U.S. Hit with 3 billion-dollar disasters in first 3 months of 2018 -NOAA

KR – 040702

2018 significant climate anomalies continue

An annotated map of the United States showing notable climate events that occurred during March 2018. For further details, see the bulleted list below in our story and visit https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/national-climate-201803. (NOAA NCEI)

Other notable climate events [Jan – Mar 2018]

Four strong winter storms (nor’easters) hammered the US East in March: The storms brought heavy snow and cold conditions to parts of the Midwest and from the Southern Appalachians to New England in just one month. Some locations in the East had more snow during March than during the preceding winter months combined. Numerous locations had a top-five March snowfall total including Boston, Albany and Philadelphia.

Deadly storms hit the Gulf Coast: A severe storm system brought damaging winds, hail and tornadoes to the Southeast in mid-March. Over 20 tornadoes were reported in Alabama. Total damages exceeded $1 billion and at least 3 people died.

Northern Alaska basked in record warmth: The average March temperature for Alaska was 17.7 degrees F, 6.9 degrees above the long-term average. This tied with 1996 for the ninth warmest March in the 94-year period of record for the state. Northern and western Alaska were much warmer than average, with near-average temperatures in southern Alaska. Utqiaġvik (Barrow) had its warmest March and year to date on record.

Drought intensified in parts of U.S.: By the end of March, about 29 percent of the Lower 48 states were in drought, down from 31 percent at the end of February. Drought conditions worsened across the Central Plains, Southwest and coastal Southeast, and improved in parts of the West, Great Plains and interior Southeast.

Source: http://www.noaa.gov/news/us-hit-with-3-billion-dollar-disasters-in-first-3-months-of-2018

 

‘DORIS DAY’: Intense Storm Turns into a Weather Bomb Hitting Britain

DORIS wreaks havoc across Scotland with 151-km winds

Storm DORIS has rapidly intensified over the last 24 hours as it has undergone what is called Explosive Cyclogenisis turning it into a Weather Bomb, UK Met office reported.

• Details are available from UK Met Office.

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – March 7, 2015

Death toll from severe weather in Afghanistan rises to at least 308

Some 182 districts in 20 provinces have been affected by heavy snow, avalanches and flooding, which have killed at least 308 people, injured 187 others and completely destroyed 4,776 houses, government sources said.

The number of casualties is expected to  rise, with more severe weather forecast for northern and central Afghanistan.

Worsening Food Insecurity and Water Shortages in Ethiopia

Pocket areas that received inadequate seasonal rainfall in 2014 and/or had a poor harvest due to flooding or crop disease will remain vulnerable in early 2015.

Food insecurity is worsening in belg/gu/ganna/sugum rain-receiving areas, as the dry season reaches its peak. Delayed rains and the expected below-average seasonal rainfall will impact belg planting, as well as water and pasture availability in pastoralist areas, said UN OCHA.

Refugee Crisis

Ethiopia hosts the largest refugee population in Africa with 656,199 registered refugees including 251,545 South Sudanese refugees, 196,000 new arrivals in Gambella since mid-December 2013, and 125,000 Eritreans.

33,000 new Eritrean arrivals registered in 2014 (including unaccompanied minors).

Freeze Warning for Eastern Third of U.S.

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
HALLOWEEN BLIZZARD
STORMS, HIGH WINDS, FLOOD WARNINGS
SCENARIOS 887, 560, 477, 444, 177, 111, 066, 064, 027, 025, 023, 02
.

Temperatures plunge 20ºC along parts SE Coast and Central Appalachians: NWS

“The eastern third of the nation will continue to experience well below average temperatures this weekend behind a strong cold front. A coastal low pressure system will strengthen on Sunday and bring gusty winds and precipitation to most of the Northeast Coast, including heavy snow for northern New England,” said NWS.

Meantime, a rare autumn blizzard has dumped up to 41cm (16 inch) of snow on portions of of the Carolinas and  Tennessee, blocking a large stretch of I40 in the Great Smoky Mountains.

US Weather Hazmap for Nov 2, 2014, issued by NWS at 07:58UTC.

Current extreme weather warnings are in effect for Winter Storms, High Wind, Coastal Flooding, Gale, and Freeze.
 

Heavy Snowfall in Inner Mongolia as Temperature Plunges

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
SUDDEN FREEZE
HEAVY SNOWFALL
.

Inner Mongolia buried under heavy snow amid sudden freeze

Original Caption: Police officers help a herdsman clear snow around his yurt on a grassland in East Ujimqin Banner, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, May 4, 2014. Some parts of Inner Mongolia witnessed a heavy snowfall since Saturday, with the temperature dropping below zero degrees Celsius. (Xinhua/Burengyiya).  More images …

Heavy Snow Downs 15 percent of Forest Trees in Canadian District

Disaster Declared in Lakeland, Sask.

The District of Lakeland in the prairie province of Saskatchewan is declaring a state of disaster after heavy snowfall downed thousands of trees, an estimated 15 percent of the forest.

The storm left a path of destruction hundreds of kilometers long littering winter trails with fallen trees, said a report.

“I’ve been here almost 34 years and this is the deepest, heaviest snow I’ve ever seen and more so it’s broken down or bent more trees than ever before,” said the owner of Sundogs Excursions, who depends on the winter trails to run his business.

The Lakeland Reeve estimates that up to 15 percent of the forest’s trees have fallen, said the report.

The region was also impacted by heavy snow in early November.

More than 2 Feet of Snow Paralyzes N Tibet

N Tibet buried under unexpected, heavy snow

Original Caption: A Herdsman herds livestock near the snow-blocked Lakenla Mountain, Damxung County in southwest China’s Tibet Autonomous Region, Oct. 22, 2013. Local husbandry and traffic was affected by the sudden heavy snow which hit the northern Tibet recently. (Xinhua/Chogo). More images…

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.

Next Blizzard Targets Northern Plains

Major winter storm bringing heavy snow, high winds to Northern Plains

‘A major winter storm will bring heavy snow and strong winds from northeast Colorado into central Minnesota Sunday into Monday.  Snowfall amounts in the hardest hit areas across eastern South Dakota will reach over a foot with 50 mph winds creating whiteout conditions.’ NWS  reported.

• Winter Weather Forecast

U.S. Weather Hazards Map – February 9, 2013 – Source: NWS

Related Links

• States of Emergency Declared in 6 States Amid Blizzard  February 9, 2013
• America Under Siege by Forces of Nature  February 8, 2013

Tornadoes, Severe Thunderstorms, Heavy Snow

“A very active weather day,” NWS forecast

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE SOUTH-CENTRAL PLAINS

The NWS Storm Prediction Center in Norman OK has forecast the development of

• Strong Tornadoes
• Very Large Hail
• Damaging Winds

Areas most likely to experience this activity include

• W Arkansas
• SE  Kansas
• Extreme SW Missouri
• E  Oklahoma
• Extreme NE Texas

Severe storms also possible from the central Plains to the Mid-South.

Click image to enter NWS portal.

“A disturbance will emerge from the Four Corners region to the southern and central High Plains this afternoon, where it will begin a rapid intensification as it is fed by a strong surge of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected in the south-central Plains today with a strong possibility of tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds. Heavy rainfall is also possible.” NWS said.

• Tornado Warning

Little Rock, AR,  Base Reflectivity Radar. Click image to enlarge. Click here to update.

Click image to enlarge.

TEXAS Wildfires

Meanwhile, large wildfires continue to burn across portions of Texas. As of posting, 33 states are helping Texas to fight some 21 large to major wildfires.

Picture of the Swenson fire in Stonewall County taken on April 7, 2011.  Photo is courtesy of the Texas Forest Service.

• Red Flag Warnings

Related News Links

• Texas Faces Historic Wildfire Year
• Wildfire not yet contained  (Video Clip)
• Critical fire danger causes flare-ups among active area wildfires

Related Link

• US Tornadoes – UPDATE
• Mega Tornadoes to Bombard U-S Tornado Alley

• TEXAS ON FIRE
• Global Disaster Forecast – UPDATE 17 Mar
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• Extreme fire danger, continued major flooding in the US

• US Wildfire Pattern Consistent with Drought
• Denver wildfire forces evacuation of 10,000 homes
• Wildfires Wreaking Havoc Across the U.S.
• World on Fire

• US Severe Weather Forecast: T-Storms, Tornadoes
• Deadly EF2 Tornado Strikes Louisiana Town
• U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather
• Fierce Storm Dumps 160mm of Rain over SoCal

Extreme Weather Conditions in the US

Severe Thunder Storms, Tornadoes, Wildfires, Heavy Snow, Torrential Rain and Flooding

The United States is experiencing numerous “extreme conditions” throughout the country, NWS forecasts.

Click image to enlarge.

Severe Storms

“A 13-state slice of the central United States from northern Michigan to southern Texas could see severe storms Sunday. The most likely area of severe weather then is an area of Moderate Risk that includes southeast Minnesota, the eastern half of Iowa, extreme northeast Missouri, west-central and southwest Wisconsin and northwest Illinois. A much larger area at Slight Risk for severe weather includes parts of South Dakota, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan and Indiana.” NWS reported.

Click Hazard Map to enter NWS portal.

Flooding

More flooding  reported in northern Plains and Upper Midwest, with

• 19 Major Flood sites
• 29  sites at Moderate Flooding
• 75 sites at Minor Flooding
• 135 sites are Near Flood Stage

U.S. Flood Map. Source: NWS

Wildfire

“Critical fire weather conditions and Red Flag Warnings are in effect for today and Saturday in a 5-state portion of the southern Plains. Areas in which all outdoor burning is discourage include the eastern third of Colorado, the western third of Kansas, the Oklahoma Panhandle and western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle along with northwest and southwest Texas and most of new Mexico but the northwest and west-central parts of the state.” NWS reported.

In Colorado, meanwhile, wildfires have forced the evacuations of about 300 homes in the foothills west of Denver , a report said.

Weather Story: Colorado

Severe thunderstorms are expected in north central Oklahoma tonight. This area is in a tornado watch until 1 A.M. Hot, dry and windy weather is expected in western Oklahoma Saturday afternoon. The dry airmass is expected to include the western two-thirds of Oklahoma Sunday when wildfire potential will be extreme. Windy weather and relatively little rainfall will remain through next week. NWS

Tornadoes

Tornado watches 108 and 109 issued by NWS cover 16 counties Kansas and 24 counties in Oklahoma. See report.

“Temperatures will surge into the upper 80s on Saturday afternoon along with strong southerly winds. Severe thunderstorms may develop along the dryline in central Kansas later Saturday afternoon and early evening. The main threat will be hail and winds… but a tornado or two cannot be ruled out.” NWS reported.

Related News

• Tornado severely damages homes at Pulaski: Severe damage to homes has been reported in the Pulaski and Draper areas of Pulaski County after a tornado earlier this evening, local officials and the National Weather Service said. More than 4,500 customers in Pulaski County are without power.

• Tornado Reported In Northern Oklahoma Storm
• Tornado or not? This week’s storm uprooted trees, damaged buildings, but what was it?
• 1.75-mile path left by tornado

Related Links

• U.S. Weather: Flooding, Wildfires, Heavy Snow
• Severe Thunderstorms Pummel North and Central Georgia April 6, 2011
• US Weather Forecast: Thunderstorms, Strong Winds, Flooding, Fire [April 5, 2011]

• US Severe Weather Forecast: T-Storms, Tornadoes [April 4, 2011]
• Red Flag Warnings in Seven States
• Deadly EF2 Tornado Strikes Louisiana Town
• Mega Tornadoes to Bombard U-S Tornado Alley
• U-S Attacked by Continued Severe Weather
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• US Wildfire Pattern Consistent with Drought
• National Fire Stats Falsified?
• Denver wildfire forces evacuation of 10,000 homes
• Fierce Storm Dumps 160mm of Rain over SoCal
• Wildfires Wreaking Havoc Across the U.S.
• World on Fire

Tornado, tornadoes | Tagged: dangerous storm, Kansas weather, severe weather warnings, Thunderstorm, Tornado Alley, Upper Midwest flooding satellite images, US flood warnings, weather Missouri |