Crop Disasters Declared in Nevada, Utah

Drought destroys more crops in 11 areas across two states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 11 additional areas (10 counties and Carson City) across two states—Nevada and Utah—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by ongoing drought.

Crop disasters have  occurred in the following areas:

• Nevada.  Storey, Lyon, Lincoln, Washoe counties and Carson City.
• Utah. Beaver, Garfield, Iron, Millard, Piute and Sevier counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least an 1,209 counties (and county-equivalent areas) across 20 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.

Majority 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 May 27, 2015 and posted on their website as two separate declarations.

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in 4 States  May 21, 2015
• Drought Destroys More Crops in CO, ID, OR, TX, UT May 14, 2015
• Drought Destroys more Crops in ID, NV, OR, UT May 7, 2015
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

M4.8 Quake Strikes Nevada

Earthquake clusters strike Nevada,  California, Alaska, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Puerto Rico

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake, centered at 37.292°N, 114.655°W struck Nevada at a depth of 4.0 km (2.5 mi), USGS/EHP reported.

The quake, originally reported as a magnitude 5.4 event, was followed by dozens of smaller aftershocks, most of them occurring locally with several reported in neighboring states of California and Utah.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 4.8Mw
Location: 37.292°N, 114.655°W; Depth= 4.0 km
Time: 2015-05-22 @ 18:47:42UTC
Nearby Cities:

• 37km (23mi) SSW of Caliente, Nevada
• 75km (47mi) NW of Mesquite, Nevada
• 97km (60mi) WNW of Saint George, Utah
• 103km (64mi) W of Washington, Utah
• 130km (82mi) NNW of Las Vegas [FIRE-EARTH projection]
• 453km (281mi) SSW of Salt Lake City, Utah

1 Day, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 234 earthquakes – 218 earthquakes in map area – Download Updated: 2015-05-23 at 11:20:44UTC [USGS/EHP]

Significant Quake Strikes N of Napa, Calif.

M4.1 earthquake strikes ENE of Yountville, Calif.

Centered at 38.429°N, 122.260°W the quake occurred at a depth of 8.9 km (5.5 mi), USGS/EHP reported.

EQ Details
Magnitude:4.1Mw
Location:38.429°N, 122.260°W depth=8.9 km
Time: 015-05-22 02:53:00 (UTC)

Nearby Cities:

• 9km (6mi) ENE of Yountville, California
• 14km (9mi) N of Napa, California
• 23km (14mi) NE of Sonoma, California
• 25km (16mi) WNW of Vacaville, California
• 68km (42mi) WSW of Sacramento, California

Other Significant Quakes

• M3.7, 2km WSW of Ramsgate, United Kingdom, 2015-05-22 at 01:52:16 UTC, depth=10.0 km
• M4.6, 67km SW of Lixourion, Greece, 2015-05-21 at 15:31:19 UTC, depth=17.5 km

 

Major Evacuation Order for Wichita Falls, TX

Evacuation order issued for parts of Wichita Falls, as Wichita River floods

A mandatory evacuation order has been issued for hundreds of residents in Wichita Falls, located about 200km NE of Dallas, amid rising water levels on the Wichita River caused by extreme rain events.

Residents in several neighborhoods have been ordered to evacuate by early morning on Thursday, as the city prepares to shut off electricity to those areas to minimize the risk of electrical fires.

Parched by drought last year, Wichita Falls has been deluged by 52.2cm of rain so far in 2015, more than twice the average for this time of year.

M6.8 Quake Strikes Solomon Islands

Strong quake occurs in South Solomon Trench

Centered at 10.889°S, 164.158°E, about 184km W of Lata, Solomon Islands, the quake occurred at a depth of 12.0km (7.5 mi), USGS/EHP reported.

Tsunami Evaluation
NO destructive Pacific-wide tsunami has occurred.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 6.8Mw
Location: 10.889°S, 164.158°E
Depth: 12.0 km
Time: 2015-05-20 22:48:53 UTC

Aftershocks
At least three aftershocks measuring 4.9, 4.6 and 4.5Mw have occurred as of posting.

Related Links

• Powerful quake strikes Solomon Islands May 7, 2015
•  FIRE-EARTH ALERT: HEIGHTENED SEISMICITY and ENHANCED VOLCANISM in the Pacific Ring of Fire March 31, 2015
• FIRE-EARTH Forecast: Heightened seismicity in the Pacific Ring of Fire March 30, 2015

 

Year-to-Date Global Temperature Highest on Record

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
.

November 2014 global temperature ties for seventh highest on record: NOAA

The first 11 months of 2014 was the warmest such period on record, with a combined global land and ocean average surface temperature of 1.22°F (0.68°C) above the 20^th century average of 57.0°F (13.9°C), surpassing the previous record set in 2010 by 0.02°F (0.01°C), according to NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate report.

Global temperature highlights:

Year-to-date

• The global ocean surface temperature for the year-to-date was 1.03°F (0.57°C) above the 20^th century average, the warmest such period on record.

• The January–November global land surface temperature was 1.71°F (0.95°C) above the 20^th century average, the sixth warmest such period on record.

2014 is currently on track to be the warmest year on record should the December global temperature stay at least 0.76°F (0.42°C) above its 20^th century average.

2014 End-of-Year Global Temperature scenarios: Source: NCDC/NOAA

Global temperature highlights:

September–November

• The combined average temperature for global land and ocean surfaces for September–November was the highest on record for this period, at 1.26°F (0.70°C) above the 20^th century average of 57.1°F (14.0°C).

• The September–November global sea surface temperature was 1.13°F (0.63°C) above the 20^th century average of 60.7°F (16.0°C), the highest for September–November on record.

• The global land temperature was the ninth highest for September–November on record, at 1.62°F (0.90°C) above the 20^th century average of 48.3°F (9.1°C). The margin of error is ±0.31°F (0.17°C).

Details posted at: NOAA National Climatic Data Center, State of the Climate: Global Analysis for November 2014, published online December 2014, retrieved on December 16, 2014 from http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/global/2014/11

[Note: Global report will be released on Wednesday December 17^th at 11:00 am EST.]

Related Links (Most Recent)

• 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

California’s Snow Story: Going, Going …

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXCEPTIONAL DROUGHT
NEAR ZERO SNOWPACK WATER CONTENT
CRITICALLY LOW GROUNDWATER LEVELS
WATER FAMINE
CROP DISASTERS
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
SCENARIOS 03, 04, 101
MULTIPLE STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

Snow Water Equivalent (SWEQ) Nearing Zero in Southern California

The statewide average snow water equivalent in California has dropped to less than 0.6 inch (~ 1.5cm), or just 4% of the average for the date, and only 2% for April 1.

The following is a summary of California Cooperative Snow Surveys as reported on May 20, 2014 .

Impact of Drought on Calif Agriculture

California’s drought could cost farmers about $2billion this year, forcing them to leave fallow up to a million acres of land.

Tens of thousands of full time and seasonal jobs could be lost as a result of the drought, now in its third year, described by officials as catastrophic.

 Crop Disasters in Calif

All of the 58 counties in the country’s most populous and 3rd largest state have been declared crop disaster areas at least once this year.

Disaster Applications

The Golden State has made 362 Disaster Applications to USDA, as of May 1, 2014, compared with 157 for the entire 2012, and 331 throughout 2013.

Two Weeks Ago…

Vital groundwater provides up to 60% of California’s water supply during droughts

California groundwater resources are at historically low levels, and recent groundwater levels are more than 100 feet below previous historic lows in some parts of the state, according to a recent report released by the California Department of Water Resources.

About 30 million Californians, over three quarters of the state’s population, receives at least part of their drinking water from groundwater, said California Water Foundation.

Groundwater is the only supply available for some regions during drought, and it’s critical to the state’s agricultural economy.

Drought causes water famine leading to crop disasters. It degrades water quality, and leads to surface and groundwater level declines, land subsidence, soil erosion, intense wildfires, humongous dust storms, and spread of disease.

Related Links

• Calif SWEQ Drops to 0.6 Inch on May 20, 2014
• California Running Out of Snow May 17, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plagues 100% of California May 16, 2014

Harvard University Orders Evacuations Over Possible Explosives

Evacuations underway at Harvard following reports of explosives on campus

Harvard University students and staff are being evacuated after reports of possible explosives found art four campus sites: Science Center, Thayer, Sever, and Emerson.

Earlier the officials sent the following text message alert

Alert: Unconfirmed reports of explosives at four sites on campus: Science Center, Thayer, Sever, and Emerson. Evacuate those buildings now.
— Harvard University – December 16, 2013

Harvard University Police Department are currently investigating the scenes, according to local reports.

Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Nuking Earth for Lifestyle

The Next Phase: Wars for Resources

The wars for resources are about the survival of the fattest. They are fought by the urge to secure more of other peoples’ resources: More water, more food, more fertile land and more energy to maintain unsustainable lifestyles.

The mushroom cloud from XX-11 IvyMike (Fusion Bomb). Public domain photo.
Source: United States Department of Energy

Click here to Go to Main Article and Comments

USDA Orders Massive Beef Recall

USDA Orders 143 Million Pounds of Beef Recalled From Calif. Slaughterhouse Under Investigation

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Sunday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of frozen beef from a California slaughterhouse, the subject of an animal-abuse investigation, that provided meat to school lunch programs.

Full report

American tourist killed in New Zealand

[Submitted by a guest writer]

Wrongful Death: Failure of the Government in its Duty to Warn of Fatal Dangers!

Another Avoidable Killing!

This time an American tourist was killed in New Zealand. Alan Paul Leger, a 57-year-old from Boston, just a name to the readers, but a real person to his family, alive and well just a few days ago, is now dead. Was he murdered, or did he die because the authorities failed to warn him of the dangers? Either way, one or more people are directly responsible for his death and they should be brought to account.

To add insult to injury because the victim was an American, and the New Zealanders don’t like “septic tanks” (Yanks) in their neck of the woods, New Zealand police declared: “The American tourist who fell to his death in the Mt Cook National Park yesterday was inexperienced in the alpine environment.”

Mountain Safety Council chair Ross Meder added: “Tourists often fail to realise weather conditions can change extremely quickly in New Zealand, much more so than in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Well, thanks for letting the deceased know. He would be sure to be careful next time!

Links to the death report:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=104916500
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4394988a11.html

Links to recent tourist fatalities in NZ:
New Zealand: A Tourist Deathtrap
Canadian Tourist Murdered?
Murdered in New Zealand in the Prime of Her Life

Why NASA Doctors Ozone Hole Data?

White Elephant Update:

Fire Earth has made several attempts to contact NASA to find out why they are doctoring the Antarctic ozone hole data. NASA has not responded.

There is a general consensus of opinion among the Fire Earth contributing members concerning the reasons why NASA is doctoring the ozone hole data. Here are some answers to the 64 billion dollar question why the white elephant is misbehaving:

1. White House has ordered NASA to doctor the Data. NASA is under immense political pressure to assure the world community that all is well [sic], everything is under control [sic] and there is no longer any need to worry about the ozone hole [despite all evidence to the contrary!]

2. The ozone hole phenomenon is bad news for corporate business. It flies directly in the face of technology and technological “achievements.”

3. The ozone hole is a huge burden, an undesirable “cost” that NASA and the Government won’t internalize. [Therefore it’s being swept under the rug.]

4. NASA would put itself in a bad light if it continues to report the bad news, which is getting even worse.

5. If you can’t fix it, don’t bloody well talk about it.

6. NASA is under enormous pressure to prove Montreal Protocol has been “a resounding success,” despite the fact that Antarctic ozone hole is enlarging!

7. NASA is suppressing the Antarctic ozone hole data at the behest of the Australian and New Zealand governments [and others] for political, monetary and socioeconomic reasons.

8. Hiding behind lies, disinformation and abstractions.

9. Other additional reasons.