States of Emergency Declared for Alabama, Georgia

State of Emergency proclaimed for Alabama as exceptionally severe weather approaches

Gov Bentley has declared a State of Emergency for all Alabama counties ahead of severe winter weather that is forecast to move through Alabama.

The potential exists for loss of life, injuries and property damage as severe winter weather moves through the state of Alabama bringing ice, snow, sleet, freezing rain as well as subfreezing temperatures beginning February 25, 2015, said the governor in his State of Emergency Proclamation.

The State of Emergency will become effective at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Bentley, has also mobilized 250 National Guards to respond to emergencies, and  authorized local authorities to shut schools and offices, if necessary.

On Tuesday, snow and ice forced school closures across the south, bringing the traffic on roads and highways into a standstill, and creating havoc for commuters, with record numbers of crashes reported.

Deal declares state of emergency effective 2 p.m. Wednesday

Georgia Gov. Deal has declared a state of emergency for 50 counties effective 2 p.m. Wednesday (February 25, 2015).

“With forecasts showing we could see accumulation by 4 p.m., I want to make sure we get as many commuters home before then as possible,” Deal said. “While current models show that temperatures will remain above freezing, we don’t want to run the risk of having normal rush hour traffic volume if there’s snow or ice on the highways.”

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a winter storm warning for metro Atlanta and north Georgia, with potential for up to 4 inches of snowfall in the Atlanta area, effective 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Winter Storm Warnings

Winter Storm Warnings are in effect for parts of at least 20 states in the South, southeast, Midwest, central and NE US, as of posting.

Record Low Temp Set in N. Virginia

Meantime, at Dulles International Airport, N. Virginia, a new low temperature of -20ºC (minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit) was recorded,  shattering the previous record of -10ºC (14 degrees F)  set in 1967, said NWS.

Lowest Minimum Temp (Daily Records)

Between 1 and 24 February, at least 1,883 new record low temperatures have been set across the United States, said National Climatic Data Center (NCDC).

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – September 29, 2013

Deep Freeze Ends Growing Season in Nevada Counties

The growing season has ended for White Pine, Southern Lander and Southern Eureka counties, said NWS.

Temperatures dipped into the 20s across the majority of Southern Lander/Eureka and White Pine counties on Friday, killing most tender vegetation in these areas.

Light freezes have also occurred in other forecast zones including Northern Lander, Northern Eureka, Southeastern Elko and northern Nye counties. Growing season in isolated areas in these counties may have also ended.

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Dozens drown as Nigeria boat sinks

At least 48 people drowned and more that 100 others are reported missing after a boat sank on the River Niger in central Nigeria late Friday, according to local reports.

The boat may have been overloaded, carrying more that two and a half times the number of passengers allowed, reports said.

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Dozens Still missing after refugee boat sinks

“More than 30 people were still missing two days after a boat carrying asylum seekers to Australia sank off the Indonesian coast, killing 22 people including seven children,” Indonesian security officials said.

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Dozens killed in Mumbai building collapse

Death toll reached 60 on Sunday in the collapsed apartment building in India’s financial capital of Mumbai, officials said. Some 33 others were rescued from the building’s wreckage.

The five-story building, which collapsed on Friday, was the third deadly cave-in of a Mumbai structure in six months, said a report.

“In April, at least 72 people died when an illegally constructed building fell. Two months later, a three-story structure collapsed, killing at least 10 people, including five children.”

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Giant Hornets Kill Dozens in China

Attacks by swarms of giant hornets in Shaanxi province, central China, has left at least 28 people dead and up to a thousand others injured, many of them seriously, according to reports.

Terrorized victims have described being chased by large swarms of hornets for hundreds of yards and stung as many as 200 times over several minutes.

The insects have a highly toxic sting that can lead to anaphylactic shock and kidney failure, according to experts.

It’s believed that the swarms are populated mainly by the Asian giant hornet or Vespa mandarinia, which grows up to 50mm (2 ins.) long with a 6mm sting.

Experts have previously suggested that warmer temperatures in the region may be responsible for hornets breeding more successfully.

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Wisconsin Gov Signs Emergency Declaration for Buckling I-43 bridge\

A span on the Leo Frigo Memorial Bridge in Green Bay shows signs of buckling Wednesday in this view looking west. Gov. Scott Walker signed an emergency declaration Friday that makes federal funds available for repairs. Photo credit: Jim Matthews/ jsonline.com

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German Town Evacuated after Gas Explosion

The entire town of Hartenhausen (population: ~ 3,000) near Ludwigshafen  in central Germany was evacuated on Saturday after a major gas explosion injured 16 firefighters and shattered windows. The blast was so powerful it could be heard up to 30 kilometers away, AP reported.

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50 Nigerian students killed in armed attack

At least 50 Nigerian students have been killed in an armed attack, AP reported. The attack occurred at an agricultural college in northeast Nigeria’s Yobe State.  Gunmen broke into the college dorm at night and shot students as they slept. The authorities have blamed the Boko Haram [“Western education is forbidden”] group.

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Bomb blasts kill 39 in Peshawar, NW Pakistan

Two bomb explosions in the northwestern Pakistan city of Peshawar killed 36 people and wounded more than 100 on Sunday, authorities said.

The victims included 12 members of a family who were shopping at the blast sites, according to local officials.
The powerful blasts destroyed about 20 buildings and many vehicles in nearby streets.

The Peshawar twin blasts were the third major terrorist in the city over the past 8 days. A twin suicide bomb attack on a Christian church on September 22 killed more than more than 80 people. On Friday September 27, a bomb planted on a bus carrying local government employees exploded killing at least 19 people.

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Iraq Violence: Death Toll for September Reaches 1,079

At least 30 more people were killed in Iraq Saturday and Sunday, as of posting, in the cities of Arbil, Baghdad, Baiji, Basra, Falluja Mosul, Mussayab, Muqdadiya and Tikrit by bombs, AEDs, IEDs and gunfire, raising the death toll for September to 1,079 so far.

Death toll for 2013 has exceeded 6,000 and is expected to climb higher.

Continued…