Life-Threatening Drought Plagues NW Haiti

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
WORSENING DROUGHT
WATER FAMINE
CROP DISASTERS
FOOD INSECURITY
.

Recurring drought worsening chronic food insecurity in Haiti

Drought has killed crops in Haiti’s poorest region, pushing the people even closer to the margins of survival.

At least 43 percent of households in Haiti’s northwest suffer from food insecurity, compared to a national average of about 30 percent, according to Government statistics.

More than 1.5 million people continue to face severe food insecurity in Haiti and about 82,000 children under five are malnourished, according to the UNOCHA.

The worsening disaster is caused by drought and the impact of hurricanes ISSAC and SANDY, which battered the country last year, said UNOCHA spokesperson.

SANDY struck Haiti in October leaving a trail of destruction and severely damaging the economy.

Six U.S. Fisheries to Receive Disaster Relief

Fishery Disasters caused by tsunami,  river flood, drought … and Hurricane Sandy

Six fisheries across the U.S. that were declared fishery disasters in 2012 and 2013 will receive $75 million in disaster relief funds, announced NOAA.

The allocations from the disaster relief fund will go to

• Commercial fisheries in American Samoa (damaged by the tsunami of 2009)
• Commercial fisheries in Mississippi (affected by the Mississippi River flood of 2011)
• The New England multispecies groundfish fishery for the 2013 season
• Alaska’s Chinook salmon fishery for 2011 and 2012 (near collapses)
• The Florida oyster fishery in the Gulf of Mexico (damaged by  drought in 2012)
• Fisheries in New York and New Jersey (destroyed or damaged by Hurricane Sandy in 2012)

“Worst Ever” Floods Kill Dozens in Brazil, Force 50,000 to Flee Their Homes

EXTREME RAIN EVENTS

Flash floods wreak havoc in 45 Brazil municipalities, killing at least 30 people, and forcing 50,000 to flee their homes

Flash floods, triggered by Extreme Rain Events that began last week, have caused severe landslides killing at least 30 people and forcing tens of thousands of others to flee their homes. 

Some 130 millimeters of rain fell in Espirito Santo state, swamping roads, bridges and homes. The floods were the “worst ever” since record-taking began 90 years ago, said the Espirito Santo governor.

Most of the victims were buried in deadly torrents of mud and authorities say the death toll may rise.

Landslides have also destroyed a large number of homes, roads and bridges, burying everything in their paths and  leaving dozens  of cities without electricity and drinking water.

Minas Gerais

In January 2012, Brazil’s southeastern state of Minas Gerais (pop: 20 million) declared a States of Emergency in 46 cities following sever flooding.

Flooding and mudslides triggered by extreme rain events in the southeastern state of Minas Gerais left at least 50 people dead, missing or injured and forced more than 10,000 people to flee their homes.

• About 3,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged.
• The disasters have affected at least 2 million people.

Rio de Janeiro

The state Civil defense authorities placed several municipalities in Rio de Janeiro under a state of maximum alert following widespread flooding.

• The worst-hit area is the municipality of Nova Friburgo, located about 135 km from the state capital Rio de Janeiro [city.]

Related Links

Search blog content for a comprehensive list of major flood and landslides in Brazil since 2010.

Record Outdoor Radiation Level Detected at Nuked Fukushima Plant

Record 25 sieverts per hour detected at Fukushima No. 1 reactor: TEPCO

Radiation was detected in an area near a steel pipe that connects reactor buildings and could kill a person in 20 minutes, if exposed, local media reported.

The highest radiation level [so far] was detected at an outdoor location at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear reactor on Dec. 6, said Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the plant’s operator and the utility responsible for the clean-up of the crippled nuclear plant.

The reading of 25 sieverts per hour was taken on steel piping near an exhaust stack for the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors, TEPCO reported.

An exhaust stack sits between the No. 1 and No. 2 reactor buildings at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, March 15, 2011. Source:  TEPCO handout.

In an earlier report, the utility announced high radiation levels of at least 10 sieverts per hour were found on the piping outside the reactor.

“TEPCO measured airborne radiation at eight locations around the piping to calculate surface radiation on two spots with particularly high readings, and found about 25 sieverts per hour and about 15 sieverts per hour, the company said,” local media reported.

Radioactive materials separated from melted fuel may have entered the pipes during venting shortly after the plant was “nuked” in March 2011 and remained there, said a TEPCO official.

The catastrophic mega earthquake that struck the Tōhoku region on March 11, 2011 triggered a major tsunami that inflicted massive damage along Japan’s east coast, paralyzing the Fukushima Daiichi (No. 1) nuclear plant and causing triple meltdown with large-scale radioactive fallout.

More than 400 tons of contaminated water is being produced and stored in hastily prepared, unsuitable containers at the site each day.  The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) proposed last week to consider dumping toxic water into the ocean.

“Regarding the growing amounts of contaminated water at the site, TEPCO should… examine all options for its further management, including the possibility of resuming controlled discharges (into the ocean) in compliance with authorized (!) limits,” said the IAEA in a statement.

Two-thirds of evacuees from Fukushima towns won’t be returning home

A survey conducted in October by  Reconstruction Agency showed that 67.1 percent of respondents from Okuma and 64.7 percent from Futaba  had decided not to return home. The latest figures were up from 42.3 percent and 30.4 percent, respectively from a January survey, which used slightly different wording, said Asahi-Shimbun.

The towns of Okuma and Futaba were turned into ghost town following the mass evacuations that ensued the Fukushima reactor  meltdowns.

At least 73  percent of respondents from Okuma said radiation levelshad   not fallen, while 68 percent of Futaba evacuees said it would take too long before they could return to their hometown.

“The survey covered the heads of 5,043 households in Okuma and of 3,394 households in Futaba,” said the report.

Related Links

• 80 Percent Chance of Major Catastrophe at Fukushima NPP November 7, 2013
• Crimes Against Nature: Water Overflows from 12 Fukushima Barriers Posted on October 21, 2013
• Fukushima Potentially More Disastrous Than Hiroshima October 18, 2013
• TEPCO Continues to Contaminate the World October 3, 2013
• Overflow of Water from the Dike of H8-South Area at Fukushima Daiichi NPS  Oct 2, 2013

• Fukushima Fatal Farce Turns Deadlier September 1, 2013
• Disaster Deepens at “Nuked” Fukushima Plant August 21, 2013
• Fukushima SNAFU August 20, 2013

For earlier links, where they have not been hacked, search blog content.

November another Month of Bloody Massacres in Iraq

On average 30 – 40 people killed in Iraq each day in November

At least 1,121 people were killed in bloody violence across Iraq in November, according to the Interior Ministry.

The Iraqi ministry of health, however, put the number of people massacred last month at 948, including 852 civilians, 53 policemen and 43 military personnel.

At least 1,349 others were wounded in the deadly attacks which included mass murder by car bombs, IEDs, AEDs, mortar and gunfire, as well as executions by hanging, slitting throats, beheading and sniper fire.

More than 8,200 have been massacred and about 18,000 others wounded in Iraq so far this year, making 2013 the bloodiest year since 2008. 

2013 Casualty Stats for Acts of terrorism and Violence in Iraq released by UNAMI

• In November, according to UNAMI, 565 civilians (including 120 civilian police) were killed and 1,186 persons (including 239 civilian police) were wounded. Additionally, 94 members of the Iraqi Security Forces were killed and 187 were wounded.  [See above for Nov. stats provided by other sources.]

• In October 2013, at least 1,095 people were killed and more than 1,900 others wounded.
  • October death toll for Iraq was 979, exactly the same as September toll (!), according to UNAMI.
• In September 2013, at least 1,220 civilians were killed and about 2,000 others wounded
  • Baghdad, 1 October 2013 – According to casualty figures released today by UNAMI, a total of 979 Iraqis were killed and another 2,133 wounded in acts of terrorism and violence in September.

• In August 2013, a minimum of 716 civilians were killed (including 106 civilian police) a further 1,936 wounded (including 195 civilian police).
• In July 2013, at least 928 were killed (including 204 civilian police) a further 2,109 were wounded (including 338 civilian police).
• In June 2013, a minimum of 685 civilians were killed and 1,610 others wounded.
• In May 2013, at least 963 civilians were killed and 2,191 others wounded.
• In April 2013, a minimum of 595 civilians were killed and 1,481  wounded.
• In March 2013, at least 229 civilians were killed and 853 were wounded.
• In February 2013 some 418 civilians  were killed and 704 others wounded.
• In January 2013, at least 319 civilians were killed and 960 others  wounded.
• In December 2012, 230 civilians were killed and 655 were wounded.
• In November 2012, 445 civilians were killed and 1,306 others  wounded.

Iraq Death and Injury Toll (Civilians Only) published by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Related Links

• Iraq Violence Death Toll Nears 7,200 in 10 Months  November 2, 2013
• 7,037 Killed in Iraq Violence October 27, 2013
• Bloody Sunday Bombings Kill 78 in Iraq October 21, 2013
• Deadly Violence Intensifies in Iraq October 6, 2013
• Every Day a Major Disaster Day in Iraq  October 1, 2013
• Iraq Carnage Negates All Human Values August 29, 2013
• Destabilization of Middle East Intensifies 26, 2013
• 1,057 Iraqis Killed in July August 1, 2013
• The Financial Legacy of Iraq and Afghanistan April 1, 2013
• US, UK Munitions ‘Cause Birth Defects’ in Iraq October 14, 2012
• Iraq Ecocide Nears Totality August 1, 2009

Egyptian Coup Blueprint Used for Thailand?

High Noon in Bangkok: Thailand PM given “two-day ultimatum” to step down

Thai protest leader says he has met PM Yingluck Shinawatra and given her a “two-day ultimatum” to “return power to the people.”

Eight days of anti-government unrest to oust the PM has left at least four people dead and dozens more injured.

The protest leader Sethup Thaugsuban had already declared Sunday “Victory-Day” in what he called “people’s coup.”

Mr Sethup who claimed to have met the prime minister secretly in the presence of the army, navy and air force chiefs, said: “There was no negotiation and no compromise,” according to reports.

“I told Yingluck [PM Shinawatra] that this is the only and last time I see her until power is handed over to the people.

“There will be no bargaining and it must be finished in two days.”

About 30,000 demonstrators had gathered at various sites, including military barracks, police headquarter, Government House, radio and television stations.

Ms Shinawatra had previously stated that the government would only use minimum force, to disperse the demonstrators. However, the army called in to help the riot police after the demonstrations turned violent on Saturday.

The latest is Thailand’s  worst unrest since 2010, when thousands of red-shirt supporters of then PM Thaksin Shinawatra, occupied strategic points in the capital. At least 100 people were killed in ensuing deadly clashes during the following 10 weeks.

Chronology of Events in Thailand

• Sept 2006: Army overthrows the PM Thaksin Shinawatra and rewrites the Thai constitution, under direct instruction from King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
• Dec 2007: Pro-Thaksin People Power Party wins majority vote in the election.
• Aug 2008: Thaksin Shinawatra flees Thailand before end of a “corruption trial.”
• Dec 2008: Constitutional Court bans the majority People Power Party, as mass protests paralyze the capital Bangkok; the monarchists assign Abishit Vejjajiva to power.
• Mar-May 2010: Up to a million pro-Thaksin protesters occupy key locations in Bangkok in a 10-week sit-in; army clears the streets, killing at least 100 protesters.
• Jul 2011: Yingluck Shinawatra leads Pheu Thai party to general election win
• Nov 2013: Anti-government protesters begin street protest.

Egyptian Coup

On August 31, 2013 Egypt’s military ruler the Puppet General Sisi gave the democratically elected President Morsi a “48-hour ultimatum” to resolve differences with the Tahrir Square protesters, failing which he threatened to put forward “a roadmap” [translation: military coup] for the country.

Related Links

• Thailand: Monarchy, Corruption, Injustice, Poverty, Police State April 10, 2010
• Country in Focus: Thailand August 24, 2008
• Time to Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Time for People’s Power: Abolish Thai Monarchy!
• Coalition Against Trafficking in Women [Page has been removed from the Internet]
• Thailand – Population, Poverty and Prostitution
• Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation: Thailand [Page has been removed from the Internet]
• ECPAT International [Page has been removed from the Internet]
• The Witness
• Recent News on Thailand from the Kaiser Daily HIV/AIDS Report[Page has been removed/ restricted access on the Internet]

• Reuters Photo Gallery
• Eight die as troops, protesters clash in Bangkok
• In Pictures: ‘Thailand Political Protest’

Amazon Deforestation Climbed 28 Percent in 12 Months

5,843 km² of Brazil forest denuded in 12 months to July 2013

Deforestation rate in Brazil rose to 5,843 km² between August 2012 and July this year, a staggering rise of 28%, compared with the previous period, according to provisional figures released by the government.

More than 600,000 km² of Amazon rainforest have been destroyed in the past 40 years to make room for cattle ranching, farming and extensive transportation projects.

Agriculture accounts for almost 5.5% of the Brazil’s GDP, and is responsible for the majority of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Cattle rest in deforested jungle near Maraba, in Brazil’s central state of Para, May 3, 2009.  Soon thousands of cows will be chewing pasture on the freshly cleared land in Brazil’s Amazon state of Para, just a tiny part of Brazil’s 200-million-strong commercial cattle herd, the world’s biggest, that makes it a beef superpower. More than 70 million are in the Amazon area, three for every person. This is where the industry has grown fastest in recent years, a trend activists say is due to cheap land, widespread illegal clearing and weak government enforcement. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker. Images may be subject to copyright.

Relate Links

• Phew, It Was a Jungle Out There! Posted  June 1, 2009
• Only One Guess Allowed!
• Brazil “soy king” sees Amazon as food solution
• Corn for Food, NOT for Fuel
• Greenpeace says global beef trade destroying Amazon
• Cattle a tough target in Amazon protection fight
• Brazil’s Extreme Rain Events Trigger 4,000 Landslides
• Famous Last words …

1ST Anniversary of Superstorm SANDY

Superstorm SANDY left hundreds of thousands of people homeless

SANDY hit the US east coast last year, killing scores of people and causing damage estimated at $65 billion—the second costliest hurricane ever.

[Note: At least 286 people were killed across the United States, the Caribbean, and Canada, as a result of SANDY. Total damage estimated at $68 billion.]

Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 2010 season (the third most active season on record jointly with 1887 and 1995) experienced 19 named storms, 12 of which developed into hurricanes (second most active hurricane season jointly with 1969.)

About 40 million people in the coastal regions of the US, from  North Carolina to Texas, are most at risk of hurricanes.

FIRE-EARTH Forecast [May 20, 2011]

Based on the blog models, recent trends set by the impact of weather extremes on population centers, especially since late 2009, and other geophysical and planetary factors, FIRE-EARTH believes 2011 could  prove less lucky than the last two years. We forecast a particularly costly hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin in 2011. 

What we told you last year

On October 18, 2012, FIRE-EARTH said

WARNING: The United States is now one major disaster away from the onset of large scale collapse!

• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun  October 31, 2012

• SANDY: Fisheries Disaster Declared for NY, NJ November 17, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Could Become a Super Storm
•  October 27, 2012

Japan Better Off On Horse Manure Than Nuclear

Radiation levels near Fukushima hit 2-year high

Radiation levels in seawater just outside one of Japan’s crippled Fukushima nuclear reactors was 13 times the previous day’s reading, said the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) on Thursday.

The combined level of radioactivity from Cesium-134 and Cesium-137 just outside the damaged No. 2 reactor surged to 1,200 becquerels per liter on Wednesday, the highest level reported since late 2011.

Regulatory limits for Cesium, which emits powerful and potentially fatal gamma radiation, is a maximum of 90 bq/l for Cesium-137 and 60 bq/l for Cesium-134.

Two workers in protective gears presumably discussing leaking tanks at the nuked Fukushima power plant. Image hand out by TEPCO. Original image removed by Editor. [Google is not listing most of the images posted on FIRE-EARTH, or delay listing them for several days until they’ve lost their immediate relevance. Editor]

Adding insult and injury to tragedy and disaster, six workers were exposed to highly radioactive water on Wednesday.

Japanese politicians, scientists and technicians are evidently unable [too incompetent] to deal with this ever-worsening disaster.

Japan would have been better off sticking to horse manure for its energy needs, instead of going nuclear.

Related Links

• TEPCO Continues to Contaminate the World  October 3, 2013
• Fukushima Fatal Farce Turns Deadlier September 1, 2013
• Nuked Fukushima Plant: New High Radiation Areas Found August 22, 2013
• Disaster Deepens at “Nuked” Fukushima Plant August 21, 2013
• Fukushima SNAFU August 20, 2013
• Radioactive Water at Fukushima an ‘Emergency’: Watchdog August 5, 2013
• Disaster Diary – July 9, 2013 July 9, 2013

Poverty Spreads among the Exceptional Nation

46.5 Million Americans in poverty in 2012

The U.S. poverty figure climbed by 300,000 in 2012 up from 46.2 million in 2011; however, the national poverty rate remained unchanged at 15%.

Number in Poverty and Poverty Rate: 1959 to 2012. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1960 to 2013 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

2012 was the 6th consecutive year that the national poverty rate failed to improve.

The 2012 poverty threshold was a total household income below $23,492 for a family of four.

Real Household Income at Selected Percentiles: 1967 to 2012. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1968 to 2013 Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

Poverty Rates by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1959 to 2012. Source:
U.S. Census Bureau, Current Population Survey, 1960 to 2013
Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

The U.S. Census Bureau estimates about 16.1 million children and 3.9 million adults aged 65 years and older were living in poverty in 2012.

The 2012 poverty figure is “discouraging,” said John Iceland, a former Census Bureau expert on poverty and a sociologist at Penn State University.

“This lack of progress in poverty indicates that these small improvements in the economy are not yet being equally shared by all,” he told the Associated Press.

N. Colorado Declared as Federal Disaster Area

Federal Disaster area declared for Fort Collins, northern Colo.

Thousands more evacuations have been ordered for the northern neighborhoods of Fort Collins.

The Poudre River is flowing at a rate of about 10,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), 100 times its normal flow, flooding significantly through Fort Collins and is expected to rise.

Officials have urged thousands of people to take shelter in dozens of the northern neighborhoods of Fort Collins.

Severe flooding has forced officials to close bridges, schools, and city offices in Fort Collins and Loveland, Colo.

Colorado State Patrol troopers took this photo on I-25 near Highway 34 in Larimer County at 7:30 on Friday, September 13, 2013.

A flood warning posted on the city of Fort Collins website read: “Poudre River has reached capacity and is flooding. The flooding on the river is of much greater severity than earlier reports. Travel is discouraged. For your safety, please avoid areas near the river. All bridges that cross the Poudre River are closed. Do NOT attempt to drive through floodwaters.”

The Big Thompson River is flowing at more than 9,000 cfs, the highest level since the Big Thompson flood of 1976, officials said.

“The city of Loveland has essentially been divided in two by the flow of the Big Thompson River,” said Tom Hacker, public information officer for the city of Loveland.

“There is no river crossing that is open in Loveland at this time. Any transit going from North to South in Loveland is impossible.”

4 Dead, 176 Missing

As of Friday evening, the death toll from the worst floods to hit Colorado in living memory had climbed to at least four with 176  others still unaccounted for.

Largest Storm in History

“It’s got to be the largest storm that I can imagine in the state’s history,” said Governor John Hickenlooper at a news conference.

Colorado Emergency Declaration

Meantime, the White House declared an emergency exists in the State of Colorado and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides beginning on September 11, 2013, and continuing.

The declaration is in response to the threat of catastrophe in the counties of Boulder, El Paso, and Larimer, said the WH statement.

On Friday, Governor Hickenlooper declared a disaster emergency for 14 counties.

Related Links

• Tens of Thousands Evacuated as Colorado Floods Worsen September 13, 2013
• Deadly Flooding Forces Thousands of Evacuations in Colorado September 13, 2013

Japan Angry by Cartoon Linking Fukushima to Olympics

“Thanks to Fukushima, sumo is now an Olympic sport.”

The cartoon shows two sumo wrestlers, each with an extra leg or arm, and missing toes or fingers, facing off with the Fukushima plant in the background as an announcer says, “Thanks to Fukushima, sumo is now an Olympic sport.” It was carried by the French satirical Le Canard Enchaine.

The caption reads: “Thanks to Fukushima, sumo is now an Olympic sport”, a reference to Tokyo’s successful bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.

“This cartoon hurts the feelings of those who suffered through the Great East Japan Earthquake,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, referring to the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that wrecked the Fukushima nuclear plant, triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.

[Surely, “those who suffered through the Great East Japan Earthquake” must be much more hurt by the imbecile government’s woefully inadequate response to the ongoing disaster, than a cartoon depicting their plights. More than 2 years on, some 300,000 people remain displaced. Editor]

“It is inappropriate and gives a wrong impression of the Fukushima contaminated water issue. It is extremely regrettable.”

Suga said Japan would lodge the complaint through the French embassy in Tokyo and that the Foreign Ministry had been directed to “thoroughly explain the situation” to avoid similar incidents.

Disaster Trading

Use FIRE-EARTH Disaster Forecasts at Your Peril

Since early 2011 the blog Moderators have been aware that the disaster forecasts posted on this blog have been used by major financial traders for trading stocks and forex.

In the latest instance, they’ve extrapolated the period between the time when Japan earthquake forecasts and certain other messages were posted on FIRE-EARTH and date of the Great East Japan Earthquake, using the sampling for their so-called “disaster trading.”

Let there be no doubt that the steps we’ve taken to prevent the abuse will continue to foil their attempts.

Related Links

• UPDATE: Japan Megaquake Forecast April 19, 2013

Drought Disaster Declared for 72 Counties in 9 States

Drought Disaster Plagues at least 1,260 Counties across the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 72 additional counties in nine states as agricultural disaster areas due to the ongoing drought.

The latest designations including both primary and contiguous disaster areas are:-

• Texas:   Total of  20 counties including Aransas, Atascosa, Crane, Bexar, Ector, La Salle a, Medin, Refugio, Ward, Calhoun, Frio, Live Oak, Neuces, San Patricio, Wilson, Crockett, Karnes, McMullen, Pecos and Upton.
• Utah: 13 Counties including Piute, Sanpete, Sevier, Beaver, Emery, Juab, Utah, Carbon, Garfield, Millard, Wayne Rich and Summit.
• Montana:  9 Counties including Jefferson, Madison, Beaverhead, Deer Lodge, Lewis and Clark, Silver Bow, Broadwater, Gallatin and Powell.
• Idaho:  7 Counties including Canyon, Owyhee, Payette, Washington, Bear Lake, Bonneville and Cariboulll.
• Nebraska:  6 Counties including Nuckolls, Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Thayer and Webster.
• Nevada: 6 Counties including Humboldt, Eureka, Elko, Lander, Nye and White Pine.
• Wyoming: Lincoln, Uinta, Sublette, Sweetwater and Teton counties.
• Oregon: Malheur, Baker, Grant and Harney counties.
• Kansas: Adams and Clay counties.

U.S. Drought Disaster Map as of May 29, 2013. A total of at least 1,260 counties across 28 states are currently designated as [primary or contiguous] drought disaster areas.

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Declared for 28 Additional Counties in 3 States May 23, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Mass Die-off: Diseased Carcasses Removed by Truckload

Livestock in Ireland decimated by fodder crisis

Livestock are dying in large numbers on farms due to the shortage of grass and fodder, and imported hay “is leaving animals more vulnerable to disease and infection,” said a report.

The number of mortalities of cattle in the first four months of this year has risen by a staggering 31 percent to 152,000, up 36,000 compared with the same period in 2012, according to the official figures released by the Department of Agriculture.

A knackery in east Galway has reported a 100 per cent increase in activity, “with queues of lorries forming to unload carcasses.”

As winter continues to persist over large tracts of the Irish countryside the lack of fodder has left tens of thousands of farmers despondent,  despite large imports of  French hay and British silage, said the report.

The cost to the Irish economy is put at €1bn [$1.3bn,] for the disastrous summer of 2012 and the “everlasting” winter this year.

The disaster has been described as “the single biggest crisis in Irish agriculture for years,” by the Irish Farmers Association deputy president, who described the situation as “very very bad.”

While religious vigils are being held in Counties Cork and Kerry and special Masses in Mayo, with the farmers praying for better weather, a scientist has suggested that the  problem is due to the persistent anti-cyclones that have become “locked” over Ireland bringing cold, dry polar air, instead of the warm moist air from the south which is the norm for this time of year.

“Whether it is due to something that is ‘gone’ in our climate as a result of climate change or not is open to speculation. There is some research linking the location and weakness of the jet stream to the south with the removal of the summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean,” said Prof. John Sweeney of National University of Ireland, Maynooth.

“It is very tentative as yet, but it is being suggested that the loss of all that shiny snow and the warming up of the northern ocean is reducing the need for our depressions to whistle by us as normal. Instead, it is making the jet stream weaker and a bit more inclined to get locked in strange positions.”

• FULL report is posted at Diseased carcasses removed by truckload

Related Links

• How Homo Ignarus Killed Spring Posted on March 21, 2013
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 March 8, 2013

Deadly Tornado Hits Texas

A dozen dead, more than 100 injured as N. Texas tornado flattens scores of homes

A deadly tornado hit Granbury in Hood County, Texas Wednesday night, claiming a dozen lives, injuring more than 100 others and destroying scores of homes.

There are also reports of an unknown number of people being trapped under the debris.

• The powerful twister that hit Hood County was part of a system of severe thunderstorms that spawned at least two other tornadoes across North Texas.

• A spokesman for MedStar Mobile Healthcare, told reporters the tornado had touched down several times in Hood, Tarrant, Dallas and Parker counties.

• “With these types of tornadoes, they touch down; they lift up; they touch down. They tend to hopscotch,” he said.

Three tornadoes hit Hood and Montague counties, northern Texas. Image source: SPC.

Probability (%) of Tornado in May (1980-1994). Source: NSSL/NOAA

The probability of having one or more days with a tornado within 25 miles of a point sometime during a month. The base data for all tornadoes are the reports from 1980-1994 and for significant and violent tornadoes are the reports from 1921-1995. The values are probabilities in percent. Source: Severe Thunderstorms Climatology

Continued …

Global Disasters Uprooted Tens of Millions in 2012

Floods, storms and earthquakes forced 32.4 million people to flee their homes

At least 32.4 million people were forced to flee their homes in 2012 by floods, storms and earthquakes,  according to a new report released by the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC).

8 Mega Disasters, events causing more than one million
people to lose their homes, accounted for 68% of all global
displacement in 2012. —IDMC

• Asia and west and central Africa were the worst affected regions, however, at least 1.3 million were displaced in rich countries, with the USA particularly affected, said the report.

• “98% of all displacement in 2012 was related to climate- and weather-related events, with flood disasters in India and Nigeria accounting for 41% of global displacement in 2012. In India, monsoon floods displaced 6.9 million, and in Nigeria 6.1 million people were newly displaced. While over the past five years 81% of global displacement has occurred in Asia, in 2012 Africa had a record high for the region of 8.2 million people newly displaced, over four times more than in any of the previous four years.”

Top ten countries with most displacement in 2012. Source: Global estimates 2012| People displaced by disasters

• United States was among the top ten countries with the highest levels of new displacement, with nearly one million people being forced to abandon their homes in 2012.

• Displacement in poorer countries accounted for 98% of the global five year total, the report said.

In 2012, an estimated 32.4 million people in 82 countries
were newly displaced by disasters; 144 million over five years

Top 20 countries with the most displacement over 2008-2012. Source: Global estimates 2012| People displaced by disasters – IDMC

• “In countries already facing the effects of conflict and food insecurity such as in Nigeria, Pakistan, and South Sudan, we observe a common theme” says Clare Spurrell, Chief Spokesperson for IDMC. “Here, vulnerability to disaster triggered by floods is frequently further compounded by hunger, poverty and violence; resulting in a ‘perfect storm’ of risk factors that lead to displacement.″

A villager sits in front of his destroyed house after floodwaters receded on July 22, 2012 in Beijing, China. Photo: ChinaFotoPress/ChinaFoto-Press via Getty Images/IDMC report.

The vast majority of this displacement (98 per cent in 2012;
83 per cent over five years) was triggered by climate- and
 weather-related hazards such as floods, storms and wildfires.
2012 had the lowest level of dis-placement due to geophysical 
disasters for five years; around 680,000 people were displaced
by earthquake and volcanic eruption disasters.

DISASTER CALENDAR – May 14, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,033 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,033 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

U.S. Drought Update: ‘Exceptional Drought’ Expands

‘Severe’ and ‘Exceptional Drought’ levels expand, little change in overall U.S. drought extent

US Drought Map as of April 30, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on May 2, 2013.

U.S. Precipitation Map –  Apr. 25, 2013 – May 1, 2013

 

Percent of Normal Precipitation

 

Related Links

• Drought Disaster Spreads to Counties in 5 States May 2, 2013
• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

Drought Disaster Declared for 10 Additional Counties in 2 States

Ten counties in Iowa and Minnesota declared drought disaster areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 10 counties in Iowa and Minnesota as [primary and contiguous] agricultural disaster areas  due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.

• Iowa
  • Kossuth County (primary)
  • Emmet, Humboldt, Pocahontas, Wright, Hancock, Palo Alto and Winnebago counties.
• Minnesota
  • Faribault and Martin counties (contiguous)

U.S. Drought Map – March 19, 2013

U.S. Drought Map for March 19, 2013; released by the U.S. Drought Monitor on March 21, 2013.

• As of about 65.24 percent of Contiguous U.S. remains abnormally dry or worse.
• ‘Moderate’ to ‘Exceptional’ drought conditions (D1 – D4 on the chart) cover nearly 52 percent of the country.
• D1 – D4 drought conditions prevail in 91.29 percent of High Plains, more than 63 pct of the West, 58.96 pct of the South, 33.30 pct of Midwest and 23.24pct of Southeast.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• U-S Drought 2013: Fueled by Heat from Hell? January 31, 2013 [FIRE-EARTH Forecast]
• US: Drought Disaster 2013 [Index Page]

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March 21, 2013 — DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,087 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,087 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Disaster declared due to drought, derecho, extreme weather, Hurricane Sandy, snowstorm, nor’easter

U.S. Disasters 2013: Drought, derecho, hail, excessive heat, excessive rain, flash flooding, Hurricane Sandy, a snowstorm and a nor’easter

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 21 counties in 4 states—New Jersey, Delaware,  New York, and Pennsylvania—as natural disaster areas, both primary and contiguous, due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of drought, high winds (derecho), hail, excessive heat, excessive rain, flash flooding, Hurricane Sandy, a snowstorm and a nor’easter that occurred during the period of June 28 – November 8, 2012.

As of February 13, prior to the latest designations, about 980 counties, nearly a third of all U.S. counties, had been designated for 2013 crop disaster losses, USDA reported.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• US: Drought Disaster 2013

Mississippi Disaster Declaration

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on February 10, 2013, and continuing.

• The worst affected areas are Forrest and Lamar Counties.

Related Links

• U.S. Tornadoes and Solomon Islands Tsunami Updates February 12, 2013

• Tornadoes Destroy Hundreds of Buildings in Mississippi, Alabama February 11, 2013
• Next Blizzard Targets Northern Plains February 10, 2013
• States of Emergency Declared in 6 States Amid Blizzard  February 9, 2013
• America Under Siege by Forces of Nature  February 8, 2013

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February 15, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,121 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,121 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Drought Disaster Declared in 56 Counties

Drought Disaster Extends to Georgia and Florida Counties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 51 counties in Georgia and 5 counties in Florida as drought disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought. The designations include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

U.S. Drought Disaster Map as of February 13, 2013. Source: USDA

Map of primary and contiguous designations for 2012 crop losses, as of February 13, 2013

Disaster Designation Information (USDA Web)

• Disaster Map Crop Year 2013, (PDF, 517 KB) February 13, 2013 | Text-Only (accessible) Version (1KB)
• Disaster Map Crop Year 2012, (PDF, 514 KB) February 13, 2013 | Text-Only (accessible) Version (1KB)
• Download Disaster Designations Map Drought Specific for 2012, (PDF, 505 KB) February 13, 2013 | Text-Only (accessible) Version (1KB)
• Download Disaster Designations Map Drought Specific for 2013, (PDF, 518 KB) February 13, 2013 | Text-Only (accessible) Version (1KB)

List of drought designated areas  Primary and Contiguous Counties in PDF File Format:

• Listing of Disaster Designated Counties 2013, (PDF, 1.0 MB) February 13, 2013
• Listing of Disaster Designated Counties 2012, (PDF, 566 KB) February 13, 2013
• Listing of Disaster Designated Counties, Drought Specific, (PDF, 145 KB) February 13, 2013.
• Listing of Disaster Designated Counties, Drought Specific for 2013, (PDF, 1.1 MB) February 13, 2013.

U.S. Drought Map

In the week to February 12, the area covered by drought levels D1 to D4 receded by about 1 percent.

Drought Map for Contiguous U.S. dated February 12, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on February 14.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• US: Drought Disaster 2013

.

February 14, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,122 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,122 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

U.S. Drought Disaster Spreads to Counties Across 8 States

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,129 Days Left 

[February 7, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,129 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

USDA declares 58 additional counties across 8 states drought disaster areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 58 counties in 8 states as primary and contiguous disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the recent drought.

• The latest disaster list includes counties in the states of Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Nevada, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

Drought Impact Reporter

Drought Map for Contiguous U.S. dated February 5, 2013, released by US Drought Monitor on February 7.

Drought Links

• Drought Disaster 2013

U.S. Northeast

Major winter storm is forecast for parts of the Northeast and New England Friday into Saturday. “This Nor’easter-type storm system will bring strong winds and heavy snow to the region. Eastern New England will see the greatest effects, and a Blizzard Watch has been issued for Boston and surrounding areas.” NOAA reported.

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Dense Smog Continues Choking Much of China

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,135 Days Left 

[February 1, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,135 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Entombed in smog:  Capital Beijing, 7 major cities and at least 6 populous provinces

Large parts of China major cities and populous provinces continued choking in hazardous smog, as air pollution warnings remained in effect on Thursday, said a report.

The worst affects areas are the capital Beijing, Tianjin municipality, Shijiazhuang, Jinan, Shanghai, Shenyang and Harbin cities, with heavy smog also reported in Hebei, Henan, Shandong, Liaoning and Jiangsu provinces.

• The visibility has dropped significantly, forcing the authorities to cancel flights and shut down expressways.
  

• “[China] is experiencing for the first time smog of such magnitude, spanning from the north all the way to the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta,” said vice president for Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.

China Smog Links

• Beijing Buried in Heavy Smog – Take 4 January 29, 2013
• Heavy Smog Entombs Beijing Again   January 23, 2013
• Breathtaking Beijing January 14, 2013
• Hazardous Air Warnings in Beijing as Landslide Kills Dozens in SW China January 12, 2013

United States

Deadly storms move to U.S. Northeast

High wind generated by the 1,000-mile long storm system, stretching from New Orleans to Buffalo, cut power to hundreds of thousands of customers  in the northeast.

• Torrential rains have triggered flash floods in several areas throughout the northeast.

• Georgia declared a state of emergency in Bartow and Gordon counties, after an EF-3 tornado destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes, killing at least 1 person and injuring 17 others, some of them critically.
  • The worst affected town was southwestern Georgia town of Adairsville.

ADAIRSVILLE TORNADO

A SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM THAT TRACKED ACROSS NORTHWEST BARTOW AND CENTRAL GORDON
COUNTIES FROM APPROXIMATELY 1115 AM TO 1155 AM ON WEDNESDAY… JANUARY 30 2013.

RATING:                 HIGH END EF-3 (136 TO 165 MPH)
ESTIMATED PEAK WIND:    160 MPH
PATH LENGTH /STATUTE/:  21.8 MILES
PATH WIDTH /MAXIMUM/:   900 YARDS
FATALITIES:             1
INJURIES:               17 /9 IN BARTOW…8 IN GORDON/ (NWS)

• Pulaski County declares state of emergency, evacuations ordered

NWS has confirmed the following tornadoes and straight-line winds in Kentucky:

• EF-1 tornado in Orange County at 1:47am
• EF-0 tornado in Meade County at 4:05am
• EF-0 tornado in Harrison County, IN and Jefferson County, KY at  4:17am
• EF-2 tornado in Warren County
• Tornado in Barren County
• EF-0 tornado in Marion County at 5:42am

Australia

Disaster declared in NSW

The Premier of NSW and the Prime Minister of Australia have jointly declared the council areas of Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca, Richmond Valley, and Tweed as natural disaster areas.declare the council areas of Ballina, Bellingen, Byron, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Kyogle, Lismore, Nambucca, Richmond Valley, and Tweed as natural disaster areas due to losses and damage caused by flooding.

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Drought Expands in the U.S. Plains

Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma plagued by severe drought or worse

Severe drought has spread to 87.25 percent of the High Plains, up from 86.20 percent previous week, with 61.27 percent of the region rated in extreme drought, up from 60.25 percent.

• The entire land area in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma is currently affected by severe drought or worse.

U.S. Drought Map for 15 January 2013, released by U.S. Drought Monitor on January 17, 2013.

About 58.87 percent of the contiguous United States was in at least “moderate” drought as of January 15, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Oklahoma declares a state of emergency amid persistent drought

About 16,000 residents in rural Payne, Pawnee, and Lincoln counties are running out of water, prompting emergency managers to declare states of emergency.

• The water level at Lone Chimney Lake, the area’s only source, has dropped under four feet—11.5 feet below normal, reports said.

• “This month the small Oklahoma farming town of Wapanucka lost water completely when the spring-fed wells the community relies on ran dry. Officials closed schools and residents had to do without tap water until the town could run a line to a neighboring water district.”

“Last summer’s extreme weather locked two-thirds of the U.S. continental land mass in severe drought, cutting production of the biggest crop, corn, by 27 percent from early-season estimates,” said a report.

Drought Links

• Drought & Deluge 2013

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

.

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,149 Days Left 

[January 18, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,149 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …

.

Typhoon BOPHA: Philippines Ongoing Disaster

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,151 Days Left 

[January 16, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,151 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 …

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

1,000,000 people need food assistance: UN OCHA

Typhoon BOPHA (locally known as Pablo) made landfall in Mindanao on 4 December 2012, leaving a trail of destruction.

• BOPHA affected more than 6.2 million people, leaving about 1 million homeless [835,934 displaced people outside evacuation centers and 7,524
  displaced people inside evacuation centers, according to the latest update by Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Center (DROMIC), dated Jan 7, 2013. ]
• “An estimated 1,000,000 people are in need of food assistance. Of these, the Government has requested Food Security Cluster support for 400,000 critically affected people, taking into account also the support provided by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).” UN-OCHA reporetd.
• The typhoon killed at least 1,067 people, with 834 others reported as missing.
• The deadly typhoon destroyed or damaged 216,817 homes, and much of the region’s infrastructure.
• Much of the damage occurred in the two provinces of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.

Typhoon BOPHA Links

• Super Typhoon BOPHA Targets Philippines Posted on December 1, 2012
• BOPHA to Plow thru Palau Posted on December 2, 2012
• TY BOPHA Leaves Hundreds Dead or Missing Posted on December 5, 2012
• TY BOPHA Leaves Hundreds Dead or Missing Posted on December 5, 2012
• TY BOPHA: 250,000 Homeless, 500 Dead, 400 Missing Posted on Dec 6, 2012
• State of National Calamity Declared in the Philippines due to BOPHA Posted on Dec 9, 2012

United States

• Nevada. Gov.  Sandoval has declared a state of emergency due to the extreme cold.
  • Las Vegas set a record low for its daytime high temperature of 38 degrees (~ 3ºC) on Monday.
  • Several western states have been hit by a record-setting cold wave since last week.

• Tennessee. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) has declared a state of emergency in Tennessee as freezing rain and ice storms hit most of the U.S.  mid-south.
  • Up to half inch of ice could coat power lines and roadways across Tennessee, TEMA said.

• Mississippi. Gov Bryant has declared a state of emergency in several counties hit by a severe wintry ice storm.
  • At least 45 counties had reported being affected by the storms, governor’s office said.

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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