 percent more warming, given current understanding of other feedback mechanisms.”

Top 10 Warmest Years

The 1901-2000 average combined land and ocean annual temperature is 13.9°C (56.9°F), the annually averaged land temperature for the same period is 8.5°C (47.3°F), and the long-term annually averaged sea surface temperature is 16.1°C (60.9°F). Source: NOAA.

Related Links:

• Global Climate Extremes INTENSIFYING
• Earth’s Climate: A Solar Powered System
• Separate Records Confirm Warming Trend
• 2010 Tied For Warmest Year on Record: NOAA

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 Disaster Calendar
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion

Separate Records Confirm Warming Trend

And to What End?

WILL THIS MAKE A RAPIDLY COLLAPSING WORLD CHANGE ITS COURSE?

We doubt it!

4 Different Records Confirm Identical Warming Trend

Data acquired January 1, 1880 – December 31, 2010. Click image to enlarge. Download larger image (136 KB, PDF)

NASA GISS Global Temperature Anomalies (base 1951 to 1980)

Data acquired November 1 – 30, 2010 – Source of images: NASA-EO

Data acquired by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the Japanese Meteorological Agency, and their British equivalent confirm an identical warming trend despite minor discrepancies.

Both NASA and NOAA have declared 2010 tied with 2005 as the warmest year in their 131-year instrumental record.

Related Links:

• 2010 Tied For Warmest Year on Record: NOAA
• Global Climate Extremes INTENSIFYING

Will it be drought?

Will it be Drought, Deluge, Volcanic Eruptions, Earthquakes, War …

TRY ALL OF THE ABOVE!

How Drought Slowed Plant Growth [2000-2009]

Click image to enlarge.

• Download large image (700 KB, JPEG) acquired January 1, 2000 – December 31, 2009
• Download large Hemispheric Trends image (81 KB, PDF)
  

Contrary to conventional wisdom, researchers at the University of Montana have discovered that plant growth slowed for the 2000–2009, despite the decade being the warmest on record. “We see this as a bit of a surprise, and potentially significant on a policy level because previous interpretations suggested that global warming might actually help plant growth around the world,” one of the researchers said. “This is a pretty serious warning that warmer temperatures are not going to endlessly improve plant growth.” More information available in a feature article and on videos. Source: NASA E/O.

Related Links:

• ‘Google Civilization’ Collapsing from Disinformation
• Drought and Deluge: Major Mechanisms Of Collapse

• Decadal Temp Avg Up by 74 pct on 1990s
• Drought and Deluge [Index Page]
• Land Use And Topsoil

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

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

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

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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

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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]

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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

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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]

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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).

Verifiable Impacts of Climate Change (Part II)

Climate Change Indicators

Impact of Climate Change Despite the Massive Efforts by Fossil Fuel Industries to Spread Disinformation

• Click here for Part I

Key Findings: Climate Change Indicators in the United States Report

Sea Surface Temperature

The surface temperature of the world’s oceans increased over the 20th century. Even with some year-to-year variation, the overall increase is statistically significant, and sea surface temperatures have been higher during the past three decades than at any other time since large-scale measurement began in the late 1800s.

Sea Level

Average sea level worldwide has increased at a rate of roughly six-tenths of an inch per decade since 1870. The rate of increase has accelerated to more than an inch per decade in recent years. Changes in sea level relative to the height of the land vary widely because the land itself moves. Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most relative to the land along the Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast, while sea level has decreased relative to the land in parts of Alaska and the Northwest.

Ocean Acidity

The ocean has become more acidic over the past 20 years, and studies suggest that the ocean is substantially more acidic now than it was a few centuries ago. Rising acidity is associated with increased levels of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water, can affect sensitive organisms such as corals.

Arctic Sea Ice

Part of the Arctic Ocean stays frozen year-round. The area covered by ice is typically smallest in September, after the summer melting season. September 2007 had the least ice of any year on record, followed by 2008 and 2009. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2009 was 24 percent below the 1979 to 2000 historical average.

Glaciers

Glaciers in the United States and around the world have generally shrunk since the 1960s, and the rate at which glaciers are melting appears to have accelerated over the last decade. Overall, glaciers worldwide have lost more than 2,000 cubic miles of water since 1960, which has contributed to the observed rise in sea level.

Lake Ice

Lakes in the northern United States generally appear to be freezing later and thawing earlier than they did in the 1800s and early 1900s. The length of time that lakes stay frozen has decreased at an average rate of one to two days per decade.

Snow Cover

The portion of North America covered by snow has generally decreased since 1972, although there has been much year-to-year variability.

Snowpack

Between 1950 and 2000, the depth of snow on the ground in early spring decreased at most measurement sites in the western United States and Canada. Spring snowpack declined by more than 75 percent in some areas, but increased in a few others.

Heat-Related Deaths

Over the past three decades, more than 6,000 deaths across the United States were caused by heat-related illness such as heat stroke. However, considerable year-to-year variability makes it difficult to determine long-term trends.

Length of Growing Season

The average length of the growing season in the lower 48 states has increased by about two weeks since the beginning of the 20th century. A particularly large and steady increase has occurred over the last 30 years. The observed changes reflect earlier spring warming as well as later arrival of fall frosts.

Plant Hardiness Zones

Winter low temperatures are a major factor in determining which plants can survive in a particular area. Plant hardiness zones have shifted noticeably northward since 1990, reflecting higher winter temperatures in most parts of the country.

Leaf and Bloom Dates

Leaf growth and flower blooms are examples of natural events whose timing can be influenced by climate change. Observations of lilacs and honeysuckles in the lower 48 states suggest that leaf growth is now occurring a few days earlier than it did in the early 1900s. Lilacs and honeysuckles are also blooming slightly earlier than in the past, but it is difficult to determine whether this change is statistically meaningful.

Bird Wintering Ranges

Some birds shift their range or alter their migration habits to adapt to changes in temperature or other environmental conditions. Long-term studies have found that bird species in North America have shifted their wintering grounds northward by an average of 35 miles since 1966, with a few species shifting by several hundred miles.

What do these changes translate into in layman terms?

GUARANTEED DISASTERS!

Related Links:

• Verifiable Impacts of Climate Change Despite Dinosaurs [PART I]
• Full Report (PDF 14MB)
• 2010 Disaster Calendar

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Serial No 1,643. 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).

Strong Quake Strikes Baffin Bay

Magnitude 6.1 Earthquake Occurred at Baffin Bay off the NW Coast of Greenland

FEWW Moderators believe magnitude of the seismicity most likely intensified as a result of icemelt in the region.

Other examples of climate-intensified natural events would be posted on this blog when they occur.

Location of earthquake is marked on the Bathymetric map of the Arctic Ocean. Original Map: NOAA

Details of the Earthquake

• Magnitude: 6.1
• Date-Time:
  • Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 19:11:45 UTC
  • Tuesday, July 07, 2009 at 02:11:45 PM at epicenter

• Location: 75.325°N, 72.312°W
• Depth: 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
• Region: BAFFIN BAY
• Distances:
  • 170 km (105 miles) SW of Qaanaaq (Thule), Greenland
  • 315 km (195 miles) ESE of Grise Fiord, Nunavut, Canada
  • 1455 km (910 miles) NNW of NUUK (GODTHAB), Greenland
  • 3330 km (2070 miles) N of Montreal, Quebec, Canada

• Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 3.8 km (2.4 miles); depth fixed by location program
• Parameters:  NST=216, Nph=216, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=0.98 sec, Gp= 58°, M-type=centroid moment magnitude (Mw), Version=T
• Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
• Event ID us2009iubh

Earthquake Location:

10-degree Map Centered at 75°N,80°W

Seismic Hazard Map

Historic Seismicity

Related Links:

• Volcanoes [FEWW Links]
• Earthquakes

• The 1933 November 20 (M_s= 7.3) Baffin Bay earthquake