Global Disasters/ Significant Events – May 23, 2016

Tropical Storm ROANU displaces more than 1.3 million in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka

More than 1 million people have been evacuated in Bangladesh following the devastation caused by Tropical Storm ROANU.

The storm made landfall in Bangladesh on 21 May, killing dozens of people and destroying or damaging  about 100,000 houses across 15 districts. The Chittagong, Noakhali, Lakshmipur and Chandpur districts being among the worst hit, said the Bangladeshi Department of Disaster Management.

Sri Lanka

Floods and landslides triggered by Tropical Storm ROANU have affected 400,000 people across Sri Lanka, since May 15.

The storm related disasters have killed about 90, and left 116 others missing.  The floods have displaced about 300,000 people. “The majority of the displaced are in Colombo and Gampaha districts. Water, sanitation and hygiene, health, shelter and food have been identified as priorities.” OCHA reported.

Maldives

Continuous heavy rainfall and storm surges on 15 islands have  damaged/destroyed homes and properties.

Micronesia

All four island states of Micronesia remain under States of Emergency due to severe drought which continues to affect 100,000 people. Yap and the Chuuk Northwest region are the worst affected. The Government reports that food security for the outlying islands is a serious concern with saltwater intrusion destroying taro patches, the main staple crop. Yap State is currently providing food assistance to residents of the outlying islands. [UN OCHA]

Marshall Islands

Despite recent rainfall, an estimated 21,000 people remain severely affected by El Niño-induced drought across the Marshall Islands. Food baskets are being prepared for distribution to people in the outer islands. An outbreak of conjunctivitis or pinkeye (inflammation of the eye) was also reported in Majuro.
Health officials have linked the outbreak to the limited water available for handwashing. [UN OCHA]

3.5 Million People Affected by Climatic Events in Philippines

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – April 25, 2016

An estimated 3.5 million people have been affected by climatic events, including El Niño, across the Philippines, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

As of  April 20, DSWD released US$14.8 million for food assistance and cash-for-work programs, officials said.

Japan

Following the two powerful earthquakes that struck Kumamoto Prefecture on April 14 and 16, an estimated 60,000 people remain in more than 600 evacuation shelters. “The Government has secured apartment units for 8,350 households as temporary accommodation,” said UNOCHA.

The official toll stands at 48 fatalities and more than 1,400 injuries.

Timor Leste

An estimated 120,000 people are in need of water, food sanitation, health, and education support across five municipalities of Lautém, Viqueque, Baucau, Covalima and Oecusse, which have been severely impacted by El Niño-induced drought, said UNOCHA.

Myanmar

High winds, hail and torrential rains have buffeted more than 40 townships across Mandalay and Sagaing regions and Shan, Kachin and Chin states in Myanmar. Destroying or damaging thousands of houses damaged. “As of 25 April, authorities confirmed 14 deaths and 18 people injured due to the severe weather conditions – these figures are expected to change as more information becomes available. In Kachin, strong winds destroyed internally displaced persons (IDP) shelter and camp structures.”  [UNOCHA]

“On 16 and 19 April, fighting reportedly broke out between the military and an armed group identified as part of the Arakan Army in Kyautaw and Rathedaung townships, Rakhine State. Village authorities confirmed that about 80 households (380 people) were displaced. Local authorities and the military provided rice and basic health care services to the displaced people.”

Samoa

Category 2 Tropical Cyclone AMOS brought heavy rains triggering landslides in Upolu Island and flooding low lying coastal areas [April 23 -24.] “Electricity and water supply was temporarily disrupted across the archipelago – power outages affected 70 per cent of the country. No fatalities have been reported.” [UNOCHA]

 

 

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – June 2, 2015

Hundreds missing as Chinese ship capsizes on Yangtze

A cruise ship carrying 458 people capsized on Jianli section of the Yangtze River in central China’s Hubei Province, teh official Xinuhua reported

The ship named Dongfangzhixing, or Eastern Star, sank after being caught in a cyclone, said the report.

“Carrying 406 passengers, five travel agency workers and 47 crew members, the ship was heading from Nanjing, capital of east China’s Jiangsu Province, for southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality.”

Officials say at least 15 people survived the disaster, including the captain and the chief engineer. Some of the survivors were found inside the ship’s submerged hull.

MERS deaths stokes fear in South Korea

An outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea has infected at least 24 people, killing two of the victims and stoking fear among Seoul residents.

MERS in China

China’s first confirmed Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) patient is currently quarantined in Guangdong province, which borders Hong Kong, said reports.

“A man from the Republic of Korea (ROK) tested positive for MERS in Guangdong last Friday. He is being treated at Huizhou Municipal Central Hospital and is still feverish,” health officials said, Xinhua reported.

Reported Cases Worldwide

About 1,200 cases of the virus have been reported worldwide with at least 481 fatalities, said the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – May 19, 2015

Egyptian authorities behaving like animals

Egyptian security forces are using sexual violence against detainees on a massive scale, according to the International Federation for Human Rights.

Men, women and children are being raped “to eliminate public protest,” said a report. Detainees are routinely subject to virginity tests, rape and gang rape after arrest.

“The study notes a surge in sexual violence after the Egyptian military takeover in July 2013.”

Time running out for thousands in distress at sea: UNHCR

Time is running out for thousands of people in distress at sea, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) on Tuesday warned, urging governments in the Southeast Asia region to urgently rescue the vulnerable people.

“We estimate that nearly 4,000 people from Myanmar and Bangladesh remain stranded at sea with dwindling supplies on board. This includes some 2,000 men, women and children stranded on at least five boats near the Myanmar-Bangladesh coasts for more than 40 days. Unconfirmed reports suggest the number could be higher,” UNHCR spokesman told journalists in Geneva on Tuesday.

Chadians Fleeing Boko Haram

An estimated 32,000 Chadians and other internally displaced persons (IDPs) have fled Boko Haram attacks and crossed the border from Nigeria into Chad’s Lac Chad region since the beginning of January 2015, said IOM.

Islamic State terrorists take control of Ramadi, Iraq

Islamic State terrorists have taken control of Ramadi. At least 500 have been killed and 42,840 people fled fighting in the city over 16–17 May, adding to the 180,000 already displaced in Anbar since early April. Access to new IDPs in Habbaniyah, Khadiyah district, is limited due to insecurity, and health concerns are growing, reported Acaps.

Sudan: Fighting between Southern Reizeigat and Maaliya tribes in Abu Karinka, East Darfur, has reportedly displaced up to 24,000 households – 168,000 people. Those who remain have been cut off from water, food, and fuel aid. Measles cases have climbed to 4,127 so far this year, with West Darfur the worst-affected state. http://geo.acaps.org

Burundi: Displacement has increased sharply with the worsening political crisis. 105,000 people are seeking asylum in neighbouring countries, including 78,000 in Tanzania, where living conditions are worsening rapidly. Political protests continue in Burundi, despite the President warning that protesters will be considered accomplices of perpetrators of the attempted coup. http://geo.acaps.org

Deadly Snowstorms: States of Emergency Declared in Bulgaria

States of Emergency Declared in Nine Bulgarian Municipalities after Deadly Snowstorms

Hundreds of towns in southern Bulgaria remain without electricity following massive snowstorms, said a report.

States of emergency were declared in the municipalities of Smolyan, Kardzhali, Haskovo, Laki, Pazardzhik, Rakitovo, Plovdiv, Sarnitsa and Velingrad, the local media reported.

Up to 2 meters of snow blocked roads, downed power lines and forced hundreds schools to close, leaving tens of communities remain cut off from the rest of the country, said the report.

At least five people were reported dead as a result of the mammoth snowfalls, including a “65-year-old man was found frozen to death,” and three snowboarders killed by an avalanche in Pirin mountain on Sunday, “as the country continued to grapple with huge snowfalls that have massively disrupted power supplies and caused travel chaos in parts of the country.”

“The situation also remained serious in the Kurdzhali region, mainly in Ardino and Kirkovo, with the latter having seen nearly four meters of snowfall.”

A powerful storm with hurricane-force winds brought the snow to the Balkan Peninsula, and surrounding regions, producing hurricane-force winds over the Adriatic Sea, which lasted more than 48 hours.

The storm severity affected southern Italy, Croatia and Serbia, with blizzards, as well as flooding, and landslides.

Italian village breaks snow records with a dump of more than 256.5cm in 18 hours

A small village in southern Italy became the  snowiest places in the world after it received more than 2.56 meters (101 inches) of snow in less than 24 hours.

An intense storm left Capracotta buried under a deep blanket of snow, forcing the residents to climb out of their first-floor windows, or dig tunnels from their front doors.

The village may have set a new world record for most snow in 24 hours, shattering the previous high of 193cm (75.8 inches) held by Silver Lake, Colorado, USA.

“In Colorado, they had two meters of snow in 24 hours, but here it took just 16 hours for that amount to fall,” said the mayor of the village [population: ~1,400.]

The neighboring village of Pescopennataro received more than 240cm of the powdery precipitation.

High winds created blizzard conditions with snow drifts up to four meters deep in several places.
Other towns and villages in the southern Italian region of Molise were also affected, including Campobasso, Pescocostanzo, Pescopennataro and Vastogirardi.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – March 4, 2015

Disasters affect more than 1.3 million people in Colombia

Human-enhanced natural disasters affected 1,334,029 people across Colombia Between January 2014 and February 2015.

Severe drought in the Caribbean and Andean regions affected more than 729,000 of the total, while widespread flooding in other regions affected about 296,000 others, reported UN OCHA.

“For 2015, there is a likelihood for continuing dry conditions. The extremely dry season has led to drought, water shortages, forest fires and access constraints due to low river levels,” said the report.

An estimated 124,000 people displaced by conflict across Mindanao in 2014

Armed conflict, clan feuds and widespread violence has caused multiple displacements across Mindanao from starting 2012, UN reported.

In 2014, an estimated 124,000 people were displaced by conflict according to the Protection Cluster.
Currently, more than 100,000 people are directly affected
by conflict each year.

By January 2015, at least 77,000 people were still
without lasting solutions including some 30,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Zamboanga City.

UN Figures:  Displacement in Central Mindanao

Number of affected people: 69,700
Number of IDPs in evacuation centers: 46,400
Number of evacuation centers: 45
Number of house-based IDPs: 17,200

Zamboanga Crisis

Number of IDPs evacuation centers: 6,700
Number of IDPs in transitional sites: 12,400
Number of house-based IDPs: 11,300

Iraq violence kills more than 1,100 in February: UNAMI

Some 1,103 people weer killed in Iraq last month, including 611 civilians, said the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in a statement.

At least 2,280 people, including 1,353 civilians, were wounded across Iraq last month, added UNAMI.

Baghdad was worst hit by the violence with at least 329 people dead and 875 others wounded, said the report.

January’s death toll was at least 1,375, including 790 civilians, said UNAMI.

The UN figures do not include the casualties in Iraqi regions held by ISIL terrorists.

Critical Overload Threatens Planetary Life Support Systems

Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) skyrockets to a new high

The FIRE-EARTH/CASF Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN), an index for calculating the human impact on the planetary life support systems, climbed to a critically high level of 323 on July 1, 2013. In other words, the anthropogenic impact on the living environment exceeded 3.23 times the planet’s diminishing carrying capacity.

• The index is rising exponentially.
• HIoN has risen 38 points, or more than 13 percent, since July 2012 when it reached 285.
• The index was less than 80 in 1960, and rose to about 100 in 1980.

“According to HIoN projections, our cities and population centers could become almost entirely unsustainable by as early as 2015.”

Diagram shows the exponential growth of Human Impact on Nature (HION) between 1960  and July 2013. Source: FIRE-EARTH Real-Time Earth Models. Copyright: FIRE-EARTH Blog Authors.

RAPID CHANGE IN PROGRESS!

Tidal Surge of Global Change 26 Times Faster in 21st Century: FIRE-EARTH

FIRE-EARTH Models show the rate of global change has intensified by a factor of at least 26 in the last decade compared with the 1960s.

FIRE-EARTH defines ‘global change’ as the deterioration in the planet’s life-support capacity, caused by large-scale anthropogenic impact, which is leading to a total collapse.

Status as of End June 2012

•  As of end-June 2012, the CASF Index of Human Impact on Nature (HIoN) was 285 !
• WARNING: RAPID CHANGE IN PROGRESS! July 4, 2012

.

July 6, 2013 – SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN –

980 Days Left

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

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

• Human Impact
• Index of Human Impact on Nature
• Nature’s Warnings Exponentially Intensifying

TS MAHASEN: The Rain Monster

Tropical Storm MAHASEN Intensifying 

MAHASEN, which formed over Indian Ocean near Bay of Bengal early Saturday, is forecast to intensify into a ‘severe cyclonic storm’ by Monday morning, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Tropical Storm MAHASEN. Base Image:  8km Res Visible/Shortwave IR Image  2013/05/12/01:30UTC. Working Best Track  10MAY2013/06:00UTC- 12MAY2013/00:00UTC.   Official TCFC Forecast 12MAY2013/00:00UTC  (source: JTWC). Credit CIMSS

Indian Ocean’s first cyclone of the season, MAHASEN promises to bring heavy rains and high winds to the  region.

The storm was heading northwestwards, about 1,000km away from India’s eastern coast, as of posting. However, the cyclone could change trajectory moving towards the Bangladesh-Myanmar coast in the next 36 hours, said IMD.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events Headlines – 17 April 2013

China H7N9 avian flu: 77 cases, 16 deaths

At least 14 new cases of H7N9 avian influenza and two additional fatalities in Shanghai were reported by the Chinese authorities, raising the total number of infection to 77, and the death toll to 16, as of posting.

Some 30 cases including 11 fatalities have been reported in Shanghai, 20 infections including 2 deaths in Jiangsu Province, and 21 cases including two deaths in Zhejiang Province. Anhui Province has reported three cases with one death; while Beijing reported one infection so far; and Henan Province has revealed 2 cases, the report said.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Iran-Pakistan Border Earthquake Update

• Quake depth revised to 82 km (51.0 miles) by USGS/EHP .

The 7.8Mw quake shook a vast region for 40 seconds. Tremors were felt throughout Middle-East, including Oman, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain capital Manama, as well as Pakistan, shaking buildings in  Islamabad and Karachi, Afghanistan and Northern India, including the capital New Delhi.

The quake killed dozens of people, injuring hundreds more and destroying at least 1,500 homes including many mud-houses in one Pakistani town alone.

The quake destroyed this house in Panjgur, Pakistan, some 238km away from the epicenter. Source: EMSC

“A local health official in Iran told the Fars news agency that more than 20 villages were probably ‘severely damaged,’ based on initial reports.” http://www.nation.com.pk/

• “Crisis management authorities declared a state of emergency in the quake-hit area, Iran’s official news agency IRNA said, but so far there have been no confirmed deaths on the Iranian side.”

• “The head of Iran’s Red Crescent rescue corps said communications to the stricken areas have been cut.”

Minnehaha County, South Dakota

Officials have declared Minnehaha County, South Dakota, a disaster area, following the losses and damage caused by violent storm last week, said a report.

continued …

.

DISASTER CALENDAR – April 17, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,060 Days Left 

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

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,060 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 PLANETARY 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

Flood Disaster Spreads in Mozambique

NOTE:  On January 29, 2013, WordPress/Google again tightened access to this blog, reducing traffic by a further 75 percent.

.

Severe flooding in Mozambique affects about ¼ million, killing 111 and displacing 186,000 people

A storm system in the Mozambique Channel threatens to bring even more heavy rains to much of Mozambique and Madagascar, exacerbating the current flood situation, said UN OCHA.

• “The Ministry of Agriculture’s preliminary assessment indicates about 191,315 ha (473,000 acres) have been affected by floods, including 166,278 ha of cultivated land destroyed. The most affected province is Gaza, followed by Inhambane and Maputo.”

• Other affected provinces include Zambezia and Cabo Delgado.

• Hundreds of cases of cholera infections and at least 2 related deaths have been reported in Cabo Delgado province between 28 January and 13 February 2013, according to the Ministry of Health.

• Extreme rain events have triggered severe flooding in several other southern African countries, including Zambia, Malawi, South Africa and northern Zimbabwe.

.

February 16, 2013 – DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,120 Days Left 

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

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,120 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 PLANETARY 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

2013: Year One of Big “Surprises”

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,166 Days Left 

[January 1, 2013] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,166 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

Earth Dwellers Brief History:  No major inspiration since harnessing fire

The earth dwellers have entered a new year as the anthropogenic impact on the living environment reaches nearly three times the planet’s diminishing carrying capacity.

• FIRE-EARTH Models show the rate of global change has intensified by a factor of at least 26 in the last decade compared with the 1960s.

• FIRE-EARTH defines ‘global change’ as the deterioration in the planet’s life-support capacity that is caused by large-scale anthropogenic impact, and that is leading to a total collapse.

Homo erectus making fire – source: arthursclipart.org

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• Human Impact
• Nature’s Warnings Exponentially Intensifying
• 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

August 2012 Fourth Warmest on Record

Global Land Temperature:  Second Warmest August on Record

Average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces was the 4th highest on record for August, at 61.22°F (16.22°C) or 1.12°F (0.62°C) above the 20^th century average, NOAA reported.

• August 2012 was the 36^th consecutive August and 330^th consecutive month with a global temperature above the 20^th century average.
• Global land temperature was 58.52°F, which tied with 2001 and 2011 as the second warmest August on record, behind 1998.
• Temperature for global land and ocean surfaces for June–August tied with 2005 as the third highest on record for this period at 61.25°F (16.24°C), or 1.15°F (0.64°C), above the 20^th century average.

Related Links

• U.S. Climate: Warmest YTD on Record Posted  September 11, 2012

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Image of the Day: ASIE

Northern Hemisphere Ice Cover falls below 3.6 million km² —FIRE-EARTH 

As of September 5, 2011, the Arctic sea ice extent (ASIE) was 3,686,199.43 km² according to NSIDC.

• Daily average ice melt for September currently stands at more than 87,000 km², NSIDC data shows.

Arctic sea ice extent fell below 3.6 million square kilometers (1.39 million square miles) on September 6, 2012, FIRE-EARTH estimates.

FEWW model shows the Arctic sea ice extent could fall to about 3 million km² (1.15 million square miles) during the 2012 melt season with a probability of 0.5 [P = 54%]

Multi sensor Analyzed Sea Ice Extent – Northern Hemisphere (MASIE -NH), September 5, 2012.  Source: The National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)

Related Links

• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Could Fall to 3M Km² Posted September 3, 2012

• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Down to 3.87M km² and Melting Posted August 31, 2012

• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Breaks Record Low and Melting Posted August 28, 2012
• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Rapidly Decreasing Posted August 21, 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

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Arctic Sea Ice Extent Could Fall to 3M Km²

UPDATED September 4, 2012 @ 01:44UTC

Northern Hemisphere Sea Ice Cover Shrinking Rapidly

Arctic sea ice extent shrank to about 3.65 million square kilometers (1.41 million square miles) on September 2, 2012, FIRE-EARTH estimates.

FEWW model shows the Arctic sea ice extent could fall to about 3 million km² (1.15 million square miles) during the 2012 melt season with a probability of 0.5 [P = 54%]

Arctic sea ice extent as of September 1, 2012.  Image Source: NSIDC

Arctic sea ice extent, September 1, 2012. FIRE-EARTH estimates the NH ice cover fell below 3.65 million km² (1.41 million square miles) on September 2, 2012.  Image Source: NSIDC

Arctic Sea Ice Cover:  Denmark’s Center for Ocean and Ice (DMI)

Original caption:  Current Sea Ice extent. Total sea ice extent on the northern hemisphere since 2005. The ice extent values are calculated from the ice type data from the Ocean and Sea Ice, Satellite Application Facility (OSISAF), where areas with ice concentration higher than 30% are classified as ice.        The total area of sea ice is the sum of First Year Ice (FYI), Multi Year Ice (MYI) and the area of ambiguous ice types, from the OSISAF ice type product. However, the total estimated ice area is underestimated due to unclassified coastal regions where mixed land/sea pixels confuse the applied ice type algorithm. The shown sea ice extent values are therefore recommended be used qualitatively in relation to ice extent values from other years shown in the figure.

Related Links

• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Down to 3.87M km² and Melting Posted August 31, 2012

• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Breaks Record Low and Melting Posted August 28, 2012
• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Rapidly Decreasing Posted August 21, 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

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Disaster Calendar – 2 September 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,291 Days Left

[September 2, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,291 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Global

• Royal Dutch Shell to drill in the Arctic:  The US government has granted permission to Royal Dutch Shell to begin tentative drilling in the Chukchi Sea off the Alaskan coast.

Nigeria

• Oil spill stretches for miles by Exxon Nigeria field:  ‘An oil spill near an ExxonMobil oilfield off the southeast coast of Nigeria has spread along the shore for about 15 miles, and locals said it was killing fish they depend on to live.’

United States

• Red Flag Warnings: Strong winds and low humidity creating critical fire weather conditions across the northern Rockies as well as the northern and central Great Plains, said NOAA.

• Southern California town declares emergency over quake swarm: The earthquake swarm in Brawley [pop: 25,000] has lasted for days and caused millions of dollars in damage, the mayor said.

• Louisiana Requests Federal Aid for an Additional 18 Parishes: Each of the sixty-four (64) parishes in the State has already declared a state of emergency.

Europe

• Unemployment across the 17-nation eurozoneclimbed to a record 18 million in July, according to the EU statistics agency.
  • The 18,002,000 jobless total was the highest since records began in 1995.
  • Highest increases occurred in Greece (16.8% to 23.1%), Spain (21.7% to 25.1%) and Cyprus (7.7% to 10.9%).
  • The eurozone countries are Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain.

Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011...

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!

Arctic Sea Ice Extent Down to 3.87M km² and Melting

Northern Hemisphere Sea Ice Cover Continues Shrinking

Arctic sea ice extent shrank to about 3.87 million square kilometers (1.49 million square miles) on August 29, 2012 and continued melting, FIRE-EARTH estimates. The new record low was 100,000 km² below the September 18, 2007 daily extent of 4.17 million km².

FEWW model shows the Arctic sea ice extent could fall below 3.8 million km² during the 2012 melt season with a probability of 0.8 [P≥77%]

Arctic sea ice extent, August 29, 2012. FIRE-EARTH estimates the NH ice cover has fallen below 3.87 million km².  Image Source: NSIDC

Arctic sea ice extent as of August 29, 2012. The ice extents is now the lowest in the satellite record.  Image Source: NSIDC

Related Links

• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Breaks Record Low and Melting Posted August 28, 2012
• Arctic Sea Ice Extent Rapidly Decreasing Posted August 21, 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

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Disaster Calendar – 30 August 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,294 Days Left

[August 30, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,294 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

• Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011...

.

Louisiana and Mississippi. Torrential rain dumped by Hurricane ISAAC, now downgraded to a tropical depression, threatened to burst Lake Tangipahoa Dam in Mississippi, forcing evacuation of about 60,000 people in Louisiana and Mississippi, leaving large areas flooded and more than a million without power, reports said.

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

ISAAC Landed in SE Louisiana, Heading Toward NO

Hurricane ISAAC landed in Louisiana with 80MPH winds

ISAAC has forced tens of thousands to evacuate, and is forecast to strike New Orleans. The storm triggered widespread  flooding and damage in the Caribbean, claiming at least 24 lives in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Hurricane ISAAC landing in SE Louisiana. Image source: UW-SSEC – Animate this image

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• California.  Yosemite National Park has warned about 2,000 visitors who stayed in its canvas and wood cabins in Curry Village this summer that they may have been exposed to the deadly hantavirus.
  • Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome has killed at least two campers who stayed at the park earlier this year.
  • Two other campers have acquired the infection.
  • Symptoms of hantavirus include aches, chills, dizziness and fever.
  • Hantavirus is carried in the feces, saliva and urine of infected deer mice, and has no specific treatment.
  • The virus has a 30% fatality rate.

• U.S. Corn and Soybean Crops. The U.S. corn and soybean conditions have both deteriorated by an additional one percent, according to the USDA’s latest Crop Progress for the week ending August 26, 2012.
  • The amount of corn crops considered to be in very poor or poor conditions increased to 52 percent, an increase of 1 percent from the previous week. It was 19 percent last year.
  • Soybean crops in very poor or poor conditions also increased by 1 percent to 38 percent since last week.   It was 15 percent last year.

Previous Corn Progress

• U.S. Corn Condition Continues Worsening Posted August 14, 2012
• More Corn Grilled on the Cob Posted on August 7, 2012
• Half U.S. Corn in Very Poor or Poor Condition Posted July 30, 2012
• Deadly Drought Worsens Corn, Soybean, Pasture and Range Conditions Posted July 24, 2012

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Colorado Declared Agri Disaster Area

DISASTER CALENDAR – 4 July 2012

Symbolic Countdown: 1,351 Days Left 

[July 4, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,351 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

.

Drought, Extreme Weather Events Cause Agricultural Disaster in Colorado

USDA has designated the state of Colorado as agricultural disaster area due to damage and losses caused by drought, excessive heat and high winds that began January 1 and continues.

• All but two of Colorado’s 64 counties have been declared primary natural disaster areas, with the remaining counties, Delta and San Juan, being designated continuous disaster areas.

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Florida. The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the state of Florida following the damage caused by Tropical Storm DEBBY.
  • Baker, Bradford, Columbia, Pasco, and Wakulla Counties are listed as Federal Disaster Areas.

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

WARNING: RAPID CHANGE IN PROGRESS!

Tidal Surge of Global Change 26 Times Faster in 21st Century: FIRE-EARTH

FIRE-EARTH Models show the rate of global change has intensified by a factor of at least 26 in the last decade compared with the 1960s.

FIRE-EARTH defines ‘global change’ as the deterioration in the planet’s life-support capacity that is caused by large-scale anthropogenic impact, leading to a total collapse.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• Human Impact
• Nature’s Warnings Exponentially Intensifying
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• The Fate of Energy Dinosaurs
• Mass Die-offs

Disaster Calendar – 11 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,374 Days Left

[June 11, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,374 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

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 Calendar – 10 June 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,375 Days Left

[June 10, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,375 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Recent Mauna Loa CO2

• May 2012:     396.78 ppm
• May 2011:     394.16 ppm

• April 2012:     396.18 ppm
• April 2011:     393.28 ppm

Recent Global CO2 (ESRL/NOAA)

• April 2012:     394.01 ppm
• April 2011:     391.83 ppm

• March 2012:     393.87 ppm
• March 2011:     391.46 ppm

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

Millions of People Affected by Extreme Rain Events in China

Continuous rainstorms forces hundreds of thousands of residents to relocate in southern, eastern and central China

Extreme rain events have destroyed tens of thousands of homes in South China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, central China’s Hunan province, east China’s Jiangxi province, leaving dozens of people dead, injured or missing.

The rainstorms have affected at least 3 million people, destroying their food stocks, also destroying or damaging tens of thousands of hectares of crops.

Villagers transport pork carcasses using a boat in Wuning County of Jiujiang City, east China’s Jiangxi Province, May 13, 2012.  Days of heavy rains have caused local rivers and reservoirs to rise above warning levels in Jiangxi Province. (Xinhua). Image may be subject to copyright. More images…

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 Calendar – 28 April 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,418 Days Left

[28 April 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,418 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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 Calendar – 27 April 2012

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,419 Days Left

[27 April 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,419 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

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