Disasters Displace 3 Percent of World Population in 7 Years

One person displaced by a disaster every second, while one in every 122 humans is a refugee!

An estimated one person has been displaced by a disaster every second since 2008, with 19.3 million people forced to flee their homes in 2014 alone.

In 2014, 17.5 million people were forced to flee their homes due to disasters caused by extreme  weather events such as storms and flooding, while 1.7 million by geophysical hazards, especially earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, said  the Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in its global report released this week.

The report argues that these drivers are increasing the number of people becoming displaced, and the risk that their displacement becomes a long-term problem. Today, the likelihood of being displaced by a disaster is 60% higher than it was four decades ago, and an analysis of 34 cases reveals that disaster displacement can last for up to 26 years.

People in both rich and poor countries can be caught in protracted, or long-term, displacement. In the US, over 56,000 people are still in need of housing assistance following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, and 230,000 people have been unable to establish new homes in Japan following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident.

Disasters displaced more than 19.3 million people in 100 countries last year, according to the NRC report.

• Since 2008, an average of 26.4 million people have been displaced by disasters each year—equivalent to one person displaced every second.
• Asia, home to 60% of the world’s population, and with 16.7 million people displaced, accounted for 87 per cent of the global total in 2014.
• China, India and the Philippines experienced the highest levels of displacement in absolute terms, both in 2014 and for the 2008 to 2014 period.
• Displacements of fewer than 100,000 people made up 95.4 per cent of the events recorded in 2014, but only 17 percent of the total number displaced.
• Disasters caused by extreme weather events accounted for 86 percent of all displacements  in the 7-year report period (2008 to 2014), with the remaining 14 percent being due to geophysical events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
• In 2014, Europe experienced double its average level of displacement for the past seven years. 190,000 people were displaced in 2014, mostly by flood disasters in the Balkans.

Via NRC/ IDMC. Japan’s triple disasters, Tōhoku earthquake, the massive tsunami and the nuclear meltdowns, forced more than 470,000 people to flee their homes, and four years later about 230,000 are still displaced. [The monkey government of warmongering Shinzo Abe is more interested in throwing obscene amounts of money at the arms industry, instead of building new homes for its displaced and traumatized people.] “The mental and physical health of IDPs has also deteriorated. A 2015 survey of evacuees revealed that many from both inside and outside official evacuation zones were suffering from sleeping disorders, anxiety, loneliness and depression. Fukushima is the only prefecture where the number of deaths resulting from health issues and suicides related to the disaster has exceeded the toll from the direct impacts of the earthquake and tsunami.”

World at War: One in Every 122 Humans is a Refugee

UNHCR’s annual Global Trends Report: World at War, released on June 18, 2015 said that worldwide displacement in 2014 was at the highest level ever recorded.

An astounding 59.5 million people, a population the size of Canada and Australia combined, were forcibly displaced at the end of 2014, compared to 51.2 million a year earlier and 37.5 million ten years ago.

Deadly Heatwaves Plague Europe

Extreme heat continues to scorch much of Europe, killing hundreds and igniting forest fires in Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain…

Health authorities in Italy have issued a level-3 “red alert” for at least 22 cities, while the fire authorities in Liguria placed the entire region under a forest fire alert as the elevated temperatures brought by the latest heatwave dubbed “Caronte,” and dry conditions posed significant risks.

Record temperatures in northwestern Italy have killed at least 140 senior citizens during the first ten days of July, according to data from the environmental agency, Arpa Piedmont, said a report.

“July 2015 has everything it takes to be among the hottest ever,” says a meteorologist with 3bmeteo. “[We are experiencing]  the most intense heat wave in 70 years.”

The extreme heat has caused a fall in production across Italian farms. Milk production in Italy fell by more than 50 million in the first two weeks of July due to the heat stressing the dairy cows, said a report.

Temperatures in many parts of Europe have been persistently above average by as much as 6ºC for more than three weeks.

Some 60,000 residents of Troyes, a town in the Champagne region of France, woke up in a sweat as the temperature climbed from 24ºC to 33°C, an increase of 9ºC (or 16.2 degrees F), in just one hour (between midnight and 1.00 am), in a phenomena called a heat burst, said a report.

An earlier heatwave that hit France between June 29 and July 5 left 700 dead and thousands more hospitalized, said a report quoting the country’s Ministry of Health.

 Related Links

• Heatwave grips Europe (video clip, external link)
• Wildfires ravage Spain amid record heatwave (external link)

Drought Destroys Crops in Florida, Idaho , Montana, Utah, Washington & Puerto Rico

Drought Disaster: Crop Disasters Declared for 90 U.S. counties and municipalities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 76 additional counties across five states—Florida, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Washington—as well as 14 municipalities in Puerto Rico, as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by drought.

The disaster designations are as follows:

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #1

• Florida: Broward, Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #2

• Idaho: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Lewis, Latah, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties.
• Montana: Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula and Sanders counties.
• Washington: Pend Oreille, Spokane and Whitman counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #3

• Montana: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Pondera, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Silver Bow, Teton and Toole counties.
• Idaho: Bonner, Clark, Fremont, Lemhi, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho and Shoshone counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #4

• Puerto Rico: Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cayey, Cidra, Gurabo, Juncos, Las Piedras, Patillas, San Juan, San Lorenzo, Trujillo Alto and Yabucoa municipalities.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #5

• Utah: Duchesne, Salt Lake, Summit, Utah and Wasatch counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #6

• Washington:  Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Spokane, Stevens, Whatcom and Whitman counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 1,451 counties across 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

USDA has also designated 14 municipalities in Puerto Rico as drought disaster areas.

About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations so far are due to drought.

Crop Disasters 2014

In 2014, USDA declared crop disasters in at least 2,904 counties across 44 states. Most of the designations were due to drought.

Those states were:

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan. Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings. See blog content.]

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

ii. The counties designated as agricultural disaster areas, as listed above, include both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. Some counties may have been designated as crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

iv. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

v. The disaster designations posted above were approved by USDA on July 15, 2015 .

Related Links

• U.S. Drought: Crop Disaster Declared for Idaho Counties July 10, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Six U.S. States July 2, 2015
• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Severe Freezing Destroy Crops in 7 States June 25, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Floods Devastate Malawi, Affecting 638,000 People

Malawi Floods Situation Report  by UNOCHA, UNICEF and FAO

28 January 2015

• Some 638,000 people affected countrywide, according to Department of Disaster Management Affairs/OCHA situation report 23 January 2015

• [More than ¼ million people have been displaced in Malawi floods including] 174,000 in 3 most affected districts—Chikwawa, Nsanje and Phalombe.

• At least 15 of country’s 28 districts are affected.

• 79 deaths have been reported.

• At least 153 people missing in Nsanje District.

• 181 Schools occupied by displaced people (Reports from District Education Managers 26 .01.15)

• An estimated 116,000 households have lost their crops and livestock.

• More than 63,000 hectares of land is submerged under floodwater, including 35,000 hectares of cropland.

• A state of emergency has been declared for 15 of Malawi’s 28 districts.

• Floods have destroyed thousands of homes, washing away scores of livestock, and submerging hundreds of hectares of crops, a senior official said.

• Untold numbers of goats and chickens have perished where waters rose with unexpected speed, raising the risk of livestock disease outbreaks.

FIRE-EARTH Models show that Malawi is facing its worst ever flooding.

Related Links

• Malawi Floods Devastate Half the Country January 17, 2015
• Disaster Declared as Deadly Floods Swamp Third of Malawi January 14, 2015
• Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi January 11, 2015

Malawi Floods Devastate Half the Country

500 Dead or missing, ¼ million displaced in Malawi floods

Malawi floods are a “national tragedy that urgently needs both local and international response,” the president has said.

The floods have devastated half the the country’s 28 districts, destroying thousands of homes, washing away scores of livestock, and submerging hundreds of hectares of crops, a senior official said.

Last week, the Malawi president declared more than a third of the country disaster areas, as torrential rains inundated large swathes of land, destroying crops, homes, roads, railroads and other infrastructure.

“I flew over some parts of the Lower Shire but we could not find anywhere to land,” said the country’s vice president. “It’s a big challenge we have before us.”

“Most of Nsanje and East Bank are submerged under two to three meters of water, which has transformed these vast plains into a giant lake engulfing houses and bridges,” said Doctors Without Borders’ mission head in Malawi’s south, AP reported.

“Sanitation will be compromised now with waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid likely to occur,” said Malawi’s health ministry spokesman.

“Sanitation will be compromised now with waterborne diseases such as cholera, dysentery and typhoid likely to occur.”

Death and devastation in Mozambique

Malawi shares a river system with neighboring Mozambique, where floods have displaced up to 20,000 families, killing at least 52 people.

Related Links

• Disaster Declared as Deadly Floods Swamp Third of Malawi January 14, 2015
• Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi January 11, 2015

‘Breathtaken’ Beijing Besotted by Beastly Smog (AGAIN)

ENVIRONMENTAL HOLOCAUST
DEADLY AIR POLLUTION
APOCALYPTIC SMOG
SCENARIOS 797, 699, 444, 404, 402, 222
.

China issues a “yellow alert” as  deadly air pollution lingers in Beijing

Air pollution has again soared to hazardous levels in Beijing since Saturday, reaching nearly 30 times the limit recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Levels of deadly PM2.5 particulates in Beijing climbed to 546 micrograms per cubic meter on Thursday.

A government official in Sichuan Province has blamed the persistent smog on smoking bacon, the traditional method of preserving pork meat and sausages in the region, said the official Xinhua news agency.

However, independent experts put the blame for the city smog squarely on car emissions, construction and industrial production.

A formula for calculating the AQI from the concentrations of various air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, O3, CO, SO2, NO2 …)  is posted HERE.

Smog related links

• Red Tides Attack Shenzhen; Beijing Issues Air Pollution Alert November 25, 2014
• Hazardous Smog Shrouds Beijing, North China (AGAIN) October 9, 2014
• Besotted by Beijing
• Killing Life in Beijing March 26, 2014

• 7 Million People Killed by Air Pollution in 2012 March 25, 2014
• EU Capitals Rivaling Beijing Air Pollution March 16, 2014
• Chinese Cities Unfit for Living March 8, 2014
• You’ve Created a World Unfit for Living February 28, 2014
• Apocalyptic Smog Covers 10 Percent of China February 25, 2014
• Hazardous Smog Continues Choking N China  February 24, 2014
• Beijing 398  February 23, 2014
• Derisory “Yellow Alert” as Brown Smog Bears on Beijing February 21, 2014
• Smog and Mirrors in Beijing February 16, 2014

65% of Africa’s Arable Land ‘Too Damaged’ for Food Production

NO ORDINARY MATTER:

Soil degradation affecting 180 million people in SSA alone

The impacts of land degradation in Africa are substantial: 65% of arable land, 30% of grazing land and 20% of forests are too damaged for food production, according to a report published by the Montpellier Panel—a group of agriculture, ecology and trade experts from Africa and Europe.

“Affecting nearly one-third of the earth’s land area, land degradation reduces the productive capacity of agricultural land by eroding topsoil and depleting nutrients resulting in enormous environmental, social and economic costs. In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) an estimated 180 million people are affected, while the economic loss due to land degradation is estimated at $68 billion per year.”

Types of soil degradation in Africa. Source: MONTPELLIER PANEL December 2014 Report.  Read more…

 Related Links

• YESTERDAY Was World Soil Day 2014 December 6, 2014

Disaster Declared as Deadly Floods Swamp Third of Malawi

Floods Kill Many in Malawi and Mozambique

At least 52 people have been killed and about 50,000 forced to flee their homes amid severe flooding in Malawi, UNOCHA reported.

Authorities have declared more than a third of the country disaster areas, as torrential rains inundated large swathes of land, destroying crops, homes, roads, railroads and other infrastructure.

Heavy rain is expected to continue for at least another week or so, forecasters said.

“People have fled into schools and churches on higher ground, others are in the open because there is not enough space,” a senior official  told  the AP.

Mozambique

The National Institute for Disaster Management activated institutional orange alert country wide. A total of 9,652 families have been affected, with Maputo city, Gaza, Nampula and Cabo Delgado provinces being most affected.

A group of 25 schoolchildren were swept away by floodwaters earlier this week, said reports.

Zimbabwe

Heavy rains have been falling throughout Zimbabwe since early December 2014. According to the Department of Civil Protection, 11 deaths were reported and over 1,500 people have been affected by rainfall and flooding country-wide.

Related Links

• Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi January 11, 2015

Thousands Displaced by Deadly Floods in Malawi

Deadly floods force thousands out of their homes

At least 6 people are dead and thousands more displaced after severe flooding triggered by extreme rain events submerged large regions across  the southeast African country, nicknamed “The Warm Heart of Africa.”

The disasters have been described as national crisis, but the authorities have yet to declare a state of emergency, said reports.

The extreme weather events have destroyed more than a thousand homes and thousands of hectares of crops.

“The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services has warned of high rainfall amounts which will eventually trigger flash floods in the country for the next two to three weeks,” said a report.

2014 U.S. Temperature Tops 20th-Century Average (Again)

DISASTERS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
RISING TEMPERATURES
EXTREME WET & EXTREME DRY CONDITIONS
ECOLOGICAL COLLAPSE
SPECIES EXTINCTION 
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, 808, 800, 797,  777, 666, 560, 555, 444, 300, 123, 117, 114, 111, 101, 100, 097, 090, 080, 078, 071, 067, 066, 047, 033, 027, 025, 024, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 04, 03, 02, 01
.

2014 U.S. temperature tops 20^th-century average for the 18^th consecutive year

Contiguous U.S. experienced its 2nd warmest December on record, according to the State of the Climate Summary Information released by NOAA National Climatic Data Center.

Highlights from the Summary Report

• During December, the average contiguous U.S. temperature was 37.1°F, 4.5°F above the 20^th century average.
• Eight weather and climate disasters exceeded $1 billion in damages each and resulted in 53 fatalities. The events included the western U.S. drought, the Michigan & Northeast flooding event, five severe storm events, and one winter storm event.
• 2014 annual average contiguous U.S. temperature was 52.6°F, 0.5°F above the 20^th century average.
• The temperature exceeded the 20^th Century average for the 18^th consecutive year.
• The average contiguous U.S. precipitation was 30.76 inches, 0.82 inch above average.

Damage from eight weather and climate disasters in U.S. exceeded $1 billion each

In 2014, there were 8 weather and climate disaster events with losses exceeding $1 billion each across the United States. These events included a drought event, a flooding event, 5 severe storm events, and a winter storm event. Overall, these events resulted in the deaths of 53 people and had significant economic effects on the areas impacted. Further cost data and figures on individual events in 2014 will be announced in mid-2015. The U.S. has sustained 178 weather and climate disasters since 1980 where overall damages/costs reached or exceeded $1 billion (including CPI adjustment to 2014). The total cost of these 178 events exceeds $1 trillion. Source: NOAA/NCDC.

NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate: National Overview for December 2014, published online January 2015, retrieved on January 10, 2015 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/national/2014/12.

Related Links (Most Recent)

• Year-to-Date Global Temperature Highest on Record December 16, 2014
• Global Temperature Breaks October Record: Report November 29, 2014
• Global Temperature Reaches Record High in September: NOAA October 21, 2014
• August Global Temperature Breaks Record September 20, 2014
• Hottest June on Record Posted on July 22, 2014
• May Global Temperature Reaches All-time High Posted on June 24, 2014
• Warmest Winter on Record Deepens California Drought Posted on March 18, 2014
• December Ocean Temperature 2nd Warmest Posted on January 23, 2010
• Global Temperature Analysis Posted on January 22, 2014

 

Largest ‘Natural Disasters’ in 2014 Cost $110B: Munich Re

2014 Costliest Catastrophes: Cyclone HUDHUD, Storms, Floods, Earthquake, Drought

Some 980 disasters left at least 7,700 people dead globally and cost about $110 billion in damages, according to Munich Re.

The five costliest ‘natural catastrophes’ were Cyclone HUDHUD in India (cost of $7 billion), winter damage in Japan ( $5.9 billion), floods in India & Pakistan ($5.1 billion), earthquake in China ($5 billion) and drought in Brazil ($5 billion), said the reinsurance company based in Munich, Germany.

The greatest losses in North America last year were due to an unusually cold winter, with heavy frost lasting for weeks in many parts of the USA and Canada, as well as heavy snowfalls and blizzards, especially on the East Coast, said a report.

Total cost of damage and the economic loss from a magnitude 6.0 earthquake that struck Napa Valley, California on 24 August was more than $700m.

[Source: Münchener Rückversicherungs – Gesellschaft, Geo Risks Research, NatCatSERVICE]

[NOTE: The above report by Munich Re appears to be limited in scope. FIRE-EARTH]

Large Wildfire Threatens Homes in Victoria, Australia

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
MAJOR EMERGENCY DECLARED
RISING TEMPERATURES
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
MASS EVACUATIONS
LOSS OF HABITAT
LOSS OF CROPS & LIVESTOCK
SCENARIOS 900, 800, 555, 444, 111, 101, 100, 080, 071, 070, 03, 02
.

Emergency warning  issued as wildfire threatens homes in Victoria, Australia

The warning has been issued for towns Mockinya, Nurrabiel, Telangatuk and Toolondo in northwestern portion of the state of Victoria, said reports.

“Private properties north of the Black Range State Park and the Mt Talbot area could be impacted anytime within the next hour,” said  a warning by the country fire authority (CFA) .

The “fast moving, out of control” wildfire has consumed more than 1,500 hectares and was traveling north from the Black Range State Forest in the Southern Grampians, having reached the Mt Talbot Reserve, said the local media.

South Australia

Meantime, another major blaze has destroyed or damaged dozens of homes and numerous outbuildings in the state of South Australia.

“More than 700 firefighters from SA, New South Wales and Victoria continue to secure the blaze ahead of 38 degree Celsius temperatures forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday,” said a report..

Social media have reported looting  in the areas affected by wildfire.

Related Links

• Major Emergency Declared as Wildfires Devour Homes in S. Australia January 3, 2015

State of Oceans Rapidly Deteriorating

Ocean health is being destroyed fast

Health of the oceans is deteriorating even faster than had previously been thought, says a report.

The world’s oceans are facing multiple threats including:

• Impacts of climate change
• Acidification
• Overfishing
• Habitat destruction
• Detrimental resource extractions
• Marine pollution
• Dead Zones
• Alien species introduction
• Loss of  Fisheries

The oceans are being heated by climate change, turned less alkaline (more acidic) by absorbing ever increasing volumes of CO2, made less habitable by pollution and depopulated of marine lifeforms due to overfishing.

The size of dead zones are increasing globally due to fertilizer run-off.

‘Biggest Threat’

“The biggest threat to our Ocean’s health is climate change, with its twin super-dangers of rising sea temperatures and acidification,” says a review released by the International Program on the State of the Ocean (IPSO).

Ocean’s Health

This affects everyone, because—just like the climate—the Ocean forms one of the key operating systems of our planet. It creates more than half our oxygen, drives weather systems and modulates the atmosphere, as well as providing us with vital resources. So the Ocean functions at a fundamental ‘Earth System’ level, transcending national borders to help maintain life everywhere on Earth.

‘Extinction Risk’

“The Ocean has already absorbed more than 80% of the heat added to the climate system and around 33% of the carbon dioxide emitted by humans. Ecosystems are collapsing as species are pushed to extinction and natural habitats are destroyed,” said IPSO.

There are growing concerns based on recent research that past extinctions had involved warming seas, acidification and low oxygen levels. All of which are on the rise today, the IPSO co-coordinator, Prof Alex Rogers, told BBC News.

We are taking about 80-90 million metric tons of fish from the Ocean each year (9,000-10,000 tons every hour), he said. “The fishing methods used – as well as the sheer scale of the plunder – are having devastating effects on both the fish targeted and virtually all other marine creatures, from seabirds to coral.”

 

Major Emergency Declared as Wildfires Devour Homes in S. Australia

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
MAJOR EMERGENCY DECLARED
RISING TEMPERATURES
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
MASS EVACUATIONS
LOSS OF HABITAT
LOSS OF CROPS & LIVESTOCK
SCENARIOS 900, 800, 555, 444, 111, 101, 100, 080, 071, 070, 03, 02
.

Thousands flee their homes in S Australia as massive blaze burns towards multiple communities

Dozens of homes are feared lost as a massive out-of-control fire burning on multiple fronts threatens lives and property in the state of  South Australia.

The city of Adelaide Hills [Population: ~ 30,000] remains siege as the 10,000-hectare out-of-control Sampson Flat fire in the Mount Lofty Ranges threatens dozens of communities, reported ABC Australia.

A major emergency has been declared, with the fire conditions described as the worst since Ash Wednesday in 1983, when a monster blaze killed more than 75 people in the states of South Australia and Victoria and destroyed 2,300 homes.

In February 2009, the so-called “Black Saturday” bushfires claimed 173 lives and destroyed more than 2,000 homes in Victoria. A total of 12 bushfires are burning out of control across Victoria, comprising about 26 blazes,  covering up to 225,000 hectare of land.

 

Sampson Flat fire front in the Adelaide Hills approaches goats and geese in a field. Photo from firefighter Eugene Klaebe taken on January 3, 2015. User submitted: Eugene Klaebe/ via ABC (au)

2013 confirmed as Australia’s hottest year on record: Australia BoM

• Average temperatures were 1.20°C above the long-term average of 21.8°C, breaking the previous record set in 2005 by 0.17°C.
• All states and territories recorded above average temperatures in 2013, with Western Australia, Northern Territory and South Australia breaking their previous annual average temperature records.

 

2014: The Year of Massacre

GENOCIDE
TERRORISM
FOREIGN-AIDED INSURGENCY
MASS MURDER
MASS DISPLACEMENT
MAJOR DISASTERS
SCENARIOS 911, 808, 606, 600, [500,] 444, 411, 202, 201, 080, 070, 069, 04, 03, 02
.

76,000 Killed in Syria’s deadliest year yet

Some 76,021 people were killed in the war on Syria last year. A total of 33,278 of the victims were civilians, including 3,501 children, according a UK-based group that calls itself “Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.”

[NOTE: Neither, the group’s credentials and their special interests, if any, nor their figures can be independently verified.]

The total number of casualties since the beginning of the 4-year attempt to destroy Syria is over 190,000, according to the UN figures.

More than 10 million people have been displaced, including 3.3 million who have fled to neighboring countries.

At least 50% of the Syrians live in extreme poverty.

Iraq

Meantime, the Iraqi government has released its figure for the ongoing casualties of George W. Bush’s war on Iraq (episode 2014):

• Killed violently:  15,538 people
• Wounded:  22,000+

Iraq Body Count (IBC), another UK-based NGO, has released its higher figure of 17,073 civilian deaths.

IBC says the number of civilians killed in Iraq in 2014 doubled from 9,743 in 2013, and almost quadrupled compared to 2012 (recorded violent deaths: 4,622).

However, the IBC figures “do not include combatant deaths, which even by the most cautious tallies have also seen a sharp rise in 2014,” said the group.

“During 2014 Iraq Body Count (IBC) recorded 17,049 civilian deaths from violence. This is the third highest civilian death toll after 2006 and 2007, and some months exceeding even those years’,” said IBC.

Afghanistan

The number of civilians killed and wounded in Afghanistan violence  during the first eleven months of this year was 9,617, with 3,188 people  killed and 6,429 others wounded, said the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

“Children civilian casualties increased 33 per cent compared to 2013, with casualties among women up 12 per cent […] current projections indicate that 2014 will be the first year that the [reported] civilian casualty count will pass 10,000,” said the UN.

At least 4,634 Afghan police and military personnel were also killed in 2014, and thousands more wounded.

Related Links

• Iraq violence killed 1,468 in November: Report December 2, 2014
• Homs After Posted  on June 10, 2014
• 9.3 Million Syrians Displaced March 15, 2014
• Syria Terror: Children “Targeted by Snipers” November 24, 2013
• Polio Outbreak in Syria Risks Spreading October 29, 2013
• Drought Driving Syria to Collapse September 11, 2010

5.5 Pct of Sri Lankans Affected by Deadly Floods, Landslides

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS & LANDSLIDES
CROP DISASTERS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Daily Situation Report – Sri Lanka Disaster Management Center

Extreme rains, deadly floods and landslides affect 1.1 million in Sri Lanka  

Extreme rain events, deadly floods and landslides across Sri Lanka have affected 5.5% of the population, or 1,121,579 persons (311,623 families), leaving at least 39 people dead, 20 injured and 2 missing since December 20, reported the country’s Disaster Management Center.

The disasters have destroyed 6,500 homes and damaged 18,013 others, displacing at least 50,832 people across 22 of the country’s 29 districts, said the report.

The town of Batticaloa is the worst hit with more than 30,000 people displaced, officials have said.

The towns of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa in the north central province, Sri Lanka’s largest rice-producing region, have experienced severe flooding as days of heavy rain forced the authorities to open the sluice gates on dozens of dams.

The floods have also washed away many roads and railways throughout the country.

Dozens Killed in Shanghai Stampede for Fake Money

“Fake dollars” stirs up Shanghai crowed into a deadly frenzy

At least 35 people were killed and dozens more injured in a stampede during New Year celebrations in Shanghai, east China.

The incident occurred at Chenyi Square in Shanghai’s Bund area at around 11:35 pm when coupons that looked like dollar bills were thrown from a building resulting in a deadly frenzy to collect the fake money, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

Original caption: Photo taken on Jan. 1, 2015 shows a picture of a coupon in a cellphone that looks like “dollar bill” which was thrown from a building’s third-floor window near the scene of an accident that caused casualties among people who took part in new year celebrations in east China’s Shanghai. New Year celebrations in Shanghai’s bund area went astray Wednesday night as a stampede resulted in 35 people dead and 42 injured. A witness said that some coupons were thrown from a building’s third-floor window near the Bund and people standing along the river bank started to scramble for these coupons. The city has set up a working team for rescue operations and to deal with the aftermath. (Xinhua/Ding Ting). More images…

Death Toll Rises in Philippine Storm

Death toll from Tropical Depression JANGMI (local name “SENIANG”) has climbed to at least 54, said a report.

JANGMI weakened into a low pressure area (LPA) on New Year’s eve.

The fatalities were reported in Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao, Caraga and Davao regions,said the report.

The final storm to hit the Philippines in 2014, JANGMI affected 486,512 people in seven regions, triggering 17 incidents of flooding and 12 landslides, destroying or damaging 1,533 houses.

“Thirty-eight roads and 20 bridges remain non-passable in the Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.”

United States

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued dozens of Warnings, Watches and Advisories as “an unusually cold low pressure system” continues to “move from the Colorado River Valley to the southern Rockies Thursday.”

An extreme cold front swooped on Southern California causing several deaths and injuries and plunging temperatures in the Los Angeles Basin by at least 10 degrees below the average.

Meantime, temperature plunged to a record -19 degrees Fahrenheit at Denver International Airport on Tuesday, smashing the previous minimum record of -11 degrees set 116 years ago.

National High and Low Temperature (for the contiguous United States)

Low Temperature for Wednesday, December 31, 2014

• -44.5ºC (-48ºF) at Daniel, WY

High Temperature for Wednesday, December 31, 2014

• 28.3ºC (83ºF)  at West Kendall (Tamiami AP), FL

NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD – Issued 1 am EST Thursday, January 1, 2015

Temperature spread (calculated by FIRE-EARTH) = 72.8°C (131°F)

 

Bulgaria

A state of emergency has been declared in three municipalities in Montana District, Northwest Bulgaria, said a report quoting the officials.

“Big snowdrifts of over 1 metre formed on Monday, December 29, at about 3:00 p.m. along the roads in the municipalities of Valchedram, Lom, Yakimovo, Brusartsi and Medkovets owing to strong winds and heavy snowfall,” said the report.

Huge Fire Razes Shanties in a Manila Slum

Thousands of poor families have been displaced after a huge fire destroyed about 1,000 shanties in a metro Manila slum. The fire was reportedly ignited by firecrackers.

The massive blaze, which razed a kilometer-long row of shanties, was one of at least 14 major fires reported across the country as Filipinos ushered in the New Year.

Two of the fires turned deadly claiming at least a dozen lives, local media quoted the authorities as saying.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – December 30, 2014

Flight QZ8501 debris found by Indonesian rescuers

FOUR bodies have been recovered from Java Sea off the Indonesian part of Borneo in the search for missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501, the Indonesian government announced.

The Airbus A320-200, with 162 people on board, flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore, disappeared on Sunday.

250,000 People flee their homes in Malaysia’s “worst ever” flooding

Malaysia’s worst ever flooding has forced about a quarter of a million people from their homes, authorities said.

The floods have killed at least two dozen people and destroyed or damaged scores of homes across the northeast.

Thailand

In neighboring Thailand, floods have killed at least eighteen people and displaced thousands of others. Five southern provinces remain submerged…

Philippines

Dozens of people have been killed, injured or reported missing after Tropical Storm JANGMI (local name “SENIANG”) hit central Philippines.

About 100,000 people (more than 20,000 families) have been affected in regions VII, X, XI and CARAGA, NDRRMC reported.

The disasters were caused by floods/ flash floods, landslides/ mudslides and maritime incidents.

NDRRMC Update – SitRep No. 5 – Effects of Tropical Storm “SENIANG” –
December 30, 2014, 6:00PM

Source: NDRRMC

United States

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued dozens of Warnings, Watches and Advisories as cold, arctic air continues to spread across the Upper Midwest and northern and central Plains through Tuesday, plunging temperatures as much as 30 degrees (F) below normal.

National High and Low Temperature for the contiguous United States

Low Temperature for Tuesday, December 30, 2014

• -34ºC (-29ºF) at Pinedale, WY

High Temperature for Monday, December 29, 2014

• 29.4ºC (85ºF) at Vero Beach, FL

Issued 7 am EST Tuesday, December 30, 2014 by NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD

Temperature spread (calculated by FIRE-EARTH) = 63.4°C (114°F)

Kilauea Volcano
The average emission rate of sulfur dioxide ranged between 5,500 and 7,700 tonnes/day for the week ending on December 23 (HVO).

Disaster Declared in 8 Thai Provinces amid Deadly Floods

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
CROP DISASTERS
STATE OF DISASTER DECLARED
SCENARIOS 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Disaster hits Thailand again!

Deadly floods triggered by Extreme rain events have inundated thousands of villages and communities across southern Thailand, affecting tens of thousands of people and leaving more than a dozen dead or missing, said reports.

The head of military junta in Thailand has declared states of disaster for eight southern provinces of Pattani, Songkhla, Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Phatthalung, Narathiwat, Trang, and Yala, which have been submerged since mid-December, with at least 200,000 households affected.

Deadly floods have forced about 250,000 people out of their homes in Thailand and Malaysia so far this month.

Related Links

• 100,000 People Displaced amid Malaysia’s ‘Worst Ever’ Floods December 25, 2014

Bolivia Declares Second Largest Lake ‘Disaster Area’

Mass Deaths of Fish, Waterfowl in Bolivian Lake, River

Agricultural authorities in Bolivia have declared Poopo Lake in Oruro department a disaster area after the death of thousands of fish and waterfowl.

More than 10 kilometers of dead fish and birds were found on the banks of Lake Poopó (Oruro department) earlier this month. The deaths occurred either as a result suffocation, caused by the high volumes of mud washed into the water after recent torrential rains in the region, or by an abnormal rise in the temperature, said reports.

“That event will affect more than 780 thousand fishing families with low production in the coming years, as the fish were on procreation age,” said a report.

Lake Poopó is the second largest in the Andean country, after Titicaca.

In another disaster, thousands of dead fish were found in the Rio Grande, a major river in the department of Santa Cruz, eastern Bolivia, less than two weeks ago, said the report.

 

 

100,000 People Displaced amid Malaysia’s ‘Worst Ever’ Floods

CLIMATE CHANGE DISASTERS
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DEADLY FLOODS
MASS DISPLACEMENT
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS 900, 888, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 071, 070, 066, 047, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Will someone declare state of emergency in Malaysia?

Deadly floods have killed at least 4 people and forced more than 90,000 others to flee their homes across six states in northern Malaysia since last week.

The worst affected areas are the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Perlis and Kedah.

The Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak is “facing heavy criticism over the timing of his holiday abroad amid the worst floods in the country,” said the Malaysian Insider.

He is in Hawaii playing golf with the U.S. Disaster President, according to reports.

“[A]s floods worsen in the country, there has been almost no demonstration of urgency and leadership from the National Security Council chaired by the Prime Minister,” said Malaysia Chronicle, describing the floods as Malaysia’s “worst natural disaster in recent history.”

Related Links

• Thousands Evacuated amid Severe Flooding in LK, MY, TH December 22, 2014

Crop Disasters Declared in 3 States

RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
LATE FREEZE
SEVERE HAIL
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  666, 560, 477, 444, 177, 170, 111, 02
.

‘Late freeze,’ ‘severe hail’ kill crops in 13 counties across three states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 13 counties in three  states—Arkansas, Iowa and and Nebraska—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by an late freeze, or severe hail.

Damages and losses caused by severe hail that occurred on Oct. 2, 2014

• Arkansas: St. Francis, Crittenden, Cross, Lee, Monroe and Woodruff counties.

Damages and losses caused by a late freeze that occurred on May 16, 2014

• Iowa: Harrison, Crawford, Monona, Pottawattamie and Shelby counties.

• Nebraska: Burt and Washington counties

Crop Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,904 counties across 44 states.

Those states are

• Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan. Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings. See blog content.]

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

ii. The above disaster lists include both primary and contiguous disaster designations.

iii. Some counties may have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

iv. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

v. The disaster designations posted above were approved by USDA on December 24, 2014.

Latest/ Recent Crop Disaster Declarations

• Hard Freeze Kills Crops in Wyoming, Montana December 18, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Eight U.S. States December 11, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared for 7 New York Counties December 11, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters [Index]

Afghan Civilian Casualties to Reach 10,000 in 2014 – UN

Afghanistan civilian casualties: 3,188 killed, 6,429 wounded (Jan-Nov 2014)

The number of civilian casualties in Afghanistan is forecast to top 10,000, the highest annual casualty figure on record, says UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

With 3,188 civilian deaths and 6,429 injuries in the first 11 months of 2014, the mission warns that by year’s end the number of victims is likely to top 10,000, the highest since 2009, when the UNAMA began keeping records, and a rise of 19 percent compared with 2013.

Most of the casualties, more than 75 percent, is blamed on “the insurgent groups,” while pro-Government forces were responsible for about 12 percent of civilian casualties, said the Director of Human Rights at UNAMA.

The latest data shows an increase of 33 percent in children casualties and 14 percent in women casualties, said the UN.

UNAMA has recorded a total of 17,252 civilian deaths and 29,536 injuries since it began keeping casualty records in 2009.

FIRE-EARTH Forecast for 2015

Members Messages – December 19, 2014

FIRE-EARTH Forecast for 2015 will be broadcast for members on Saturday and Sunday, December 27 – 28, 2014 at the following times:

08:32, 12:32, 16:32, 18:30, 20:32 and 22:32UTC.

Non-members

Please note that FIRE-EARTH Forecast for 2015 will NOT be made public to prevent repeat theft of important information.

Forecasts, ideas and information posted on FIRE-EARTH blog have been (are being) stolen, plagiarized, twisted and misused by commercial Internet sites, including Google-affiliated blogs and others, “the Cabal News Network,” “the ‘Greek Post,’” “tabloids,” NSA-sponsored blogs, “end-world prophecy,” “extinction,” “die-off protocol,” “poleshift,” “‘shame’ progress,” “2012 and beyond,” “Planet X, Nibiru,” and many other spin sites.

For a comprehensive list of the perpetrators, google the Internet using search terms associated with disaster topics and you’ll find the worst of those spin-doctors displayed prominently (top 40, or higher), often repeatedly, in the search results.

Related Links

• Bulletin Board

Who made the wonderland so surreal?

Eat your heart out, Alice – Part II

Surreal ( deceptive, extortionate, psychopathic, genocidal)

The number of richest people in the world has more than doubled since the financial crisis, up from 793 in March 2009 to 1,645 in March 2014. Their  aggregate net worth is $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion just a year ago, according to Forbes.

AND, here are some more of the consequences:

• Sudan:
  • 6.6 million people (20% of the population) need humanitarian assistance (17/11/2014).
  • 2 million children under 5 are acutely malnourished (OCHA, Aug 2014).
  • 3.5 million people were projected to be in Crisis and Emergency phases of food insecurity by November 2014 (GIEWS, Jun. 2014).
• South Sudan:
  • 50,000 estimated killed in violence in South Sudan since December 2013 (ICG).
  • 1.4 million IDPs between Dec. 2013 and Sept. 2014 (OCHA).
  • 3.8 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance (OCHA, 30/10/24).
  • More than 1 million people in Crisis and Emergency phases of food insecurity October – December 2014 (FEWSNET, Nov. 2014).
  • From January to March 2015, 2.5 million people are projected to be in  Crisis and Emergency Phase including about half the population of Greater Upper Nile (IPC, Sept. 2014).

• Chad:
  • 5.5 million people, or 55% of the population, in Chad are affected by humanitarian crisis including 2.2 million children (UNICEF, Nov. 2014).
  • 2.6 million Chadians are estimated to be food insecure or severely food insecure (OCHA, 15/10/2014).

CONTINUED…

Related Links

• Eat your heart out, Alice! December 17, 2014