Deadly Flooding in Missouri: State of Emergency Declared

Missouri Gov. declares state of emergency due  to deadly flooding

Gov. Nixon has declared a state of emergency amid flash flooding in south-central Missouri which has left a 4-year-old boy dead and forced scores of people out of their homes.

“Parts of southern Missouri have been hit with heavy rain for several days, causing deadly flash-flooding, and that threat is not over,” Nixon said in a statement. “We have moved resources into the region to assist local authorities, but it is extremely important for the public in affected areas to pay close attention to weather conditions, have an evacuation plan and immediately move to higher ground if needed.”

Galeras Volcano Erupts Again

Colombia’s Galeras Erupts Again!

The Galeras volcano located south of Colombia’s Nariño department (state) erupted again Friday. Photo: Colombia Reports. Image may be subject to copyright.

The Galeras volcano located south of Colombia’s Nariño department (state) erupted again Friday night (local time), prompting the local authorities to raise the alert level to red. Seismic activities were detected at the the volcano shortly after the volcano erupted, Colombia Reports said.

An evacuation order was issued for the people people living near the volcano, however, only about  200 heeded the order.

No casualties have been reported.

More details would follow, if the activity continues.

Related Links:

• Galeras Erupts Again! [The unrest started on Friday!]
• Colombia’s Galeras volcano erupts [on a Friday, again!]

Other Environmental News from Colombia:

• Colombia rainy season leaves 33 dead
• Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hits north Colombia
• Cordoba mudslide leaves at least two dead, 50 injured, 1 missing

Llaima Volcano Erupts Explosively

Chile’s Llaima volcano, one of the largest and most active volcanoes in South America erupts again!

Llaima volcano erupted again spewing lava and ash in southern Chile and prompting evacuations and landslide hazard warnings.

Llaima Volcano erupts. Reuters photo dated April 5, 2009. Image may be subject to copyright.

Llaima Volcano erupts. Reuters photo dated April 5, 2009. Image may be subject to copyright.

The 3,125-meter-high Llaima volcano spewed smoke and ash about 600 meters into the air with lava flowing about 1,000 meters down the volcano.

The eruption melted the snow around the crater, raising the possibility of flooding and mudslide and prompting the officials to evacuate the nearby villages.

The risk of mud avalanches is high, the officials said, which may cause the Calbuco River to rise.

Llaima volcano, whose last significant eruption occurred in July 2008, is located about 600 kilometers south of the Chilean capital, Santiago.

Llaima Volcano erupts. Source: Periodistadigital. Image may be subject to copyright.

Llaima Volcano, Chile. [Dated 6 December 2004 ?] This file is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0. Credit: Jespinos

Excerpts from Reuters report:

It said an ash-swollen river near the volcano had swept away a pedestrian bridge, but there was no other damage. Bright red bursts of lava were visible in the night sky as Llaima erupted.

The office said on its website that there were “permanent explosions that reach 600 metres (650 yards) above the crater. Falling ash is visible and … a flow of lava of more than 1,000 metres (1,100 yards) has been observed.”

Chile’s chain of some 2,000 volcanoes is the world’s second-largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted, and 500 are potentially active.

Related Links:

• Llaima Volcano Erupts Again! (July 2, 2008) – includes location map