Disaster Declared for 27 Counties in Three States

Drought Disaster Declared for 10 Counties in California and Arizona

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated eight counties in California as agricultural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by the ongoing drought.

• The disaster declaration lists Imperial, Santa Barbara and Ventura counties as primary disaster areas, and Kern, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego and San Luis Obispo as contiguous disaster areas.

• Additionally two counties in Arizona—La Paz and Yuma—have also been designated as contiguous disaster areas.

Georgia Disaster Areas

In a separate disaster declaration, USDA has designated a total of 13 counties in Georgia as primary or contiguous  natural disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain, high winds and hail that occurred from Feb. 24 – March 24, 2013.

• Those counties are Evans, Montgomery, Tattnall, Treutlen, Appling, Candler, Johnson, Long, Bryan, Emanuel, Laurens, Toombs, Bulloch, Jeff Davis, Liberty, Wayne and Wheeler.

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Singapore smog from Indonesia fires continued to choke the city-state

Haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia enveloped Singapore, pushing  the pollution standards index to 371 on Thursday.

Parts of Malaysia have also been shrouded in “hazardous” pollution levels, prompting the authorities to close hundreds of schools in the south.

Air Quality Index for Singapore, June 20, 2013 @ 12:00UTC. Sources:
Meteorological Service Singapore; http://aqicn.org Composite image by FEWW.

Prelude to more serious events?

Our colleagues at EDRO believe that the collapse of Singapore may occur as a result of volcanic activity on the island of Sumatra. However, they have not disclosed any further detail.

Map of Singapore smog. Source: ASEAN Specialized Meteorological Center/ Meteorological Service Singapore via BBC

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Bolivia declares a state of emergency amid nationwide drought

The Bolivian government has declared a state of national emergency due to drought in the departments of Chuquisaca, Santa Cruz, Tarija and Cochabamba.

The drought has so far destroyed 84,000 hectares of crops and affected 16,000 families.

“To date, we have 16,000 families affected in the Bolivian Chaco region in Chuquisaca, Tarijo and Santa Cruz, and 226,000 head of cattle as well as 806,000 hectares of crops are at risk,” Deputy Minister of Civil Defense Oscar Cabrera told reporters.

Meantime, cold weather has affected six departments in the south and west. Frost has caused crop losses in the departments of Oruro, Potosi and La Paz located on the high plateau, as well as the valley regions Tarija, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba, added Cabera.

-oOo-

Beijing’s Air Pollution Again Rises to “Very Unhealthy”

“Death Penalty” for China’s Polluters

Meantime, China’s “supreme court and procuratorate jointly issued the new judicial explanation on Tuesday that imposes harsher punishments on polluters. In the most serious cases the death penalty could be handed down,” said a report.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – June 20, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN:

996 Days Left 

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

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 996 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity [To be updated.]
• 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

Drought 2012

Half of the U.S. remains abnormally dry or in drought condition

More drought and above-average temperatures forecast for the Southern U.S. in 2012: NWS

U.S. Seasonal Drought Outlook: Drought Tendency During January 5, 2012 – March 31, 2012

Weekly US Drought Map. Source: US Drought Monitor.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – January 8

[January 8, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,529 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• United States.   Nearly 50 percent of Contiguous US remains abnormally dry or in drought condition.
  • Texas.  The Lone Star State experienced its driest year on record in 2011.
    • The state also had its second warmest year with the average temp of 67.2 degrees (19.6ºC).
    • As many as 500 million trees “with a diameter of 5 inches or larger” across the state of Texas have died as a result of unrelenting drought and record-setting temperatures that plagued the Lone Star state, Texas Forest Service reported.
    • The 12-month period between November 1, 2010 and October 31, 2011 was the driest in Texas history, said the State Climatologist.
    • Also, the months of June, July and August in Texas were the hottest three-month period ever recorded anywhere in America.
    • “In 2011, Texas experienced an exceptional drought, prolonged high winds and record-setting temperatures. Together, those conditions took a severe toll on trees across the state,” said Burl Carraway, Sustainable Forestry department head. “Large numbers of trees in both urban communities and rural forests have died or are struggling to survive. The impacts are numerous and widespread.”
    • The state’s worst ever drought has also led to the largest-ever one-year decline in its cow herd, reports said.
    • The number of cows in Texas has declined by at least 600,000, a 12 percent drop from the 5 million cows in the state at the beginning of the year, said David Anderson of  the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

Texas Drought Map. Source: US Drought Monitor.

• New Mexico. Some 91.37 percent of New Mexico is currently abnormally dry (D0) or in drought condition (D1 to D4), with 72.13 percent of the state experiencing ‘severe,’ ‘extreme’ or ‘exceptional’ levels of drought.
• Louisiana.
  • D0 to D4: 94.43%
  • D1 to D4: 83.40%
  • D2 to D4: 58.92%
  • D3 to D4: 26.55%
  • D4: 4.10%
• Georgia. 87.93 percent of Georgia is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 81.00 percent of the state experiencing severe or extreme levels of drought.
• Oklahoma. 85.17 percent of Oklahoma is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 50.55 percent of the state experiencing severe (D2) to exceptional (D4) levels of drought.
• South Carolina.
  • D0 to D4: 97.63%
  • D1 to D4: 85.50%
  • D2 to D4: 41.61%
  • D3: 23.30%

• Kansas. 57.52 percent of Kansas is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 23.20 percent of the state experiencing severe to exceptional levels of drought.
• Arizona. 83.30 percent of Arizona is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 36.56 percent of the state experiencing severe to extreme levels of drought.
• Florida.
  • D0 to D4: 91.09%
  • D1 to D4: 27.41%
  • D2 to D4: 12.84%
  • D3: 2.61%

• Alabama. 60.68 percent of Alabama is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 27.97 percent of the state experiencing severe to extreme levels of drought.

• Minnesota. 99.21 percent of Minnesota is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 24.08 percent of the state experiencing severe drought.
• Hawaii.
  • D0 to D4: 56.45%
  • D1 to D4: 47.37%
  • D2 to D4: 28.72%
  • D3: 1.66%

• North Dakota.  99.62 percent of North Dakota is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 8.67 percent of the state experiencing moderate (D1) drought.
• California.
  • D0 to D4: 70.09%
  • D1: 46.34%

• Iowa. 39.01 percent of Iowa is currently abnormally dry or in drought condition, with 24.15 percent of the state experiencing severe drought.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• Texas drought kills 500 million trees
• Drought Destroys Fifth of Argentine Corn Crop

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Floods isolate thousands in NSW, Australia

Torrential rain triggers severe flooding in New South Wales, Australia

Floodwater has “created an inland sea and it’s quite spectacular when you’re in the air but not so happy for the people on the ground,”  said a State Emergency Service official.

Disaster Calendar 2011 – November 27

[November 27, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,571 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• NWS, Australia. Torrential rain has caused severe flooding in New South Wales, Australia, isolating dozens of communities and hundreds of farms.
• More than 2,000 residents have been isolated.
• “I’ve just flown over the area in the chopper and it’s very extensive the amount of flooding,” said a State Emergency Service official.
• The floodwater has “created an inland sea and it’s quite spectacular when you’re in the air but not so happy for the people on the ground,” the official added.
• Floods have already killed a a three-year-old boy, who drowned  when he was swept into a stormwater drain at Bingara.

Other Global Disasters

• Arizona, USA. “Extreme drought conditions have now expanded from southern Arizona up into central portions of the state, including the Phoenix metro area,” said a report.
• The water levels in some of the state’s reservoirs have dropped by as much as 27 percent compared with a year ago.
• USA. More than 43 percent of the Contiguous USA is currently in a drought (D0-D4), with about a third of the country (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) in moderate (D1) to exceptional (D4) drought, according to the US Drought Monitor.
• “This is the most drought for the contiguous U.S. since Jan. 22, 2008,” according to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Related Links

• Australian Disasters

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Drought-Related Losses Cost Texas $10billion

Damage from Drought and Drought-Fueled Wildfires in Texas Exceeds $10billion and Mounting

In comparison, drought cost Texas agriculture $13.1 billion in the previous 13 years, an average of about $1 billion per year (peaking at a record annual loss of $4.1 billion in 2006 season.)

Dust Bowl Texas. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today

Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 20 Entry

[August 20, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,670 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• Texas, USA.  Field surveys show livestock losses of $2.1 billion and crop losses of $3.1 billion in Texas from November 2010 to August 1, according to Texas A&M University’s Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
• “The drought of 2011 will have a lasting impact on Texas agriculture,” said Dr. Travis Miller, AgriLife Extension agronomist and a member of the Governor’s Drought Preparedness Council. 
• “This drought is ongoing,” said Dr. David Anderson, AgriLife Extension livestock economist. “Further losses will continue if rainfall does not come soon to establish this year’s winter wheat crop and wheat grazing.”
• “Wheat yields were down from a five-year average of 30 bushels to 26 bushels per acre and abandonment was up,” he said. “Given this year’s plantings of 5.7 million acres, we would have harvested 2.8 million in a normal year. In 2011, harvested acreage is estimated at only 2 million acres, down 800,000 acres. The combination of yield losses on harvested acres and higher abandonment put Texas wheat-for-grain losses at $243 million.”
• Texas corn production is down by about 30 percent in 2011.
• “The drought began for much of the state in September 2010,” Miller said.

Texas Drought: Cracks are deepening. Frame grab from video report by Agrilife Today

• The Losses by Commodity:–
• Livestock: $2.06 billion (includes $1.2 billion previously reported in May);
• Lost hay production value: $750 million;
• Cotton: $1.8 billion;
• Corn: $327 million;
• Wheat: $243 million;
• Sorghum: $63 million.

• A list of economic drought losses from 1998 through 2010 – compiled by AgriLife Extension:
• 2011– $5.2 billion [losses caused by drought-fueled wildfires NOT included]
• 2009 – $3.6 billion
• 2008 – $1.4 billion
• 2006 – $4.1 billion
• 2002 – $316 million
• 2000 – $1.1 billion
• 1999 – $223 million
• 1998 – $2.4 billion
• [Total of $18.34billion excluding 2011 losses from drought-fueled wildfires;  14-year average annual loss: $1.31billion, calculated between 1998 and August 1, 2011]

• FIRE-EARTH estimates that the additional losses caused by drought-fueled wildfires in Texas, which have consumed 5,400 square miles [3,456,000 acres] of grazing land and destroyed thousands of structures in the past 10 months, amount to about $5 billion, making a tally of about $10billion.

Other Global Disasters

• Thailand. The govt has declared 28 of Thailand’s 76 provinces disaster areas because of flooding. The deluge has so far affected about a million people, a report said.
• Arizona, USA. USDA has declared five Arizona counties as natural disaster areas due to the  ongoing drought. The disaster areas are Apache, Cochise, Graham, Greenlee and Santa Cruz counties, reports said.

Related Links

• Massive Wildfires Force Mass Evacuations in Spain
• U.S. back-to-back disasters phase has begun
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

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