Massive Snowstorm Prompts State of Emergency Declaration in New Mexico

DISASTER DIARY – DECEMBER 28, 2015

Up to 20 inches of snow with drifts of 10 feet hit SE part of NM

Gov. Martinez has declared a state of emergency in New Mexico, mobilizing the National Guard to rescue hundreds of stranded drivers.

Officials have closed I-40 indefinitely, with stretches of the interstate also closed in Texas and Oklahoma, said local reports.

“This is a dire situation, especially the eastern half of the state where the storm has hit hardest and continues to dump snow,” said Martinez . “We monitored the situation throughout the night and activated the National Guard to assist stranded motorists.

Martinez has described the extreme weather events as a “serious situation” and asked New Mexicans to stay off the roads until the conditions improve.

“Someone may look out the winter in Albuquerque or Santa Fe and say, ‘It doesn’t seem that bad,’ but it is extremely bad,” Martinez said. “I cannot express how serious the situation is. The southeastern part of the state has 16 to 20 inches of snow with snow drifts of 8 to 10 feet.”

Missouri Declares a State of Emergency

Gov. Nixon has declared a state of emergency in after rain, flooding and flash flooding across Missouri severely impacted the state. Nixon has warned that residents avoid water-covered roads and avoid travel at all if possible.

Meanwhile, St. Louis region became the wettest year ever at the weekend with 58.14 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The previous record of 57.96 inches was set in 2008. More rain is expected across the region.

Weekend flash floods killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois, while the death toll across southern and central US climbed to about 50 after days of severe weather.

Disaster in Texas

Powerful tornadoes killed at least 11 people in Greater Dallas Area, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes and uprooting thousands of trees.

Gov. Abbott declared a state of emergency for Collin, Dallas, Ellis and Rockwall counties, and declared concurrently the four counties as disaster areas.

NWS has issued tornado warnings for Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas, also warning that a “historic blizzard” could hit Texas and Oklahoma with about 16 inches of snow.

States of Emergency in Oklahoma 

Oklahoma has also declared a states of emergency. The state of emergency proclaimed by Gov. Fallin on Nov. 29 will remain in effect, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.

The following forecast is also issued by NWS:

Major Storm System Bringing Ice, Heavy Snow, Severe Weather, and Flooding from The Gulf Coast to New England

A major storm system will continue to bring a plethora of impacts including heavy snowfall, ice, heavy rainfall, flooding, and severe weather today and tonight. The low pressure system will move toward the Great Lakes region on Tuesday shifting the winter storm threat into Upstate New York and New England.

Meanwhile, the high temperatures are expected to continue in eastern US, with Washington DC reaching 70ºF (21ºC) on Sunday.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – December 27, 2015

Powerful storm system brings tornadoes and flooding, killing at least 8 in Dallas, Texas

Death toll from a week of severe weather in the southern United States has now climbed to at least 26, with hundreds of homes destroyed or damaged by tornadoes, and flooding.

At least 6 tornadoes touched down in Dallas, Ellis and McClain counties on Saturday, according to the reports received by the storm prediction Center.

Meanwhile, forecasters have warned a “historic blizzard” could hit Texas and Oklahoma with up to 41cm of snow.

Dangerous Weather Continues Through Sunday Across the Middle of the Country

A variety of dangerous weather conditions will continue across the middle of the country through Sunday. Blizzard conditions will stretch from the High Plains of west Texas into northwest Oklahoma and Kansas. Hazardous ice accumulations will occur in Oklahoma. Dangerous flooding will extend from north Texas to central Illinois. Thunderstorms and a few tornadoes are possible in Texas. [NWS]

UK homes evacuated after ‘unprecedented’ flooding

Police have advised hundreds of people to evacuate near the River Ouse and River Foss in York, as floods threaten thousands of properties, said a report.

Hundreds of flood alerts and warnings are in place for England, Wales and Scotland, including more than 20 severe warnings—indicating danger to life.

UK PM David Cameron has called the flooding “unprecedented” and the situation for many as “incredibly serious” in an emergency conference call, promising more troops.

Super gonorrhea ‘could become untreatable’

“Gonorrhea is at risk of becoming an untreatable disease due to the continuing emergence of antimicrobial resistance,” the UK Chief Medical Officer has warned.

The warning follows the detection of a highly drug-resistant strain of the infection in the north of England in March.

The strain can resist the antibiotic azithromycin, which is normally used alongside another drug, ceftriaxone.

The bacteria that cause gonorrhea can mutate and develop new resistance, so we cannot afford to be complacent, said a UK health official.

North of England ‘super gonorrhea’ outbreak triggers nationwide alert

‘Highly resistant’

“This azithromycin highly resistant outbreak is the first one that has triggered a national alert,”  a consultant in sexual health based in Bristol, told the BBC News website.

“If this becomes the predominant strain in the UK we’re in big trouble, so we have to be really meticulous in making sure each of these individuals has all their contacts traced and treated.”

In 2011, Japan reported a case of complete resistance to cephalosporin-class antibiotics, which included the main treatment ceftriaxone.

About 35,000 cases of gonorrhea were reported in England in 2014, an increase of almost 20% compared with the previous year. It is the second most common sexually transmitted disease in the UK after chlamydia.

Emergency declared as train carrying sulfuric acid derails in NW QLD

A freight train carrying 200,000 liters of sulfuric acid has derailed east of Julia Creek in NW Queensland, Australia.

The locomotive and all 26 carriages derailed at 10:20am about 20km east of the outback town, prompting authorities to declare an emergency and impose a two-kilometer exclusion zone around the crash site.

Significant Quakes Strike Panama & Texas

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 700, [500,] 08, 07, 02
.

M6.6 strikes south of Panama

Centered at 5.828°N, 82.652°W the quake struck offshore at a depth of 10.0km (6.2mi), USGS/EHP reported.

The mainshock was followed by at least one aftershock, measuring 5.0Mw, as of posting

EQ Details

Magnitude: 6.6Mw
Event Time: 2015-01-07 05:07:08 UTC
Location: 5.828°N 82.652°W depth=10.0km (6.2mi)

Nearby Cities:

• 245km (152mi) S of Punta de Burica, Panama
• 288km (179mi) S of David, Panama
• 480km (298mi) SSE of San Jose, Costa Rica

M 3.6 strikes ENE of Irving, Texas

Centered at 32.837°N, 96.890°W the quake occurred at a depth of 5.0km, said USGS/EHP.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 3.6Mw
Event Time: 2015-01-07 00:52:09 UTC
Location: 32.837°N 96.890°W depth=5.0km (3.1mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 9km (6mi) NW of Dallas, Texas
• 9km (6mi) S of Farmers Branch
• 296km (184mi) NNE of Austin

The event was one of nine earthquakes to strike the area since 13:37:15UTC Tuesday, January 6.

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

M3.1 4km NE of Irving  2015-01-07 @ 06:59:03 UTC depth = 5.0km
M1.6 6km ENE of Irving 2015-01-07 @ 05:02:52 UTC depth = 5.0km
M2.4 4km NNE of Irving 2015-01-07 @ 04:05:14 UTC depth = 5.0km
M1.7 7km SSE of Farmers Branch 2015-01-07 @ 03:54:17 UTC depth = 5.0km
M2.7 4km NE of Irving 2015-01-07 @ 02:12:16 UTC depth = 4.0 km
M2.9 5km ENE of Irving 2015-01-07 @ 02:11:17 UTC depth = 5.0 km
M3.6 6km ENE of Irving 2015-01-07 @ 00:52:09 UTC depth = 5.0 km
M3.5 5km ENE of Irving 2015-01-06 @ 21:10:31 UTC depth = 5.2 km
M2.3 4km NE of Irving 2015-01-06 @ 13:37:15 UTC depth = 5.0 km

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

For detailed FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts tune into Fire-Earth Reports  daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Related Links

• Earthquake Swarm Hits NW Nevada January 5, 2015
• M4.2 Quake Strikes N. Nevada December 4, 2014
• Significant Quake Strikes Arizona December 1, 2014
• Earthquakes Strike Oklahoma, Texas November 30, 2014
• Earthquakes Strike 11 U.S. States November 25, 2014
• Significant Quake Strikes Near Irving, Texas November 23, 2014
• Intense Seismicity Continues in N. Nevada November 13, 2014
• Nevada Quake Swarm Intensifies November 6, 2014
• Earthquake Swarm Rattles N. Nevada November 5, 2014

Earthquakes Strike Oklahoma, Texas

HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SEISMIC HAZARDS
EQS IN OKLAHOMA, TEXAS
SCENARIOS: 704, 703,  700, [500,] 09, 08, 07, 02
.

M4.2 quake strikes SSE of Medford, Oklahoma

Centered at 36.582°N, 97.614°W the quake occurred at a signature depth of 4.5km (2.8mi), about 27km (17mi) SSE of Medford, Oklahoma.

The quake was one of at least 40 quakes striking Oklahoma over the past 7 days.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 4.2Mw
Event Time: 2014-11-30 10:24:44 UTC
Location: 36.582°N 97.614°W depth=4.5km (2.8mi)
Nearby Cities

• 31km (19mi) NE of Enid, Oklahoma
• 49km (30mi) WSW of Ponca City, Oklahoma
• 123km (76mi) N of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Source: USGS/EHP

M3.4 Quake Strikes SE of Dallas, Texas

Centered at 32.493°N, 97.118°W the quake struck at a shallow depth of 2.8km (1.7mi), about 50km SE of Dallas [FEWW estimate,], Texas.

The event was one of at least five quakes to occur in Texas over the past 7 days. Four quakes struck close to Irving, Texas between 23 and 25 November.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 3.4Mw
Event Time: 2014-11-30 05:52:23 UTC
Location: 32.493°N 97.118°W depth=2.8km (1.7mi)
Nearby Cities

• 6km (4mi) NNW of Venus, Texas
• 8km (5mi) SSE of Mansfield, Texas
• 30km S of Arlington, Texas [FEWW estimate]
• 55km SSE of Irving, Texas [FEWW estimate]
• 253km (157mi) NNE of Austin, Texas

Significant Quake Strikes Near Irving, Texas

HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SEISMIC HAZARDS
SCENARIOS 704, 703, 702, 701, 700, [500,] 09, 08, 07, 02
.

Texas quake confirms scenarios 701, 700, [500]

Centered at 32.836°N, 96.892°W the quake occurred at a shallow depth of 2.8km, some 5km ENE of Irving, Texas.

EQ Details

Magnitude: 3.3Mw
Event Time: 2014-11-23 03:15:47 UTC
Location: 32.836°N 96.892°W depth=2.8km (1.8mi)
Nearby Cities

• 5km (3mi) ENE of Irving, Texas
• 8km (5mi) W of University Park, Texas
• 9km (6mi) NW of Dallas, Texas
• 10km (6mi) S of Farmers Branch, Texas
• 296km (184mi) NNE of Austin, Texas

Two-percent probability of exceedance in 50 years map of peak ground acceleration. Source: USGS/EHP

Cold War Couldn’t Have Bloomed With Kennedy in Office

JFK Assassination:  A shot in the arm for the Industrial-Military Complex

Assassination of JFK was one of the most defining milestones for the Military-Industrial Complex.

The President’s assassination also facilitated the onset of one the most politically divisive and financially lucrative periods for the complex.

The 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination was commemorated at Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas, November 22, 2013. The former president was fatally shot while riding in an open car in a motorcade during a political trip to Texas at 12:30 pm Central Standard Time on Friday November 22, 1963. (Image Credit: Xinhua/Song Qiong)

Texas Drought Worst Ever

Texas drought is the worst ever one-year drought recorded

Texas received only 0.72 inches of rain in July, making the month the warmest ever on record (since 1895).  

[August 9, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,681 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

READ THIS FIRST

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Disaster Calendar 2011 – August 9 Entry

• Texas, USA. The state of Texas has broken the record for the driest 12 months on record as of July 2011. Only 0.72 inches of rain fell in the state during the entire month of July.
• Texas State Climatologist Nielsen-Gammon: “These statistics rank the current drought as the most severe one-year drought ever for Texas.”
• “Never before has so little rain been recorded prior to and during the primary growing season for crops, plants and warm-season grasses.” He added.
• Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples: “The extreme heat and unprecedented dry weather are crippling agricultural operations in Texas upon which all Americans rely for food, fuel, clothing and other daily necessities.”
• “This historic drought has depleted water resources, leaving our state’s farmers and ranchers in a state of dire need. The damage to our economy is already measured in billions of dollars and continues to mount.” He added.
• The small town of Kemp (Pop: 1,500) ran out of water on Sunday, the town mayor said. Kemp is located on the shore of Cedar Creek Reservoir in Kaufman County about 40 miles southeast of Dallas.
• Dallas experienced triple digit temperatures for the 39th consecutive day.
• For additional information on Texas drought see earlier entries on this page, 2011 Disaster Calendar – July page, previous Calendar months and blog posts.

Related Links

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