Extreme Weather Hits Midsection US

Temperatures to plunge 30 degrees below normal, as flooding displaces thousands 

As a strong cold front pushes across the central U.S. on Tuesday, parts of the central & southern Plains can expect winter-like precipitation, stretching from Colorado across Kansas and the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma and into southern Iowa. The precipitation should taper off by Tuesday evening. In addition, temperatures will be as much as 30 degrees below normal across the region on Tuesday. —NWS

Meantime, at least six rivers in Illinois have surged to record levels, inundating homes and businesses and displacing thousands of people, as extreme weather continued across parts of central and southern Plains.

The hardest hit communities, including Elmhurst, Des Plaines, River Forest, Bellwood, Riverside, Moline, Quincy, Bartonville, North Aurora, Marseilles, Ottawa, North Utica and Morris.

“We have seen some of the worst flooding damage to neighborhoods and homes across our state in Illinois history,” said Illinois Governor Quinn, declaring 44 counties state disaster areas.

Counties included in the state disaster declaration are Adams, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Cook, DeKalb, Douglas, DuPage, Fulton, Greene, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Jersey, Jo Daviess, Kane, Kendall, Knox, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, Mercer, Morgan, Ogle, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Scott, Stark, Tazewell, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago and Woodford.

US Weather Hazards Map. Source: NWS

Missouri: Gov. Nixon declared a state of emergency in Missouri on Friday after a strong storm system that included heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in many parts of the state and to rapidly rising rivers levels on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers.

“The sustained periods of heavy rainfall has swollen creeks and streams and is pushing the Mississippi River over flood levels, endangering river communities,” declared Nixon.

Flood Warnings

The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Flooding Warnings in parts of at least 16 states, as more rain continued to swell rivers in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri and Mississippi.

• How Homo Ignarus Killed Spring March 21, 2013

• Disaster Diary – April 22, 2013 – City of Grand Rapids Declares a State of Emergency

Hottest Hell on Earth

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,159 Days Left 

[January 8, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,159 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Australia: Entombed by a ‘dome of heat’

Hundreds of fires fanned by record temperatures and high winds are currently burning across Australia, many of them out of control.

About 90 percent of New South Wales (NSW) was in severe danger, with “catastrophic” conditions declared in five areas: the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, the Southern Ranges, the northern and eastern Riverina and southern parts of the lower Central West Plains.

• Temperatures soared to near 46ºC (118ºF) today.
• Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has forecast temperatures of up to 54ºC (129ºF)  in central Australia next Monday and has accordingly extended its temperature chart by adding two new colors, pink and purple, to allow for the extremes.
• High winds and atmospheric conditions have created a ‘dome of heat’ entombing Australia, experts said.

Australia Forecast Map for 06:00 UTC on Saturday 12 January 2013 . Source: BOM

Global Temperature Forecast Map for 06:00 UTC on Saturday 12 January 2013 . Source: BOM

SH Temp Forecast for 06:00 UTC on Sunday 13 January 2013

Power Outages

“The blistering heat also caused a blaze at a nuclear research facility in southern Sydney after cabling overheated in a nearby electricity substation, while thousands of homes in the city’s north experienced power outages due to soaring demand,” said a report.

FEWW Links and Forecasts

• Australia’s Runaway Bushfires Threaten Lives and Property

• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Australia on Fire: Tasmania Burning

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

GLOBAL WARNING

• 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

Australia’s Runaway Bushfires Threaten Lives and Property

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,160 Days Left 

[January 7, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,160 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Wildfires force thousands from homes as Australian heatwave persists

Temperatures are forecast to exceed 45ºC in some areas of Australia, with hundreds of wildfires already burning in five of Australia’s six states.

• As Australia braced for “catastrophic” wildfire day,  authorities warned a massive runaway bushfire near southwest Victorian settlement of Drik Drik had the potential to double in size to 8,000 hectares, a report said.

• At least 100 fires are burning in New South Wales (NWS), Australia’s most populous state.
  • The heatwave will spread across much of NSW on Tuesday, with strong westerly winds creating “catastrophic” bushfire conditions, fire officials have warned.
  • NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner warned that fire danger ratings across “a significant part” of the state would be raised to either severe or extreme.
  • “It could be some of the worst fire weather conditions we’ve seen for years, both in terms of fire ratings and the geographic spread of the conditions,” he said.”Couple that with the fact the last two years have been dominated by rainfall and moisture, which means we’ve got fuel loads across NSW the likes of which we haven’t seen for 30 or 40 years.”
  • “Any fire that burns under the predicted conditions — 40 degree (Celsius) temperatures (104 Fahrenheit), below 10 percent humidity, winds gusting over 70 kilometers an hour (43mph) — those conditions are by any measure horrendous,” said NSW Rural Fire Service Deputy Commissioner.

Related News Links

• Australia braces for “catastrophic” wildfire day
• Vic bushfire spreads to farming community

FEWW Links and Forecasts

• Back-to-Back Disasters Could Hit Australia: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Australia on Fire: Tasmania Burning

China: “Watergate” crisis

• “20 million residents in Beijing are waiting for a response from the government after the national capital was embarrassed by a media report that said inappropriate sewage discharge and garbage disposal led to the deteriorating quality of tap water,” said a report.
  

• Chinese city of Handan, located in Hebei province, fails to report huge toxic leak into Zhanghe River, cuts off water to 1 million.

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

GLOBAL WARNING

• 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

Australia on Fire: Tasmania Burning

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,162 Days Left 

[January 5, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,162 Days Left to the most Fateful Day in Human History
• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011 ...

.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Thousands evacuated or stranded as Tasmania wildfires destroy at least 100 homes

A major heatwave striking much of Australia has sent temperatures soaring to 41.8ºC in the Tasmanian state capital Hobart (highest ever recorded temperature), sparking dozens of separate fires, many of which are currently burning out of control.

• The authorities have blamed the fires on a combination of a record-breaking heatwave, high winds and drought.
• “Clearly, it’s going to take a long time and a lot of work to properly contain these fires.” Said the Tasmanian Fire Service spokesman.
• “Hundreds are still sheltering in evacuation centers in fire-affected parts of the states,” a report said.
• Most of southern Australia remains under record-breaking heat.
• “The current heatwave is unusual due to its areal extent,” said BOM. “More than 70 per cent of the continent is currently experiencing heatwave conditions.”

Alaska Earthquake

A powerful earthquake measuring 7.5Mw struck southern Alaska (55.238°N, 134.777°W) some 102 km (63 miles) W of Craig, at a depth of about 9.9 km (6.2 miles) on Saturday, January 05, 2013 at 08:58 UTC, USGS/EHP reported.

• An initial tsunami Warning for the region, issued by The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, was later cancelled as no destructive waves were reported.

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Global Extremes of Temperature

• Australia. The temperatures in South Australian capital, Adelaide, topped 45 degrees Celsius.

• China. National average temperature in China has fallen to minus 3.8 degrees Celsius (-3.8ºC), the lowest in 28 years.
  • Temperatures in northeast China have plunged to minus 15.3 degrees Celsius (-15ºC), a 43-year low, China Meteorological Administration (CMA) said Saturday.
  • The average temperature in northern China dropped to -7.4ºC (18.7ºF), a 42-year low CMA said.

• New Delhi, India.  The Indian city recorded a maximum daily temperature of 9.8 degrees Celsius (min. temp. dipped to 4.4ºC), some 11 degrees below normal for this time of the year.  Today was also the first time in 44 years for the temperature to fall below 10 degrees.

• Colorado, USA. The coldest place in the continental United States was Alamosa this week, as the temperatures in the San Luis Valley city plunged to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit (-35.5ºC) on Wednesday, minus 33 on Thursday, and at least -34 on Friday. [Our thoughts are intensely focused on OH and RI.]

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

GLOBAL WARNING

• 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 Climate Extremes INTENSIFYING

2011 Could Shatter 2010 Records

The wettest, coldest, driest, hottest, severest… could get even worse this year

Extremes of temperature, precipitation, drought and other climatic and weather events would continue to intensify throughout 2011, FIRE-EARTH forecasts.

Click image to enlarge.

• Drought and deluge,  extremes of temperature and precipitation, wild climatic and severe weather events will raise both the frequency and intensity of human-enhanced natural disasters, decimating crops and farm animals globally, affecting food production and prices, and increasing the number of climate refugees.
• Poverty and rocketing food prices could trigger local and cross-border conflicts , escalate into national crisis and precipitate into regional and wider-scale wars.
• Back-to-back disasters could hit the Americas, Afro-Eurasia, Australia …

Related Links:

A Shrinking World

• Future Scenarios
• Nuking Earth for Lifestyle
• World Problems: The Root Cause Matrix
• Giga Trends
• World CO2 Emissions

• How Much Carbon Dioxide Does Your Money Make?
• Cosmic Scale Evil
• Failing Ecosystems
• First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities

Mega Disasters:

• Earth: Wounded and Feverish

• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• FEWW DISASTER FORECAST 2011
• 2011 Much More Disastrous
• 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• Megadisasters Loom

• 2010 Disasters
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• 2010: The Year of Disasters

Earthquakes: Worst Disaster Type in Past Decade

Earthquakes caused the deadliest disasters in 2000-09 decade: UNISDR

In its recent News Brief, United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction Secretariat (UNISDR) reported that about 60 per cent of the people killed by disasters in the past decade died as a result of earthquakes.

List of Top 10 Natural disasters by number of deaths – 2009. Source: UNISDR. Click image to enlarge.

“Earthquakes are the deadliest natural hazard of the past ten years and remain a serious threat for millions of people worldwide as eight out of the ten most populous cities in the world are on earthquake fault-lines,” said Margareta Wahlström, UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction.

“Disaster risk reduction is an indispensable investment for each earthquake-prone city and each community. Seismic risk is a permanent risk and cannot be ignored. Earthquakes can happen anywhere at any time. Risk reduction will be a main priority in the Haiti reconstruction process, and we will be working with our partners to ensure that it is central in the reconstruction.”

The Center for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED) has released the following statistics covering the past 10 years:

Number of disasters for 2000-20009 period: 3,852 disasters

• Death toll from the disasters: 780,000 people
• Total number of people affected by the disasters: about a thirs of the planet’s population (more than two billion people)
• Cost of the damage caused by the disasters: About 1 trillion (US$960 billion).

The worst hit continent in terms of human losses:  Asia, accounting for 85 per cent of all fatalities.

Disaster Types

• The worst category: Earthquakes, accounting for 60 percent of the fatalities
• Second Worst Disaster Category:  Storms, accounting for 22 percent of the deaths.
• Third deadliest: Extremes of Temperature, accounting for 11  percent of the casualties.

The deadliest disasters of the 2000-2009 decade:

• Indian Ocean Tsunami:   Struck several countries in Asia (2004),  leaving 226,408 dead
• Cyclone Nargis: Struck  Myanmar (2008), killing 138,366 people
• Sichuan earthquake:  China (2008) killed at least 87,476 people
• Pakistan (2005) earthquake: Killed 73,338 people w
• Heat waves in Europe (2003): Killed 72,210

Human impact by disaster types. Source: UNISDR. Click image to enlarge.

“The number of catastrophic events has more than doubled since the 1980-1989 decade. In contrast, the numbers of affected people have increased at a slower rate. This may be due to better community preparedness and prevention,” said Professor Guha-Sapir, Director of CRED.

Of the more than two billion affected people

• 44 per cent were affected by floods
• 30 per cent by droughts
• ONLY 4 per cent by earthquakes

The  death toll for the last 3 decades (annual average)

• 2000 decade: 78,000 people per year(ppy)
• 1990s decade: 43,000 ppy
• 1980s decade: 75,000  (worsened by two major droughts and famines in Ethiopia and Sudan)

Natural Hazard Events (annual average) and Estimated Economic  Damage

• 2000 decade: 385  at a cost of US$96 billion
• 1990 decade: 285  at a cost of US$99 billion
• 1980 decade: 165  at a cost of US$39 billion

Percentage of people killed by natural disasters by region. Source: UNISDR. Click image to enlarge.

In 2009, some 10,416 people were killed in 327 disasters and  a further 113 million others were affected. Cost of the economic damage:  US$34.9 billion. {there were no major disasters). the total number of people killed and affected by disasters was lower than in 2008, as no major disaster occurred.

In contrast, the 2000-2008 annual averages were 85,535 (deaths), 229,792,397 (affected) and US$102.7 billion (economic damages).

Natural disaster occurrence by disaster type. Source: UNISDR. Click image to enlarge.

The worst disaster in 2009

The worst disaster in 2009 (highest death toll) was the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck the island of Sumatra, Indonesia, on 30 September, killing at least 1,100 people.  It was followed by typhoons Morakot, Ketsana and Parma and numerous floods that killed many in Asia, which was home to six of the top 10 countries with the highest number of disaster-related deaths.

Most populous cities on EQ fault-lines (A-Z): Delhi, Jakarta, Kolkata Mexico City, Mumbai, New York, Shanghai and Tokyo.

Source: UNISDR; edited by FEWW

Note: IF the numbers of fatalities/casualties in a given disaster are claimed to be larger than a few hundreds, and no video or photographic evidence is presented to support the claim, those figures should be carefully analyzed. Governments and aid organizations invariably exaggerate the casualty figures to maximize the inflow of aid and donations for self-serving purposes and interests other than those of the victims. See footnote at https://feww.wordpress.com/earthquake/haiti-earthquake-disaster/

Related Links:

• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) March 2008
• 2010: The Year of Disasters
• Earth’s Human Induced Antiphase Nears Completion