Extreme Weather, Climatic Events Plague Japan, U.S.

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
HEATWAVE
MAJOR STORMS
SCENARIOS  777, 088, 067, 066, 023
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Derecho, Hail, Tornadoes and Dust Storms Hit Central US 

Extrme Rain Events triggered severe flash flooding Tuesday for a wide swath of eastern Nebraska and southwest Iowa, prompting  Iowa Gov. Branstad to declare Pottawattamie County a disaster area.

Severe storms producing baseball-sized hail, up to 12 tornadoes and a dangerous derecho pounded the US Midwest on Tuesday causing damage to buildings and vehicles.

The hail caused substantial damage to 4,300 vehicles at Woodhouse Auto Family car dealership in Nebraska, said a report.

Storm Prediction Center received at least 12 reports of possible tornadoes in Nebraska, Iowa, Wyoming and Kansas by late Tuesday evening.

Japan

An unusually intense heatwave continued to grip Hokkaido and other parts of Japan since Monday, with temperatures soaring to a 90-year record.

The temperature soared to 37.8°C in the town of Otofuke at about 2 p.m. on Teusday matching Hokkaido’s highest temperature, recorded in Obihiro on July 12, 1924, said Japan Meteorological Agency.

On Wednesday, temperatures exceeded 36.8°C for the first time this year at many observation stations throughout the prefecture.

Meanwhile, a rain front approaching from the west has dumped enormous  amounts of precipitation on Kyushu, Okinawa and Amami islands in the country’s southwest, triggering numerous landslides.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – June 14, 2013

UPDATE: Black Forest Fire Destroys 379 Homes

At least 379 homes have been destroyed and 9 others damaged as of 1:10 a.m. Friday, El Paso County Sheriff’s Office reported.

At least 38,000 people have so far been evacuated,  while residents of 2,000 more homes in Colorado Springs have been told to be ready to evacuate.

Black Forest could  see a high of 90-95 degrees Friday.

Meantime, Colo. Gov. has signed an Executive Order declaring Disaster Emergency due to Black Forest Fire, following a verbal declaration on June 11, 2013.

Royal Gorge Fire

The Royal Gorge Fire in Canon City, 55 miles SW of Black Forest, has incinerated 48 of the Royal Gorge Park’s 52 buildings, damaged the park’s 955 feet suspension bridge above the Arkansas River, and destroyed an aerial tram, reports said.

-oOo-

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Severe Weather Forecast: Central Plains, Upper Midwest, Northern Florida

The NWS Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a risk of severe thunderstorms Friday afternoon and evening for parts of the central Plains and Upper Midwest, from extreme eastern Colo. across northern Kan., eastern Neb. and extreme northwestern Mo., into western Iowa, southwestern Minn., eastern S.D. and extreme southeastern N.D. There is also a risk of severe weather across parts of northern Fla.

Meantime, a series of severe storms on Thursday cut electricity to about half a million homes and businesses in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic states. The worst affected areas were the Carolinas, said Duke Energy Corp, the largest power company in the U.S.

Duke has warned its customers to prepare for a ‘multi-day’ outage in the storm-hit areas, said a report.

The storms left at least 2 people dead, one in Rising Sun, Maryland and the other in Richmond, Virginia.

-oOo-

Chemical Plant Explosion and Fire

An explosion and fire at the Williams Olefins chemical plant in Geismar, Louisiana has killed at least one person and injured 77  others on Thursday.

-oOo-

Image of the Day: Sandstorm in W. India

A humongous sandstorm sweeps across Bikaner, Rajasthan, western India, June 13, 2013. (Xinhua/Stringer). More images…

Disaster declared due to drought, derecho, extreme weather, Hurricane Sandy, snowstorm, nor’easter

U.S. Disasters 2013: Drought, derecho, hail, excessive heat, excessive rain, flash flooding, Hurricane Sandy, a snowstorm and a nor’easter

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 21 counties in 4 states—New Jersey, Delaware,  New York, and Pennsylvania—as natural disaster areas, both primary and contiguous, due to damages and losses caused by the combined effects of drought, high winds (derecho), hail, excessive heat, excessive rain, flash flooding, Hurricane Sandy, a snowstorm and a nor’easter that occurred during the period of June 28 – November 8, 2012.

As of February 13, prior to the latest designations, about 980 counties, nearly a third of all U.S. counties, had been designated for 2013 crop disaster losses, USDA reported.

FIRE-EARTH Drought Links 2013

• US: Drought Disaster 2013

Mississippi Disaster Declaration

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Mississippi in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding beginning on February 10, 2013, and continuing.

• The worst affected areas are Forrest and Lamar Counties.

Related Links

• U.S. Tornadoes and Solomon Islands Tsunami Updates February 12, 2013

• Tornadoes Destroy Hundreds of Buildings in Mississippi, Alabama February 11, 2013
• Next Blizzard Targets Northern Plains February 10, 2013
• States of Emergency Declared in 6 States Amid Blizzard  February 9, 2013
• America Under Siege by Forces of Nature  February 8, 2013

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February 15, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,121 Days Left 

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

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,121 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID 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

Virginia Declared Major Disaster Area

Severe storms and straight-line winds caused extensive damage across Virginia

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia following losses and damage caused by severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 1, 2012.

The worst affected areas are the counties of Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Greene, Halifax, Highland, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nelson, New Kent, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Tazewell, and Warren and the independent cities of Bedford, Charlottesville, Covington, Danville, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas Park, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, and Winchester.

West Virginia Disaster Declaration

On July 23, the Disaster President declared a major disaster exists in the State of West Virginia in the area affected by severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 1, 2012.

• The areas worst affected by severe storms and straight-line winds are the counties of Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming.

SPC Storm Reports for the Disaster Period.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• USA.  About 89 percent of the U.S. corn crops were located in drought areas as of July 24, 2012, USDA reported.

Approximate percentage of corn located in drought areas. USDA

• USA. About 73% of the U.S. domestic cattle inventory is within drought stricken areas, as of July 24, 2012, USDA reported.

The U.S. Cattle Map

This graphic depicts the U.S. cattle areas experiencing drought from data accrued through the U. S. Drought Monitor on July 24, 2012. Approximately 73% of the domestic cattle inventory is within a drought stricken area, based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2007 Census of Agriculture data. Source: USDA

• USA.  Millions of fish are dead or dying in lakes and river across the country due to the extreme conditions caused by drought and soaring heat.
• Kansas. “Governor Sam Brownback objected to federal officials releasing water from three Kansas reservoirs to keep the Missouri River navigable and protect endangered birds. A spokesperson said Brownback preferred to keep the reservoirs as high as possible to conserve water for farmers and communities drawing from them.” Reuters reported.

Related Links

• Deadly storms pummel mid-Atlantic, knock out power to 3 million customers  Posted June 30, 2012
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises Posted July 1, 2012

• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand

Derecho Forces State of Emergency in Chemung County, NY

Thunderstorms cause serious damage in New York

“This afternoon’s severe thunderstorms, including strong winds, possible tornadoes, and large hail, caused serious damage in Chemung County and the surrounding areas,” said Governor Cuomo, declaring a state of emergency.

SPC filtered Storm Reports for July 26, 2012

The storms uprooted or shredded thousands of trees, tore roofs off many homes and businesses, caused damage to public and private property, and left many people trapped in their cars, according to reports.

• About 1,000 flights were canceled around the U.S. Thursday due to the storms.
• Most of the damage occurred in New York and Pennsylvania.
• About half a million customers lost electricity.
• New York and  Pennsylvania reported two storm-related deaths, as of posting.
• winds in excess of 70mph (113-kph)  were reported in  Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania.

Related Links

• Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States  Posted July 3, 2012
• Deadly Heat Blankets Eastern U.S.  Posted July 2, 2012
• WARNING: RAPID CHANGE IN PROGRESS! Posted July 4, 2012
• Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity Posted July 7, 2012

Record Heatwave Kills Dozens in U.S.

Deadly heat persists in eastern U.S.

At least 46 people have died amid extreme heat that has paralyzed more than two dozen states from the Midwest to the East Coast.

Heat-related fatalities occurred in Virgina (at least 12 deaths reported), Maryland (11), Chicago (10), Wisconsin (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (3) Tennessee (2), and Indiana (1), where an infant died after being left in a vehicle in triple-digit temperatures outside her home in Greenfield, about 25 miles east of Indianapolis.

Hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland and Indiana are still without power 9 days after deadly storms swept through the region causing widespread destruction and ‘catastrophic damage’ to power grids.

Map of Temperature Departure from Normal

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• Krasnodar Region, Russia. The worst flooding in living memory in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Region, near the Black Sea, has left at least 153 people dead and and more than 5,000 homes destroyed or damaged, reports said.
  • “The flash flood inundated the cities of Gelendzhik, Krymsk and Novorossiysk as well as the four villages of Divnomorskoe, Nizhnebakanskaya, Neberdzhaevskaya and Kabardinka.”
  • “The streets of Krymsk are now mostly deserted. The town looks like the set of a post-apocalyptic movie,” RT reported .
  • About 3,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas in Krasnoda, as of posting,  while 30,000 people are without power in the region, and more than 80 percent of the population of Krymsk have lost their gas supply cut off.

Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa

• Week of June 24, 2012:     395.33 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.50 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.08 ppm

Recent Mauna Loa CO₂

• June 2012:     395.77 ppm
• June 2011:     393.68 ppm

Recent Global CO₂

• May 2012:     393.77 ppm
• May 2011:     391.90 ppm

Links to Recent Related Entries

• Drought Disaster Declared in Montana Posted on July 5, 2012
• Colorado Declared Agri Disaster Area Posted on July 4, 2012
• Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States Posted on July 3, 2012
• Deadly Heat Blankets Eastern U.S. Posted on July 2, 2012
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises Posted  on July 1, 2012
• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population Posted on June 30, 2012
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand Posted on June 30, 2012
• Explosive Wildfires Continue Erupting Across the U.S. Posted on June 29, 2012
• Destructive Wildfire Activity Intensifies in Colorado Posted on June 28, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 2012

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States

Extreme Weather Events Cause Agricultural Disasters in  Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin

Damage and losses caused by the combined effects of blizzards, excessive snow, excessive heat, excessive rain, high winds, hail, freeze, frost, tornadoes, flooding and lightening that occurred between January 1 and May 11, 2012 prompted USDA to declare disaster in 94 counties across 4 states.

List of the 72 Michigan counties declared Primary Disaster Areas

List of 10 Michigan counties declared Contiguous Disaster Areas

The following 12 counties in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin have also been designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.

• Indiana: Elkhart, Lagrange, La Porte, St. Joseph and Steuben counties.
• Ohio: Fulton, Lucas and Williams counties.
• Wisconsin: Florence, Forest, Marinette and Vilas counties.

March Heat, April Freezes

According to a report by the Central Region Climate Response Team, March Heat, April Freezes, March 2012 “was the warmest March on record for 25 states east of the Rockies, and for 15 other states this March ranked among the ten warmest.”

“During the middle of March maximum temperatures were averaging 40 degrees F above normal. Maximum temperatures regularly reached the low and mid 80s
well north into Wisconsin. Many locations broke daily records by more than 20 degrees F.”

However, April 2012 experienced “at least three significant cold air masses” that crept into the Midwest and caused freezing temperatures.

• Iowa. The freeze caused a 50% destruction of the grape crop, about 90% damage to the apple and fruit tree blossoms and caused significant damage to corn and other crops.

• Illinois. The 2012 apple crop in parts of the state was a total loss due to freeze on April 11.
  • “Sweet corn grower in Vermilion County planted sweet corn on March 19. Plants were up a couple of leaves when back‐to‐back freezes hit (26F and 27F), reducing stand by 5,000 plants per acre.
  • “Sleepy Creek Vineyard in Vermilion County reported earliest budding grapevines had 100 percent damage, and others had 80 percent damage.”

• Michigan. “Thousands of acres of this year’s grape crop have been lost across southwest lower Michigan.
  • “A surveyor for National Grape Cooperative, better known as Welch’s Foods, said he went through hundreds of acres before even finding a live bud.  John Jasper estimates more than 10,000 acres were destroyed April 12, mostly in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.
  • “Many apple, peach, cherry and blueberry orchards have also had substantial losses across northern Indiana and southern Lower Michigan.”

• Wisconsin.  “Cherry growers in Door County, WI, anticipate losses of 70% …”

• Kentucky.  Frost damaged apples, peaches, pears, plums, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes to varying degrees across the state.
  • “Wheat harvest began two weeks early in Kentucky due to warm weather, but warm temperatures, and then a brief cold snap, have wreaked havoc on the crop’s yield, which some farmers say has been cut nearly in half. Some farmers are getting 12 bu/acre, compared to a normal of 80 bu/acre,” said the report (PDF file).

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa

• Week of June 24, 2012:     395.33 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.50 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.08 ppm

Recent Mauna Loa CO₂

• May 2012:     396.78 ppm
• May 2011:     394.16 ppm
• May 2002:    375.65 ppm
• May 1962:     321.01 ppm
• [1-year increase: 2.62 ppm; 10-year increase: 21.13 ppm; 50-year increase: 75.77 ppm]

Recent Global CO₂

• April 2012:     394.01 ppm (1-year increase: 2.18 ppm)
• April 2011:     391.83 ppm

New Zealand Earthquake

• A Richter magnitude 7.0 quake struck the Cook Strait, west coast of North Island, NZ, about 100km SSW of New Plymouth and 170 km north-west of Wellington (40.00°S, 173.75°E), at a depth of about 230km on Tuesday, July 3 2012 at 10:36UTC.
  • NO tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
  • NO report of casualties, as of posting.
  • The quake shook Wellington and was felt as far away as the Bay of Plenty and Christchurch, reports said.

U.S. Heat Wave

US Weather Hazards Map, July 3, 2012. “The heat wave continues for a large portion of the central and eastern U.S., with high temperatures this afternoon forecast to be 10-15 degrees above normal. Combined with high levels of humidity, this will create dangerous heat index values as high as 100-110 degrees for locations such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis,” said NWS.

The core of the record heat in the central United States is forecast to move gradually to the east this week, however heat alerts and heat indices to 105 degrees will continue. “Much of the eastern half of the country will continue to bake under clear skies, high temperatures and a lack of significant rain,” said NOAA forecasters.

Continued relentless heat through most of the week from the Plains to the Atlantic Coast will dominate the weather events.

Current Warnings Prompted by Unrelenting Heat

Red Flag Warnings, Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories issued in parts of 26 states from Wyoming to North Carolina.

Heat Advisories

Heat Advisories are in effect until this evening for parts of the Northern Plains, Ohio Valley and the Southeast:

• North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

Record Daily High Temperatures Nationwide – June 2012

All Time Record High Temperatures Nationwide – June 2012

Mid-Atlantic Derecho

• Death toll has climbed to 22 after the weekend derecho that ravaged the Mid-Atlantic region, with at least 2 million utility customers, or an estimated 7 million people, experiencing power outages amid the continued heat.

Drought Emergency

• Nebraska.  Gov. Heineman has declared a state emergency due to the drought conditions throughout the state of Nebraska.
  • “This declaration is important for continued efforts of state officials to ensure the safety of Nebraskans,” Heineman said. “This action is necessary as dry conditions are presenting an imminent threat to the ability of local governments to respond to drought conditions. Additionally, actions such as haying along the roadsides in Nebraska help with drought conditions.”
  • Nebraska has broken or tied scores of record high temperatures in recent days.
  • Extreme temperatures will continue over central and western Nebraska through at least Friday due to high pressure lingering over the Central Plains, NWS reported.
  • “As excessive heat and dry conditions continue, fire danger is high again today. In addition, isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening in north central Nebraska and in the Panhandle. The very dry conditions will continue to make the use of fireworks and even power equipment hazardous.”

Map of U.S. Precipitation (7-day total)

Map of U.S. Precipitation as Percent of Normal (7-day total)

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

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar

Deadly Heat Blankets Eastern U.S.

Millions swelter following ‘catastrophic damage’ to power grids caused by derecho

At least 18 people are dead since Friday as a result of severe weather and millions are still without power, while more than 160 locations across 12 states tied or set all-time record high temperatures.

Electric utilities in Maryland, Ohio and Virginia said the weekend derecho caused ‘catastrophic damage’ to their power grids.

It may take a week or more before power is restored to millions of people in the Mid-Atlantic region amid blistering heat.

Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories were in effect in parts of at least 26 states, as of posting.

US Weather Hazards Map

Relentless Heat to Remain in Place

A surface boundary separating excessive heat (temperatures above 100 degrees) in the southern United States with a milder airmass to its north will continue to be the focus for severe thunderstorms today. There are three main areas of concern, including the northern Rockies, the Mid-Mississippi River to Ohio Valleys and portions of the Mid-Atlantic into the Southeast, particularly the eastern Carolinas. The primary threats will be large hail and damaging winds, however an isolated tornado can not be ruled out across southern Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as northern Iowa and Illinois. -NWS

Excessive heat warnings and advisories are forecast to continue into the beginning of the week over much of the mid-Mississippi valley and southern state, NWS said.

Hundreds of daily high temperature records were broken this weekend; dozens of all-time high temperature records were set.

High Temperature Forecast for July 2, 2012.

Links to Recent Related Entries

• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises
• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• Valencia, Spain.  Two mega forest fires about 30 kilometers west of Valencia on Spain’s eastern coast have consumed at least 50,000 hectares (~124,000 acres), forcing more than 2,500 people to evacuate the area.
  • The Spanish authorities raised the forest fire warning to the highest level in Valencia region as temperatures topped  104 degrees (40ºC).

• China. Torrential rain continues to batter large swaths  of  SW China causing major widespread damage and mass evacuations, Xinhuanet reported.
  • Ludian County in Yunnan Province is among the worst hit areas, the report said.
  • Since late June, extreme rain events and flooding throughout China have left hundreds of people dead or injured, displaced or affected at least a million others, destroyed thousands of homes, inundated hundreds of thousands of hectares of farmland and caused hundreds of million of dollars in crop damage.
  • The worst-hit areas are east China’s Zhejiang province, its neighboring Jiangxi province, central China’s Hunan province, China’s Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region and the entire southwest.
  • “More rain and storms are expected to hit Zhejiang, Fujian and Anhui provinces in south China, as well as Yunnan, Sichuan and Guizhou provinces in the southwest, over the next three days. Precipitation in some areas may total as much as 160 mm, according to the National Meteorological Center,” the report said.

• Assam, India.   Mega Floods caused by unusually intense monsoon rains across eastern India’s Assam state have left about 100 people dead, and displaced at least two million people.

• Bangladesh.  Intense monsoon rains in Bangladesh have claimed at least 120 lives, with many more injured,  an unknown number missing and at least 1.5 million people displaced.
  • The majority of victims were children, who were drowned in flash floods, buried by landslides or house collapses, or struck by lightning, reports said.
  • Flooding and landslides have destroyed thousands of homes and businesses , submerged entire villages and left at least 100,000 without work.
  • Many of the displaced are without food and water.
  • Chittagong port, the largest seaport in Bangladesh, received nearly 16 inches of rain in a single 12-hour period last week.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs

• Mega Disasters
• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar
• Mass Die-offs

States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises

District of Columbia, Maryland, Ohio and the two Virginias declare States of Emergency amid rising storms toll

Deadly storms across Eastern U.S. have claimed at least 13 lives and left many injured, hundreds homeless and about 6 million utility customers, or an estimated 20 million people, without power amid sweltering heat wave.

Widespread damage and power losses have been reported across a vast region ravaged by deadly storms since Friday.

The storms have left a trail of destruction from Indiana to New Jersey, with the worst-hit areas being in Washington Metropolitan area, Maryland, West Virginia, and suburban Virginia.

Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell called the widespread power losses as “the largest non-hurricane power outage in Virginia history,” as more storms threatened. “This is a very dangerous situation,” the governor said, “the next few days in Virginia are going to be very, very difficult.”

• The deadly storms claimed at least 6 lives across Virginia (pop: ~ 8.1 million), and left about 2.5 million customers, or an estimated 7.5 million people, without power. [Includes about 120,000 customers in Richmond area and 680,000 in northern Virginia.]
• More than 3.5 million homes and businesses supplied by Dominion Virginia Power in Indiana, Ohio and Virginia have been affected.

In Ohio, excessive heat, widespread power losses and utility damages prompted Gov.  Kasich to declare a state of emergency. As of Saturday morning, about 1 million homes and businesses, or an estimated total of 3 million people, still faced power outages.

“I’m very concerned with the problems created by the combination of power outages and severe heat, and so I’ve declared an emergency for all of Ohio so that state resources and personnel can help local governments meet the needs and challenges that they face.” Kasich said.

• The Disaster President [Barrack Obama] has since declared Ohio a Federal Disaster Area.

In Maryland, at least 800 people were left homeless after storms tore off the roofs of two apartment buildings in Riverdale Park, said Mayor Vernon Archer.

• Governor O’Malley declared a State of Emergency following the devastation.
• About 1 million utility customers in Maryland, an estimated 3 million people, were still without power early Saturday morning, “similar to the number that lost power in 2003 when Tropical Storm Isabel hit the state,” said a report.

Across West Virginia (pop: ~1.9 million), where Gov. Earl Ray had already declared a state of emergency, some 700,000 customers, or an estimated 1.7 million people, were without power in 53 of the state’s 55 counties.

• “Those winds were so strong and over such a wide area,” the governor told reporters. “It’s going to take several days to get power back on.”
• The Disaster President declared West Virginia a Federal Disaster Area on Saturday.

In Washington, the utility company Pepco reported more than 440,000 outages in the Capital.

In Indiana, at least 135,000 customers, or an estimated half a million people, lost power.

Atlantic County, New Jersey, declared a state of emergency due to the violent storms which left more than 200,000 customers, or an estimated 750,000 people, without power.

• In Salem County NJ, officials declared a state of emergency after storms left at least 2 people dead, causing widespread damage and cutting power to at least 10,000 homes and businesses.
• The Mayor of Vineland (Pop: 65,000), a city in Cumberland County, New Jersey, also declared a disaster emergency.

Pennsylvania: about  40,000 customers lost power.

Kentucky and North Carolina:  at least 2,500 homes and businesses lost power.

Illinois: Commonwealth Edison power utility reported more than 210,000 outages.

FirstEnergy, AEP Ohio and BGE (Maryland) had reported a total of about 1.6  million power outages.

See links for details of heat wave and the new record high temperatures set in the U.S.

• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand

Risk of Severe Thunderstorms Continues Tonight As Heat Continues Across South: NWS

Scattered thunderstorms expected tonight and Sunday over the Central Plains, Midwest and East Central States. Some thunderstorms will be severe with damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.

US Weather Hazards Map, July 1, 2012

Mega Heat Wave

Dangerous heat is forecast to continue throughout the South.  Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories remain in effect  in parts of more than 2 dozen states across the southeast and lower half of the Mississippi Valley with triple-digit temperatures forecast across the southern third of the U.S., said NWS.

About 150 all-time high temperature records have been broken in recent days.

Millions of people have been urged to seek out shelter amid triple-digit heat and large-scale power outages.

High Temperature Forecast for July 1, 2012.