Major Heatwave Sweeping across Australia

Extreme Weather Event

Near 50ºC Temperatures Forecast for NSW and QLD

An extreme heatwave will sweep across eastern Australia this weekend, with the temperatures soaring to near 50ºC (122℉) in parts of the states of New South Wales (NSW) and Queensland (QLD), said forecasters.

The heatwave moves across Australia starting Friday. The red area represents temperatures above 45C. Image: Australia Bureau of Meteorology.

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Extreme heat will scorch outback QLD and NSW by Tuesday, February 7. The red area represents temperatures above 45C. Image: Australia Bureau of Meteorology.

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• Additional details are available from BOM.

 

Major Disaster Declared for Alabama

Alabama declared Federal Disaster Area

Alabama Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding (DR-4251)

• Incident period: December 23, 2015 to December 31, 2015
• Major Disaster Declaration declared on January 21, 2016

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Alabama in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, straight-line winds, and flooding during the period of December 23-31, 2015.

The areas that were hardest hit by the disasters include the counties of Autauga, Barbour, Blount, Bullock, Butler, Chambers, Cherokee, Clay, Cleburne, Coffee, Colbert, Conecuh, Covington, Crenshaw, Cullman, Dale, DeKalb, Elmore, Escambia, Fayette, Franklin, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Lamar, Lawrence, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marion, Marshall, Monroe, Perry, Pike, Russell, St. Clair, Walker, and Winston.

Federal Disaster Declarations (2015)

The federal government proclaimed 43 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4247] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory in 2015, two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373 and 34 Fire Management Assistance Declarations [FM-5084 to FM-5117.]

Major Disaster Declarations 2016

• Major Disaster Declared for Missouri [DR-4250] January 22, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration for Washington [DR-4249] January 16, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi [DR-4248] January 5, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Missouri [EM-3374] January 3, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Crop Disasters Declared in 191 Counties across 10 U.S. States

Extreme Weather Events destroy crops in 191 counties across 10 States

Drought, excessive heat, frost, freeze, high wind, excessive snow, hail, lightning, excessive rain and tornado have destroyed at least 30 percent of the crops in 191 counties across 10 states—Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina, reported USDA.

Disaster Designations #1
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 22 counties in Texas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those counties are:

Texas (22). Anderson, Angelina, Bell, Brazos, Burleson, Cherokee, Falls, Freestone, Grimes, Henderson, Hill, Houston, Leon, Limestone, Madison, McLennan, Milam, Navarro, Robertson, Trinity, Walker and Washington counties.

Disaster Designations #2
USDA has designated a total of 63 counties in three states—South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive heat and drought that occurred from May 1, 2015, and continues. Those counties are:

South Carolina (45). Abbeville, Aiken, Allendale, Anderson, Bamberg, Barnwell, Beaufort, Berkeley, Calhoun, Charleston, Cherokee, Chester, Chesterfield, Clarendon, Colleton, Darlington, Dillon, Dorchester, Edgefield, Fairfield, Florence, Georgetown, Greenville, Greenwood, Hampton, Horry, Kershaw, Lancaster, Laurens, Lee, Lexington, Marion, Marlboro, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Saluda, Spartanburg, Sumter, Union, Williamsburg and York counties.

Georgia (4). Burke, Columbia, Richmond and Screven counties.

North Carolina (14). Anson, Brunswick, Cleveland, Columbus, Gaston, Henderson, Mecklenburg, Polk, Richmond, Robeson, Rutherford, Scotland, Transylvania and Union counties.

Disaster Designations #3
USDA has designated the following 51 counties in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont as crop  disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by excessive rain, high winds, hail, lightning and a tornado that occurred from May 1, 2015, through July 14, 2015. Those areas are:

New York (44). Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orange, Orleans, Oswego, Schuyler, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.

Pennsylvania (4). Erie, Susquehanna, Warren and Wayne counties.

Vermont (3). Addison, Chittenden and Grand Isle counties.

Disaster Designations #4
USDA has designated the following 39 counties in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Vermont as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frost, freeze and excessive snow that occurred from Jan. 1, 2015, through May 24, 2015. Those areas are:

New York (33). Albany, Allegany, Bronx, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Dutchess, Erie, Greene, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Nassau, Oneida, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, Putnam, Rensselaer, Rockland, Schoharie, Seneca, St. Lawrence, Sullivan, Tompkins, Ulster, Wayne, Westchester and Wyoming counties.

Connecticut (2). Fairfield and Litchfield counties.

Massachusetts (1). Berkshire County.

New Jersey (1). Bergen County.

Vermont (2). McKean and Warren counties.

Disaster Designations #5
USDA has designated a total of 16 counties in New York, Massachusetts and Vermont as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought that occurred from June 1, 2015, and continues.

New York (12). Albany, Columbia, Essex, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Warren, and Washington counties.

Massachusetts (1). Berkshire County.

Vermont (3). Addison, Bennington and Rutland counties.

All of the counties listed above were designated crop disaster areas by USDA on September 9, 2015.

U.S. Drought Monitor – Weekly Comparison: CONUS

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-09-08	49.63	50.37	31.67	19.62	10.92	3.00
2015-09-01	54.21	45.79	30.43	18.72	10.71	3.00

 

Total U.S.

Week	None	D0-D4	D1-D4	D2-D4	D3-D4	D4
2015-09-08	48.00	52.00	28.14	16.44	9.14	2.51
2015-09-01	50.12	49.88	28.40	15.69	8.97	2.51

 

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,574 counties, county equivalents and municipalities, across 41 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands]: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming.

About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations are due to drought so far this year.

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.

Related Links

• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Heavy Rain Destroy Crops in U.S. September 4, 2015
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 9 States, USVI August 27, 2015
• Drought Destroys More Crops in Florida, Hawaii, Oregon, Washington, P. Rico August 20, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Mass Evacuations Ordered near Tokyo amid Major Flooding

About 250,000 people ordered to abandon their homes as floods bury parts of two prefectures in Japan

Japanese authorities have also advised up to a million people to evacuate as multiple weather systems dump more than 500mm of rain, triggering widespread flooding across large areas surrounding the capital Tokyo.

Emergency weather warnings were in effect across Tochigi and Ibaraki prefectures, where the Kinu River [“Kinugawa”] burst its banks, flooding vast areas, sweeping away entire buildings, and causing major damage to infrastructure.

“This is a scale of downpour that we have not experienced before. Grave danger could be imminent,” said the chief forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency at an emergency press conference.

Meanwhile, more rain is forecast for Japan, threatening severe flooding and landslides across large parts of the country, according to FIRE-EARTH Models.

Related Links

• Powerful Tornado Destroys Dozens of Homes in Chiba, Japan September 7, 2015

Drought Destroys Crops in U.S. West, Puerto Rico

Drought destroys crops in 5 states and Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 80 counties across five states—California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington—and 8 municipalities in Puerto Rico as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #1

• Idaho: Adams, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Custer, Gem, Idaho, Latah, LemhiLewis, Nez Perce and Valley counties.

• Montana: Lincoln, Missoula and Ravalli counties.

• Oregon: Wallowa County.

• Washington: Asotin, Pend Oreille and Whitman counties.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #2

• Oregon: Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties.

• California: Del Norte and Siskiyou counties.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #3

• Washington: Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Whitman and Yakima counties.

• Idaho: Benewah, Latah and Nez Perce counties.

• Oregon: Hood River, Multnomah and Wallowa counties.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #4

• Puerto Rico: Aibonito, Arroyo, Cayey, Coamo, Guayama, Patillas, Salinas and Santa Isabel municipalities.
  

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 1,692 counties, or county equivalents, across 26 States: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

USDA has also designated 8 additional municipalities in Puerto Rico as drought disaster areas.

About 99 percent 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 August 5, 2015 .

Related Links

• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in 10 States July 30, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States July 23, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Florida, Idaho , Montana, Utah, Washington & Puerto Rico  July 16, 2015
• U.S. Drought: Crop Disaster Declared for Idaho Counties July 10, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Six U.S. States July 2, 2015
• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Severe Freezing Destroy Crops in 7 States June 25, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in 10 States

Drought, excessive rain, tornadoes… destroy crops in 104 counties across 10 states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 104  counties and parishes across ten  states—Arkansas, Idaho, Louisiana,  Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, Texas and Utah—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by extreme weather events.

Crop Disaster Designation #1

USDA has designated 17 counties in six states as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought.

State of Idaho: Benewah, Blaine, Bonner, Cassia, Clearwater, Jerome, Kootenai, Latah, Minidoka, Oneida, Power, Shoshone and Twin Falls counties.

Montana: Mineral and Sanders counties.

Nevada: Elko County.

Utah: Box Elder County.

Crop Disaster Designation #2

USDA has designated 87 counties in six states as crop disaster areas due to the combined effects of excessive rain, flash flooding, flooding, hail, high winds, lightning and tornadoes that occurred during the period of March 1, 2015, and continues.

State of Arkansas: Arkansas, Baxter, Benton, Boone, Carroll, Clark, Clay, Cleburne, Cleveland, Columbia, Conway, Craighead, Crawford, Crittenden, Cross, Desha, Faulkner, Franklin, Fulton, Garland, Grant, Greene, Hempstead, Howard, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Lafayette, Lawrence, Lee, Lincoln, Little River, Logan, Lonoke, Madison, Miller, Mississippi, Monroe, Montgomery, Nevada, Newton, Ouachita, Perry, Phillips, Pike, Poinsett, Polk, Pope, Prairie, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Scott, Searcy, Sebastian, Sevier, Sharp, St. Francis, Stone, Union, Van Buren, Washington, White, Woodruff and Yell counties.

Louisiana: Bossier, Caddo, Claiborne and Webster parishes.

Mississippi: Bolivar, Coahoma and Tunica counties.

Missouri: Barry, Dunklin, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Taney and Stone counties.

Oklahoma: Adair, Le Flore, McCurtain and Sequoyah counties.

Texas: Bowie and Cass counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 1,604 counties, or county equivalents, across 26 States: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

USDA has also designated 14 municipalities in Puerto Rico as drought disaster areas.

About 99 percent 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 July 29, 2015 .

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States July 23, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Florida, Idaho , Montana, Utah, Washington & Puerto Rico  July 16, 2015
• U.S. Drought: Crop Disaster Declared for Idaho Counties July 10, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Six U.S. States July 2, 2015
• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Severe Freezing Destroy Crops in 7 States June 25, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Major Disaster Declared for Vermont

Federal Disaster Declared for Vermont

Vermont Severe Storm and Flooding (DR-4232)

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Vermont in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding on June 9, 2015.

The areas that were worst affected by the extreme weather events include the counties of Addison and Chittenden.

Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected area said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the territory and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.

This is the 28th Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4232] proclaimed for a U.S. state/territory, and the second for Vermont so far this year. Additionally, the federal government has issued eight Fire Management Assistance Declarations for the year to date, as of posting.

Fire Management Assistance Declarations (2015)

[FM-5091] 07/23/2015 California Wragg Fire
[FM-5090] 07/20/2015 Washington Blue Creek Fire
[FM-5089] 07/20/2015 California North Fire
[FM-5088] 07/06/2015 Idaho Cape Horn Fire
[FM-5087] 06/29/2015 Washington Sleepy Hollow Fire
[FM-5086] 06/17/2015 Arizona Kearney River Fire
[FM-5085] 06/16/2015 Alaska Card Street Fire
[FM-5084] 06/15/2015 Alaska Sockeye Fire

Related Links

• Federal Disaster Declared for Kansas [DR-4230] July 21, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declared for New Jersey [DR-4231] July 23, 2015

Kentucky Declares State of Emergency

Deadly Storms sweep through Kentucky causing widespread damage

Severe storms have left at least 5 people dead and 6 others missing, causing widespread damage in the State of Kentucky and prompting Gov. Beshear to declare a state of emergency.

Part of a statement posted on the State website read:

According to the Kentucky Division of Emergency Management (KYEM), numerous counties were impacted by Monday’s storms that caused flash flooding. Areas reported with the heaviest damage include Johnson and Rowan counties. In Johnson County, one fatality was reported, and state and local rescue workers there continue to search for others who are missing or unaccounted for. In Rowan County, homes were also damaged by floods, and minor injuries were reported.

The Kentucky National Guard, KYEM and Red Cross officials are on the ground in Johnson County and will continue to monitor areas statewide for further reports of damage. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet on Monday waived certain highway restrictions for out-of-state utility vehicles traveling nationally to areas with widespread power outages. Shelters are in place in Rowan, Johnson and Jefferson counties.

Flash floods in Indiana reportedly killed at least one person, according to local reports.

Kentucky has already been declared a major disaster area three times, so far this year.

Record Rainfall Causes Flash Floods in NY Suburbs

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
SEVERE FLOODING
SCENARIOS 888, 023
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Up to 33cm of rain turns roads into rivers in New York Area

Record rainfall in parts of New York’s Long Island triggered severe flash floods turning roads into rivers during the morning rush hour on Wednesday.

Up to 33 cm of rain was recorded at MacArthur Airport in Islip over a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) breaking the previous record of 29 cm that was set in August 2011 in the Hudson Valley during Tropical Storm Irene.

During a particularly intense two-hour period the area received “more than two months of rainfall in two hours,” said NWS.

The record rainfall contributed to at least one fatality.

Flooding shut down parts of major commuter routes and forced the closure of the Long Island Rail Road, the largest commuter railroad in the U.S.

Floodwaters reportedly destroyed a number of homes and caused sewage backup, forcing dozens of people to evacuate in southern New Jersey.

The same weather system was responsible for extreme rain events in Washington and Baltimore on Tuesday,  said NWS.

Earlier this week, at least one person died in Detroit floods after record rainfall.

156 Weather Records Broken in 90 Days across Australia

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
WEATHER RECORDS BROKEN
CLIMATE RELATED DISASTERS
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Climate change already increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events in Australia

“Continuing hot on the heels of the ‘Angry Summer’ of 2012/2013, Australians again endured record breaking extreme events this summer.” —Climate Council of Australia

Intense and prolonged heatwaves and record hot days, severe drought and rainfall deficiency, and bushfires dominated the 2013/2014 summer, according to the latest “Angry Summer” report issued by the Australian Climate Council.

The report finds that many of Australia’s largest population centers face increased risk from extreme weather events, including heatwaves, drought and bushfires, impact of which are serious and costly on people, property, communities and the environment.

Examples of the extreme weather events include

• Eight of the hottest summers on record in Australia have occurred in the last fifteen years
• Sydney had its driest summer in 27 years
• Canberra experienced 20 days of at least 35°C
• Melbourne experienced its hottest ever 24 hour period (average 35.5°C)
• Adelaide had a record of 11 days of 42°C or more during the summer
• Perth had its second hottest summer on record
• 38 spots in New South Wales and 45 in Queensland saw their driest summer on record
• More than 280,000 hectares of Victoria’s land were consumed by  February fires

Record high maximum temperatures plagued more than 8.8 percent of Australia during the first four days of January, including 17 percent of New South Wales, 17 percent of the Northern Territory, 16 percent of Queensland and 8 percent of South Australia, said the report.

Record-breaking heatwaves significantly impacted Australia’s major population centers.

• Victoria experienced its hottest four days on record from 14–17 January,
• Melbourne set a record for four consecutive days at 41°C or higher (14–17 January)
• Adelaide experienced a record-breaking five consecutive days of 42°C and above
• Canberra had a record run of four days of 39°C and recorded 20 days of at least 35°C

Related Links

• Record Drought Plagues Australia’s Queensland March 7, 2014
• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast 2011

Uncontrolled Bushfires Rage in Victoria and South Australia

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
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Hundreds of wildfires plague Victoria and South Australia, as thunderstorms threaten to spark more blazes

Lightning-sparked bushfires are burning out of control in the state of Victoria and South Australia amid soaring temperatures caused by a persistent heatwave, as thunderstorms threaten to spark more fires.

Residents of south-east Australia are again sweltering today, after the mercury in Melbourne rose to about 43ºC (109 degrees) on Tuesday. In Adelaide a high of 45.1ºC (113 degrees) was recorded yesterday, said a report.

“The Country Fire Authority (CFA) say more than 250 fires were started by lightening strikes overnight, and 29 were yet to be brought under control.”

• Several temperature records were shattered in South Australia as electricity generators struggled to cope with the demand.
• Records were also broken across Tasmania.
• Adelaide could break the previous record of 46.1ºC  (115 degrees) set in January 1939.

Authorities have issued severe fire danger ratings across the region.

Weekly max. temperature map for Australia valid for the week ending Tuesday, January 14, 2014. Source: BOM

Hottest Year Since Records Began in 1910

Australia experienced its hottest year in 2013  since records began more than a 100 years ago, said BOM earlier this month. The continent recorded average temperatures of 1.2ºC above the long-term average of 21.8 degree Celsius, shattering the previous record set in 2005.

Related Links

• Extreme Heat Wave Setting Australia on Fire January 13, 2014
• Australia: Temperatures Continue to Soar January 14, 2014

Australia: Temperatures Continue to Soar

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
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Heatwave plaguing third of the continent

Widespread heatwave is predicted to extend from parts of Western Australia across the southern interior and on to  southeastern Australia. Severe heat is currently affecting parts of Western Australia, southern areas of South Australia and all of the southeast of Australia with extreme heatwave forecast for most of the state of Victoria, far southeast NSW and Tasmania, according to the Australiana Bureau of Meteorology  (BOM).

Pilot Heatwave Forecast is a Bureau of Meteorology product that shows the location of heatwaves, severe heatwaves and extreme heatwaves for today [January 14, 2014]. It uses Numerical Weather Prediction model data, not the Official Forecast data. Source: BOM

Weekly temperature map valid for the week ending Tuesday, January 7, 2014. Source: BOM

Hottest Year Since Records Began in 1910

Australia experienced its hottest year in 2013  since records began more than a 100 years ago, said BOM earlier this month. The continent recorded average temperatures of 1.2ºC above the long-term average of 21.8 degree Celsius, shattering the previous record set in 2005.

Related Links

• Extreme Heat Wave Setting Australia on Fire January 13, 2014
• Record Heat Scorching Australia January 3, 2014

• Major Heatwave Enters 5th Day in Australia December 16, 2013
• Australia’s Bushfire Losses Top 1,000 October 25, 2013
• Costs of Back-to-back Disasters in Australia Continue to Mount October 22, 2013
• Australia Declares Emergency as NSW Bushfires Destroy “Hundreds of Homes” October 17, 2013

• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast [Index of related links since 2007]

Snow Emergencies Declared in Midwest, Northeast

EXTREME WEATHER EVENT

Heavy snow affects 18 States in Midwest, Northeast

About 53 percent of the continental U.S. was covered by snow, including all or parts of 18 states in the Midwest and Northeast exactly a week before the first official day of winter.

Heavy snow prompted authorities in dozens of counties, cities and towns across Midwest and Northeast to declare snow emergencies. The snowstorm trekked more than 1,000 miles across the Midwest on Saturday and into the Northeast states overnight, affecting every major city, town and rural area in the region. States affected include Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.

Snow Cover by Region [December 15, 2013]

• Continental U.S.: 53.0%
• Northeast: 99.1%
• Midwest: 61.3%
• Allegheny Front: 99.6%
• Northern Great Lakes: 100%
• Southern Great Lakes: 100%
• Southern Appalachia: 23.3%
• Upper Midwest: 95.5%
• Great Basin: 77.7%
• Northwest: 50%
• Intermountains: 81.4%
• Northern Rockies: 95.5%
• Sierra Nevada: 54.0%

Map of National Snow Cover. Source: nohrsc.noaa (Animate: Season – Two weeks – One Day)

Flight Delays and Cancellations

Extreme Weather Events have forced thousands of flight cancellations as well as very many delays.

• Total flight cancellations within, into, or out of the United States so far this week:  8,141
• Total flight cancellations globally: 11,609
• Total flight delays this week:  100,373 -source: FlightAware

40,000 Abandon Their Homes in Gaza Flooding

EXTREME WEATHER EVENT

Winter storm ALEXA dumps heavy snow on parts of the West Bank and Israel

ALEXA has dumped the heaviest storm in living memory on parts of the West Bank and Israel since Wednesday, paralyzing Jerusalem and leaving thousands in Israel without power, as severe flooding forced tens of thousands from their homes in Gaza Strip.

Severe flooding triggered by  extreme rain events  has forced about 40,000 Gaza Strip residents from their homes, including more than 5,200 who were evacuated to safety, officials said Saturday.

“Large swathes of northern Gaza are a disaster area with water as far as the eye can see,” said UNRWA that administers refugee camps in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

GAZA Strip: Rescue workers  had to use boats to evacuate people trapped in flooded homes. Source: UNRWA

Areas near a refugee camp in northern Gaza “have become a massive lake with two-meter-high waters engulfing homes and stranding thousands,” said an UNRWA spokesman.

With a population of 1.8 million people, Gaza is one of the most densely populated areas on earth, home to mostly impoverished refugees and their descendants.

The strip has experienced 12-hour blackouts daily since the lone power plant was switched off in November due to a fuel shortage, said a report.

Unprecedented winter weather has wreaked havoc, causing major disruptions across the region, AP reported.

Related Links

• Mass Evacuations from Flooded Northern Gaza December 14, 2013

Recent Disasters in Gaza Strip

• Egypt’s FMD outbreak reaches Gaza, threatening entire Middle East May 2, 2012
• 2010 Disaster Calendar [February]
• 2010 Disaster Calendar [January]

US Temps to Plunge 30 Degrees

EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

Significant winter storm forecast for the Southern Plains: NWS

High temperatures are forecast to plunge up to 30 degrees below average for this time of year in many areas across Ohio Valley, Northeast and Mid-Atlantic,  as a blast of Arctic air hits the U.S.

UPDATE: At least 6 people have been killed across the country in storm-related incidents, and dozens more injured in traffic accidents in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Nevada and Texas, as of 06:00UTC on Sunday.

Blast of Arctic air is forecast to move into the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic and Northeast as an “anomalous upper level low will slowly track eastward over the next couple of days, from its current position over southern California, to near the Texas panhandle by Monday afternoon. This system will encounter a bitter cold airmass which is currently in place over a good portion of the country, east of the Rockies. Higher elevation heavy snow is expected from the mountains of New Mexico into southern Colorado with light to moderate snowfall for remaining lower elevations,” said the national weather Service (NWS).

U.S. Weather Hazmap for Sunday, November 24, 2013. Source: NWS/CRH. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH Blog.

Sleet and freezing rain is forecast for southwestern Texas, with snow across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles … wintry mixture will spread northeastward through the day on Saturday and Sunday with storm total ice accumulations between 0.25 and 0.5 inches possible for locations in the northern Texas Hill Country. … ice and sleet accumulations should spread into the Dallas/Fort-Worth Metroplex … light snow/sleet across central and western Oklahoma.

More than a foot of snow is expected through they day Sunday in the U.P. of Michigan and six inches or more for northwestern Pennsylvania into western New York as well as localized areas in central New York.

Temperatures will be up to 30 degrees below average for this time of year on Sunday with the exception of Florida and the North Central U.S., said NWS.

State of Emergency Declared in Chile as Frost Destroys Crops

Estimated $1 Billion worth of damage to fruit crops in Chile due late frost

Chile declared a state of emergency on Thursday after a late frost caused widespread damage to fruit crops in the country’s central region, potentially hitting wine production, reports said.

The frost has caused substantial agricultural losses, said Chilean Agricultural Minister in a press release. Exporters have estimated the losses at about US$1billion dollars.

“These frosts are the worst that agriculture has faced in 84 years, impacting the area from Coquimbo to Bio Bio,” said the national agricultural society.

Temperatures have dipped to as low as minus 8 degrees Celsius below zero (18ºF) since the start of spring  in the southern hemisphere, destroying much of the crops in Chile’s central O’Higgins region, a major fruit and wine producing area.

Some growers have lost up to a half of their fruit crops including grapes, peaches, nectarines, kiwis, apricots, almonds and avocados as well as vegetables, which will result in hiring far fewer farmhands.

“Fruit and wine are some of Chile’s largest industries after copper. Fruit exports were worth $4.3 billion in 2012 and wine exports were valued at $1.8 billion, according to government figures. Agriculture Minister Luis Mayol said 30 percent of the fruit that Chile exports has been affected,” said a report.

The frost has damaged up to 61 percent of stone fruit crops, 57 percent of almonds, 48 percent of kiwi crops and 20 percent of table grapes, said the report.

However, most crops have not yet reached full flower and the exact extent of damage is not yet known, according to a major exporter.

The Chilean government says about 50,000 jobs may have been lost in the wine industry, said a report.

Heavy Snow Kills Tens of Thousands of Animals in Peru

State of emergency extended in Peru due to extreme cold

An unusually cold wave in Peru, covering large areas in snow and ice, has forced the government to extend a state of emergency.

Heavy snow has reached more than a meter high in some areas, with temperatures down to minus 20 degrees Celsius.

Carabaya Province, Puno, Peru. Photo credit: ANDINA

The cold spell has killed tens of thousands of animals including alpacas, llamas, cattle and sheep, leaving more than 12,000 families destitute.

The extreme weather has also killed at least a dozen people in Peru and its southeastern neighbor, Bolivia, and Paraguay.

Snow and high winds have also damaged thousands of homes affecting tens of thousands of people in the region.

Hundreds of villages and small towns have been cut off by the extreme weather, according to local reports.

The Peruvian government declared a 60-day state of emergency in the southern region of Puno last week for the provinces of Carabaya, Sandia, Lampa, San Antonio de Putina, Melgar, Azangaro, Puno, Collao and Huancane. The emergency declaration has now being extended for an additional 20 days.

Drought, Heatwave Cripple China, Japan, S. Korea

Disaster Diary – July 9, 2013

Extreme rain event in Toronto triggers flash floods

Some 126 mm of rain fell across Toronto, mostly during the evening commute, causing flash floods and traffic chaos.

The amount of rainfall shattered both the previous one-day rainfall record of 29.2 mm, and the monthly average rainfall for  July, which is less than 70mm, said Environment Canada.

Three regional power companies, Toronto Hydro, Enersource and Powerstream reported power outages to more than 900,000 customers in Etobicoke, Mississauga, Markham and Richmond Hill.

Floodwaters  submerged subways and roads forcing authorities to suspend flights, as well as train, metro and  ferry services.

Related News

• Toronto storm: Hundreds rescued from flooded GO train

Heavy rains flood roads, homes; state of emergency declared  in central Manitoba community

The R.M. of Mossey River, north of Dauphin, received 150 mm of rain in just two hours on Saturday, said a report.

-oOo-

RM of Buckland declares state of emergency after severe flooding

The Rural Municipality of Buckland, north of Prince Albert, has declared a state of emergency due to flooding, said a report.

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Rainstorms lash large parts of China

Original caption: Rescuers open up landslide-blocked Damazhuang tunnel on 302 provincial road in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, July 9, 2013. Downpours have submerged the quake-razed old town ruins of Beichuan, which was hit by an 8.0-magnitude earthquake in May 2008. (Xinhua). More images …

Links to China Flood Headline News and Photos

• Severe rainstorms batter quake-hit SW China

At least 16,900 people in 4,920 households in the district have been affected. Direct economic losses are estimated at 768 million yuan (125.18 million U.S. dollars).

Local governments have relocated over 5,200 residents and tourists to get them out of the way of potential geological disasters.

Downpours also submerged quake-razed ruins in Beichuan Qiang Autonomous County, which has received 300 mm of precipitation. More than 42,000 people in Beichuan have been affected by the downpours.

• Vehicles, pedestrians fall into river after bridge collapsed in SW China
• Severe rainstorms batter quake-hit areas in SW China
• Rainstorms forecast for Beijing

• 33 dead, 14 missing in rainstorm-triggered natural disasters

As of 9 a.m. Monday, the commission had reported nine people dead and 11 missing in southwest China’s Sichuan Province, seven fatalities and two missing in neighboring Yunnan Province, four deaths in central China’s Hubei Province and three losses of life in east China’s Anhui Province.

A further ten fatalities were also reported in Beijing, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, and provinces of Hebei, Heilongjiang, Shandong and Gansu. One person is also missing in Helongjiang Province.

Since July 3, natural disasters caused by downpours have affected about 6.75 million people in 284 counties, districts or prefecture-level cities across China, according to the commission.

• Rainstorm hits Anhui, causing severe damage
• Wuhan hit by heaviest rainstorm in five years

• 3 dead, 1.9 million affected in C China rainstorm

Heavy rains that started on Friday have left three people dead and affected lives of about 1.87 million residents in central China’s Hubei Province, local authorities said Sunday.

The provincial civil affairs department said the downpours have also forced the relocation of about 114,000 people in 29 counties.

More than 7,000 houses have been destroyed or damaged and 151,900 hectares of crops have been affected. Economic losses are estimated at about 684 million yuan (about 111.6 million U.S. dollars), according to the department.

The highest precipitation in the province reached 168 mm in 24 hours in Tuanfeng County, the department said. [Source: Xinhua]

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Douglas County, NV declares a state of emergency due to exploding Bison fire

A state of emergency has been declared in Douglas County as the Bison fire exploded to nearly 26,000 acres. The blaze was reportedly 25% contained, as of posting.

The Bison Fire started at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 4, 2013. The lightning-caused fire is located along the western slope of the Pinenut Mountain range in Douglas County, Nevada, and is burning a combination of BLM public lands, Native American allotment lands, and private lands about five miles east of Gardnerville (east of U.S. Highway 395).

The fire has made significant runs on July 7 and 8 to the northeast through the Slater Mine area, burning through dense stands of pinyon pine, as well as crossing over the crest of the Pine Nut Range and backing down into the north end of Smith Valley. [Inciweb.]

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Another Pathetic Turn in the Fukushima Farce

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima nuke plant reported Monday it had detected radioactive caesium-134 at levels that were 90 times higher than three days earlier. The latest incident occurred at an observation well located between the damaged reactor No. 2 and the ocean, reports said.

TEPCO said it had detected caesium-134 at 9,000 becquerels per liter, or 150 times above Japan’s safety standard (!) in the well, which is just 25 meters from the ocean.

Ouch!

“We don’t know what is the reason behind the spike,” Tepco spokeswoman Mayumi Yoshida told Reuters. “We’re still looking to determine the causes behind it.”

Try criminally-negligent INCOMPETENCE!

Probability of a Nuclear Disaster by Country

The following probability figures  calculated by FIRE-EARTH on April 8, 2011 still hold!

• Japan (880)³
• United States (865)
• France (855)
• Taiwan (850)
• Belgium, China, Finland, India,  South Korea, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Russia, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Armenia, Slovenia, Croatia, Romania,  Hungary, Bulgaria, Spain,  Pakistan, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico,  South Africa, Canada (810)
• Germany, Sweden, Netherlands (800)
• Switzerland  (750)

Notes:

1. The list represents a snapshot of events at the time of calculating the probabilities. Any forecast posted  here is subject to numerous variable factors.
2. Figures in the bracket represent the probability of an incident occurring out of 1,000; the forecast duration is valid for the next 50  months.
3. Probability includes a significant worsening of Fukushima nuclear disaster, and future quakes forecast for Japan.
4. A nuclear incident is defined as a level 5 (Accident With Wider Consequences), or worse, on the International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale (INES). See below.
5. Safety issues considered in compiling these lists include the age, number of units and capacity of nuclear reactors in each country/state, previous incidents, probability of damage from human-enhanced natural disasters, e.g., earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic activity, hurricanes, tornadoes, storms, wildfires, flooding…]
6. The  Blog’s knowledge concerning the extent to which the factors described in (3) might worsen during the forecast period greatly influences the forecast. (Last UPDATED: June 26, 2011)

Related Links

• Nuke Disasters
• Japan Quakes
• Probability of a Nuclear Disaster by Country
• Record High Radiation Found in Fukushima Fish March 1, 2013
• Radiation Record Broken by Fukushima Fish March 18, 2013
• Fukushima Pre-Harvested Rice Contaminated by Radiation September 24, 2011
• Japan Earthquakes, Disasters: Recent History and FIRE-EARTH Forecasts

Also search blog for dozens of additional entries on “Fukushima.”

Snow Storm Buries South Island, New Zealand

“Many Sheep and Cattle Won’t Survive the Snow”

A record-breaking snow storm has dumped more than 2m of snow on Maniototo Plain, New Zealand, making parts of Otago region no-go zones,  raising fears that stock won’t survive the extreme weather.

“This is the biggest snow dump we’ve had, ever,”said a local farmer, a young calf may not survive the night with temperatures falling as  low as -12ºC.

The extreme weather’s has now persisted for five days, and some of the sheep and cattle just won’t survive, said a report.

Still frame from NZ’s TV1 News coverage of the storm that hit most of New Zealand on 20/21 June 2013 – See below for the full video clip.

The storm also lashed the capital Wellington, causing “tens of millions of dollars” in insured damages alone, said the Insurance Council of New Zealand.

Severe gales with winds of up to 200km/h struck Wellington, lifting roofs, felling trees and closing roads.

“More than $36 million of insured damage was caused by a storm that lashed the country in late April. That was one of the most damaging storms in the past five years and the Nelson and Bay of Plenty regions were the most affected,” said a report.

“I expect the damage from this storm will be more than that,” said the Insurance Council.

“Flooding was also reported in the Canterbury townships of Leeston, Doyleston, Southbridge, Tai Tapu and Lincoln and there were slips in Otago and Lyttelton.” NZN reported.

Heavy rain and sleet since Wednesday has triggered the worst flooding in decades in the Canterbury region, submerging farms, houses and businesses, and the rain continues to fall, said the report.

TV1 News coverage of the storm that hit most of New Zealand on 20/21 June 2013 bringing heavy snow to the South Island and severe gales to Wellington.

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Widespread Death and Destruction amid Flooding in Russia

UPDATED July 8, 2012

States of emergency declared in S. Russian cities of Krymsk, Novorossiysk, and Gelendzhik

At least 141 people have been killed, 1,500 displaced and up to 15,000 others severely affected by extreme rain events, flooding and landslides in the Krasnodar region, southern Russia.

• Krasnodar Territory, Russia.  Severe flooding caused by extreme rain events has claimed at least 141 lives (death toll continues to rise as more bodies are discovered) across the South Russian Krasnodar Territory, reports said.
  • States of emergency have been declared in the cities of Gelendzhik, Krymsk and Novorossiysk, afetr a massive storm swept through the region dumping more than 6 months worth of rain in less than two days.
  • “Over a meter of water crashed over the intersection of Ostrovsky and Kirov Street in the center of Gelendzhik, ripping up the pavement and sweeping away everything in its path. According to the city administration, 5,000 homes have been flooded.” RT reported.
  • Flooding has left thousands of people  displaced or severely affected.
  • “One third of Krymsk is still submerged, with the water only receding in certain areas, complicating rescue efforts. Rescuers have already retrieved over 6,000 survivors from rooftops and trees.”
  • Krasnodar Governor called the flooding, storms and landslides the worst disaster in at least 70 years.
  • The affected area is said to be very large, and damage widespread.
  • Parts of the Northern-Caucasus railroad have been washed out.
  • Many regional roads are impassible.
  • “It is spectacular, to be sure, and very tragic. The water came with such force that it tore up the asphalt,” said the Governor of the Krasnodar region.
  • “Eyewitnesses claim a 7-meter wave struck Krymsk in the middle of the night,” said RT.
  • “It all happened during the night. People just ran from their homes, because there was a huge wave of water, nobody warned them. Two-story houses were flooded up to the second floor. The water came on very fast. It wasn’t rain.”  Anna Kovalyovskaya, whose parents are currently in the flood zone, told the Russian News Service.
    “I don’t know if this is official information or not, but in the city they are saying that they opened the water reservoir in the mountains above the city. That’s where the wave came from. In the city all of a sudden there was 7 meters of water. There was certainly a large storm beforehand, but the water came on so quick that in 15 minutes everything was flooded.”

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Minnesota: Major Disaster Declared in Minnesota due to Extreme Weather Events

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists the State of Minnesota affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of June 14-21, 2012.

• The declaration was issued for 13 Minnesota counties and three tribal nations: Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Crow Wing, Dakota, Goodhue,  Kandiyohi, Lake, Meeker, Pine, Rice, Sibley and St. Louis counties, as well as the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, and the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
• FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
• See also: Extreme Weather Event Forces MN Gov to Declare State of Emergency across 8 Counties

Drought Disaster in South Dakota

• Butte County Commissioners have declared a drought disaster in the County amid scarce rainfall since 2011.
  • Inadequate precipitation since last summer has caused drought conditions, which has had an “enormous effect on the production capabilities of the agricultural industry, which in turn severely affects the entire local economy,” the Commissioners said in a statement.

South Dakota Drought Map released July 3, 2012. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor. Location of Butte County is enclosed in red.

• SD Drought Conditions (July 3, 2012)
  • D0 – D2:  95.98%
  • D1 – D2:  47.25%
  • D2 : 3.19%

British Columbia, Canada

Toxic seepage from tailings pond at an old zinc and lead mine has forced the authorities to declare a state of emergency in the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK).

• Heavy rainfall has raised the water level in the region and there is “ongoing seepage” from sections of the toxic pond, reports said.

Continued Flooding in Britain

More than 200 flood warnings and flood alerts remain in effect throughout England and Wales, with at least 13 flood warnings in Scotland.

• Extreme rain events and landslides have brought disruption to the roads and railroads in parts of the UK, a report said.
  • Residents of Sheepy Magna village in Leicestershire have been evacuated after flooding, the report said.
  • Floodwaters have inundated many homes and business at various location.
  • An undisclosed number of people have been displaced due to widespread flooding.
  • See also: Storms and floods Cause Chaos in the UK‎ Posted on June 30, 2012

Related Links

• 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
• 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