Eat your heart out, Alice!

This beats your Wonderland hands down!

What a Wonderful World (!)

The number of richest people in the world has more than doubled since the financial crisis, up from 793 in March 2009 to 1,645 in March 2014. Their  aggregate net worth is $6.4 trillion, up from $5.4 trillion just a year ago, according to Forbes.

AND, here are some of the consequences:

• Syria:
  • 12.2 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance including 7.6 million who have been internally displaced by violence, and 3.2 million others who have fled the country, says UNOCHA.
• Iraq:
  • About 1,000,000 IDPs living in tents and other flimsy “shelters” are in need of heating.
• Philippines:
  • About 4 million people in 9 regions were affected by Typhoon HAGUPIT, which destroyed at least 38,000 homes. About 157,000 people live in evacuation centers.
• Central African Republic (CAR):
  • More than 2.7 million people, or 58.7 percent of the CAR population are in need of immediate assistance (UNHCR,05/12/2014).
  • As of September 2014, more than 1.7 million people were in Crisis and Emergency phases of food insecurity.
  • Multiple cases of cholera and measles have been reported among more than 750,000 IDPs.
• Democratic Republic of Congo:
  • About 4.1 million people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance (FAO, 11/12/2014 ).
• Guinea:
  • As of December 13, 2014 some 2,394 Ebola cases and 1,518 death have been  reported in Guinea (WHO).
  •  Ebola outbreak has affected 11 million people, or almost the entire population of Guinea (IFRC, 25/10/2014).
  • 4.3 million children live in the affected areas (UNICEF, 03/12/2014)..
• Liberia:
  •  Some 3.73 million Liberian are in need of assistance (OCHA, 16/09/2014)
  • As of December 9, some 7,797 Ebola cases and 3,290 deaths have been reported in Liberia (WHO).
• Sierra Leone:
  • The entire population of Sierra Leone (6.2 million) are in need of assistance as a consequence of Ebola outbreak (OCHA, 16/09/2014).
  • As of December 13, 2014 some 8,270 Ebola cases and 2,033 deaths have been reported in Sierra Leone (WHO).
• West Africa:
  • Total accumulative number of Ebola cases across West Africa (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) has reached 18,464 including 6,841 deaths (WHO, 15/12/2014). The numbers of reported cases and deaths are largely underestimated.

CONTINUED…

Typhoon HAGUPIT Raking Philippines, Affecting 50M

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
MAJOR TYPHOON
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
STORM SURGES
COASTAL FLOODING
MASS EVACUATIONS
CROP DISASTERS
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, 808, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 097, 071, 070, 047, 033, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

HAGUPIT affecting half the Philippines population of 100M

Typhoon HAGUPIT is battering eastern Philippines, ripping roofs, downing trees and power lines, and inundating coastal areas with a powerful storm surge.

Up to a million people had already fled the coastal communities before the typhoon made its first landfall, leaving the city of Tacloban, destroyed by Typhoon HAIYAN in November 2013, and other communities looking like ghost towns, according to local reports.

HAGUPIT [known locally as RUBY] slammed into Dolores in Eastern Samar province at 9:15 p.m. local time on Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of at least 175 km/h, gusting to more than 210 km/h,  according to PAGASA.

“At 8:00 AM, today [Sunday,] the eye of Typhoon “RUBY” was located based on all available data at 70 km West Northwest of Catbalogan, Samar or 85 km Southeast of Masbate City  (12.0°N, 124.3°E),” reported PAGASA.

The massive typhoon, which has a diameter of about 640km, is expected to impact large portions of the country, affecting half the nation’s population of 100 million.

Related Links

• TYPHOON 22W: Hundreds of Thousands Evacuated in Philippines December 6, 2014
• HAGUPIT Becomes a Super Typhoon December 4, 2014
• Typhoon HAGUPIT Targets the Philippines December 3, 2014

TYPHOON 22W: Hundreds of Thousands Evacuated in Philippines

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
SUPER TYPHOON
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
STORM SURGES
COASTAL FLOODING
MASS EVACUATIONS
CROP DISASTERS
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, 808, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 097, 071, 070, 047, 033, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

500,000+ Evacuated in C. Philippines as TY HAGUPIT approaches

At least 500,000 people, or more than 100,000 families, have been evacuated as Typhoon HAGUPIT, locally known as “RUBY,” continued to threaten the Philippines, according to the government.

22W is expected to slam the coast of Eastern Samar, or Northern Samar in central Philippines Saturday evening local time, said  the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA),

HAGUPIT was packing maximum sustained winds of about 190 km/hr, according to FIRE-EARTH models, as of posting.

Related Links

• HAGUPIT Becomes a Super Typhoon December 4, 2014
• Typhoon HAGUPIT Targets the Philippines December 3, 2014

HAGUPIT Becomes a Super Typhoon

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
SUPER TYPHOON
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
STORM SURGES
COASTAL FLOODING
MASS EVACUATIONS
CROP DISASTERS
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, 808, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 097, 071, 070, 047, 033, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Super Typhoon 22W could cause widespread destruction in the  Philippines

Typhoon 22W [aka, HAGUPIT, locally called “RUBY”] was positioned near 10.2N 133.3E, about 800km east of Surigao City , packing sustained winds of about 305 km/h, at 05.00UTC on Thursday, December 4, according to FIRE-EARTH models.

• Movement and Forward Speed: WNW at about 25 km/h
• Max. Wind Gusts: 370 km/h
• Max. Significant Wave Heights: ~ 20m

The super typhoon is forecast to reach within 30 km northeast of Borongan, Eastern Samar and make landfall over the Samar area before noon on Saturday, according to PAGASA/DOST.

Most Probable Track of Typhoon 22W. Source: PAGASA/DOST.

Authorities have placed at least 10 provinces under Storm Signal No. 1 as of posting:

Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte , Southern Leyte,  Surigao del Norte including Siargao Island, Surigao del Sur, and Dinagat.

The super storm may dump heavy – intense rain of up to 20 mm/hr over a 700-km diameter of the typhoon.

Storm surges, extreme rain events, flash floods,and landslides are expected to worsen what could be yet another major catastrophe.

In November 2013, Typhoon HAIYAN devastated Eastern Samar and the island of Leyte, leaving up to 8,000 people dead or missing, tens of thousands injured and about 5 million homeless.

 

Related Links

Typhoon HAGUPIT Targets the Philippines December 3, 2014

Typhoon HAGUPIT Targets the Philippines

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
MAJOR TYPHOON
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
STORM SURGES
COASTAL FLOODING
MASS EVACUATIONS
CROP DISASTERS
MAIN SCENARIOS: 900, 888, 808, [500,] 477, 444, 117, 111, 097, 071, 070, 047, 033, 027, 025, 023, 022, 012, 011, 09, 02
.

Typhoon 22W packing 200km/h winds; headed WNW

Typhoon 22W [aka, HAGUPIT, locally called “RUBY”] was positioned near 9.1°N 135.9°E, about 1,100km east of Hinatuan Surigao del Sur, packing sustained winds of over 200km/h, at 14.32UTC, according to FIRE-EARTH models.

• Movement and Forward Speed; WNW at about 30km/h
• Max. Significant Wave Heights: ~ 15m

Typhoon 22W [aka, HAGUPIT,”RUBY”] Image Source: NOAA/SSD/ West Pacific Imagery

Most probably track for TY 22W, as of posting:

Track of Typhoon 22W. Source: PAGASA/DOST.