US Wildfires Consume 7,378,212 Acres

National Fire Preparedness Remains at Maximum Level 5 –NICC

Upgraded to level 5 (on a scale from 1 to 5) on August 10, 2017

• Montana declares a state of disaster due to wildfires.
• California: State of Emergency Declared in N. California Due to Wildfire.

Currently, 130 new fires including 88 large fires have burned 1.2 million acres in the West and Alaska.

Number of new large fires: 21
Number of active large fires: 88

[Total number includes full suppression and resource managed fires. Total does not include individual fires within complexes.]

States currently reporting large fires: Alaska (2), California (11), Idaho (14), Montana (31), Nevada (5), Oregon (19), Utah (1), Washington (4), Wyoming (1)

• TOTAL FIRES: 46,648
• TOTAL ACRES: 7,378,212

Prescribed Fires and Acres (Year-to-Date)

• Fires: 66,510
• Acres: 2,931,011

Ten Year Average (2007–2016 as of today)

• Fires: 49,570
• Acres: 5,380,768

Canada: British Columbia extends wildfire emergency for fourth time

Canadian province of British Columbia has extended a state of emergency for a fourth time until September 15 amid destructive wildfires raging across the region, the provincial government reported.

• Hundreds of forest fires across British Columbia have consumed about 900,000 hectares (2.2 million acres) and forced up to 50,000 people from their homes.

Canada Fires and Hectares (YTD)

• Fires: 4,939
• Hectares: 3,022,960 (~7.5 million acres)

nifc.gov/nicc/

Wildfires in Montana and Oregon Force Mass Evacuations

U.S. National Fire Preparedness Remains at Maximum Level 5

Lolo Peak Fire, Montana

Current as of 8/18/2017, 1:43:36 PM [Inciweb]
Incident Type: Wildfire
Cause: Lightning/natural
Date of Origin: Saturday July 15th, 2017 approx. 02:34 PM
Location: 10 miles southwest of Lolo, Montana
Incident Description: Lolo Peak Fire Is A Long Duration Wildfire With The Potential To Reach The Corridors Of Highway 12 And Highway 93.

Current Situation
Total Personnel: 603
Size: 18,896 Acres

Projected Incident Activity: Very active fire behavior. Backing, flanking, and running fire with single tree and group torching, short uphill crown runs. Potential for multiple active areas at a time. [Up to 750 homes evacuated, according to reports.]

The Milli Fire, Oregon

A large wildfire threatened 434 structures, prompting authorities to advise about 1,200 residents to stand by for possible evacuation.

The Milli Fire, located west of the Deschutes County community, is approximately 4,565 acres and 0% contained, Inciweb reported.

Wildfire: Current as of 8/18/2017, 3:02:51 PM
Cause: Unknown
Date of Origin: Tuesday August 15th, 2017 approx. 05:00 PM
Location: 9 miles west of Sisters OR (in Three Sisters Wilderness)

Current Situation
Total Personnel: 250
Size: 4,565 Acres
Narrative: Extreme fire behavior, and has grown significantly in the last 24 hours. Active fire front on Trout Creek Butte with short-range spotting. Crews had to initiate burnout operations along 15 road as holding feature.

US Earthquakes: Aftershocks Continue near Lincoln, Montana and NW of YNP

AIS-802D

Dozens of aftershocks follow M5.8 Montana event

Swarms of about 140 aftershocks have occurred near Lincoln, Montana and northwest of Yellowstone National Park (YNP) following the 5.9 magnitude shallow earthquake that struck the area on July 6.

• Additional information is available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Strong Earthquakes Strikes near Lincoln, Montana

K-367R –  UPDATED: 08:30 (UTC)

M5.8 Event Occurs 9km SE of Lincoln, Montana

The shallow earthquake struck a depth of 4.3k, with more than 11,450 felt reports received by USGS, as of posting.

[Special report will be issued by FIRE-EARTH SCIENCE Team at 08:32UTC, today, July 6th. The report would be available via FIRE-EARTH PULSARS. /twc]

FIRE-EARTH REF: KBZ5

EQ Details:

Magnitude: 5.8mww
Location:  46.899°N, 112.586°W [9km SE of Lincoln, Montana]
Depth: 4.3 km
Time: 2017-07-06 06:30:16 UTC

Aftershocks:

At least nine aftershocks have occurred as of this update including:

M4.4
11km SSE of Lincoln, Montana
Depth of 9.2 km
2017-07-06 07:27:29 (UTC)

M3.9
12km ESE of Lincoln, Montana
2017-07-06 07:08:59 (UTC)
9.2 km

M4.5
46.897°N, 112.529°W [13km SE of Lincoln, Montana]
Depth of 10.9 km
2017-07-06 07:02:27 (UTC)

M4.9
46.854°N, 112.668°W – 11km S of Lincoln, Montana
Depth of 14.6 km
2017-07-06 06:35:35 (UTC)

Nearby Places – Direction data (below) indicate the position of the event relative to the place.

Lincoln, Montana: 9.5 km (5.9 mi) SE -Population: 1,013
Helena, Montana: 54.1 km (33.6 mi) NW – Population: 28,190
Butte, Montana: 99.6 km (61.9 mi) N – Population: 34,190
Missoula, Montana: 107.3 km (66.7 mi) E – Population: 66,788
Butte-Silver Bow (Balance), Montana: 111.0 km (69.0 mi) N – Population: 33,525

Earthquakes Strike Guatemala, Alaska, Montana, Nevada

M5.7 quake strikes SW of Guatemala City

Magnitude: 5.7Mw [EMSC]
Location: 14.22 N ; 91.44 W
Depth: 100km [77.5km USGS/EHP]
Date/ time: 2016-06-15 13:46:58.7 UTC
Distances:

• 110 km SW of Guatemala City, Guatemala [pop: 994,938]
• 35 km S of Mazatenango, Guatemala [ pop: 44,132 ]
• 11 km SW of Pueblo Nuevo Tiquisate, Guatemala [pop: 18,189]

Alaska
M5.1 – 39km SW of Adak, Alaska
Location: 51.611°N 177.033°W
Depth: 48.2 km
Time: 2016-06-14 17:13:26 UTC

Montana
M4.0 – 52km W of West Yellowstone, Montana
Location: 44.733°N 111.765°W
Depth: 9.7km
Time: 2016-06-14 14:35:28 UTC

Nevada
M3.7 – 17km SSE of Gabbs, Nevada
Location: 38.721°N 117.842°W
Depth: 9.9 km
Time: 2016-06-15 10:12:24 UTC

Other Significant Seismicity

Afghanistan
M5.0 – 43km W of `Alaqahdari-ye Kiran wa Munjan, Afghanistan
Location: 36.097°N 70.301°E
Depth: 112.1 km
Time: 2016-06-15 09:02:16 UTC

Indonesia
M5.6 – 194km ESE of Enarotali, Indonesia
Location: 4.606°S 137.965°E
Depth: 10.0 km
Time: 2016-06-14 22:09:26 UTC

Japan
M5.6 – 171km SSE of Naze, Japan
Location: 26.948°N 130.188°E
Depth: 6.0 km
Time: 2016-06-14 15:01:56 UTC

Vanuatu
M5.2 – 66km NW of Sola, Vanuatu
Location: 13.428°S 167.147°E
Depth: 222.4 km
Time: 2016-06-15 13:31:17 UTC

Earthquakes Strike Azerbaijan, Japan Region, Kuril Islands, Montana

Significant aftershock strikes Kumamoto, Japan

Measuring 4/7 on the local intensity scale, the very shallow aftershock struck at 32.5N, 130.7E (13 Jun 2016 15:54 JST ). 

Other Significant Seismicity in Japan Region

• M4.7 about 176km SSE of Naze, Japan 2016-06-13 10:44:10 UTC depth=10.0km
• M5.3 about 178km SSE of Naze, Japan 2016-06-13 04:27:04 UTC depth=10.0km
• M5.7 about 163km SSE of Naze, Japan 2016-06-13 04:21:43 UTC depth=10.0km

Kuril Islands

• M5.3 about 93km E of Shikotan, Russia 2016-06-12 17:11:38 UTC depth=33.7km

Montana

• M4.3 about 52km W of West Yellowstone, Montana 2016-06-13 12:14:39 UTC depth=9.9km

Azerbaijan

M4.0 – Caspian Sea, 53.0 km ENE of Astara, Azerbaijan 2016-06-12 at 16:48:37 (UTC) depth=10.0km

Drought Destroys Crops in Wyoming, Montana

Drought Disaster Declared for Multiple Counties across Two U.S. States

Drought Disaster Emergency Designations

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 13 counties across two states—Wyoming and Montana—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought. Those areas are:

Wyoming. Big Horn, Campbell, Converse, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Natrona, Park,  Sheridan and Washakie counties.

Montana. Big Horn, Carbon and Powder River counties.

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on one or more crops.

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.

Crop Disaster Designations – 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared for Counties in 3 U.S. States June 1, 2016
• Drought Disaster Declared for Counties in Arizona, California May 23, 2016
• Drought Disasters Declared for Counties in Oregon, California, Nevada, Hawaii May 13, 2016
• Drought Disaster Declared for Counties in Arizona, California May 7, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Texas, Utah, Oklahoma, Nevada and Hawaii April 22, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana; Wildfire Emergencies in Kansas, Oklahoma
• Crop Disasters Declared in North Carolina March 31, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Puerto Rico March 26, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Florida, Georgia  March 18, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Nine U.S. States March 4, 2016

• Multiple Crop Disasters Hit Eight U.S. States February 29, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana February 25, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Major Disaster Declared for the U.S. State of Montana

Montana Declared Federal Disaster Area

Montana Severe Winter Storm and Straight-line Winds (DR-4271)

• Incident period: April 15, 2015 to April 16, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration declared on May 24, 2016

The federal government has declared a major disaster exists in the State of Montana in the areas affected by a severe winter storm and straight-line winds during the period of April 15-16, 2016.

The areas that are worst affected by the extreme weather events include the counties of in Glacier, Liberty, Pondera, Teton, and Toole.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, officials said.

Major Disaster Declarations (2016)

• Major Disaster Declared for the State of Arkansas [DR-4270] May 7, 2016
• Texas Severe Storms and Flooding [DR-4269]
• Major Disaster Declared for Mississippi [DR-4268] March 26, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declared for Pennsylvania [DR-4267] March 24, 2016

• Texas Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding [DR-4266]  March 17, 201
• Major Disaster Declared for Delaware [DR-4265] March 17, 201
• Louisiana Disaster Declaration Expanded March 17, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: New Jersey [DR-4264] March 15, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration: Louisiana Severe Storms and Flooding March 14, 2016
• Federal Disaster Declared for Virginia [DR-4262] March 8, 2016
• Major Disaster Declarations for DC and Maryland [DR-4260, DR-4261 ] March 5, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Georgia [DR-4259] February 27, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oregon [DR-4258] February 19, 2016

• Major Disaster Declared for Alaska [DR-4257] February 18, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Oklahoma [DR-4256] February 12, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Texas  [DR-4255] February 10, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Arkansas [DR-4254] February 6, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared for Louisiana (EM-3376) February 6, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Washington [DR-4253] February 3, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Idaho [DR-4252] February 2, 2016
• Major Disaster Declared for Alabama [DR-4251] January 23, 2016
• Oklahoma Oak Grove Fire (FM-5118)
• Major Disaster Declared for Missouri [DR-4250] January 22, 2016
• Federal Emergency Declared in Michigan [EM-3375] January 17, 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 Montana; Wildfire Emergencies in Kansas, Oklahoma

Drought continues to destroy or damage crops in Montana

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated seven counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought that occurred from March 1, 2015, and continues. Those counties are

Montana. Carter, Custer, Fallon, Garfield, Powder River, Prairie and Rosebud counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas on April 6, 2016.

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on one or more crops.

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.

Previous Disaster Designations – 2016:

• Crop Disasters Declared in North Carolina March 31, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Puerto Rico March 26, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Florida, Georgia  March 18, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Nine U.S. States March 4, 2016

• Multiple Crop Disasters Hit Eight U.S. States February 29, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana February 25, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Major Fire Disasters Declared for

Kansas Burr Oak Fire (FM-5121)

Incident period: April 05, 2016
Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 05, 2016

Oklahoma 350 Fire Complex (FM-5122)

Incident period: April 05, 2016
Fire Management Assistance Declaration declared on April 05, 2016

State of emergency declared at Children’s Hospital

“Severe cases of flu, respiratory distress syndrome and a spike in the number of newborns needing intensive care prompted the Health Sciences Centre to declare a state of emergency this week at Children’s Hospital,” said a report.

 

Crop Disasters Declared in Montana

Frost, hail and high winds destroy crops in Montana counties

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated four counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frost, hail and high winds that occurred on July 4, 2015, through July 5, 2015.

Those counties are Blaine, Chouteau, Hill and Liberty.

All counties listed above were designated crop disaster areas on Feb. 17, 2016.

Links to previous disaster listings posted at

• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Montana

Drought, frost, hail and wind destroy or damage crops in the State of Montana

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 8 counties in Montana in two separate disaster designations as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by multiple disasters that occurred during the 2015 crop year.

• Disaster Designation 1: USDA has designated Blaine, Chouteau, Hill and Liberty counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought that occurred from April 1, 2015, and continues.

• Disaster Designation 1: USDA has designated Flathead, Lake, Missoula and Sanders counties in Montana as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by frost, hail and wind that occurred from May 10, 2015, through July 5, 2015.

All counties listed above were designated crop disaster areas on Dec. 17, 2015.

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in Alabama, Florida, Georgia December 10, 2015

Large Wildfires Burn 2 Million Acres in Western U.S.

Dozens of active wildfires burn across 8 states

Some 65 large fires have burned nearly 2 million acres across Western United States, with three new large fires sparked on Tuesday, reported NIFC.

States currently reporting large fires include Alaska (1), Arizona (1), California (8), Idaho (16), Montana (14), Oregon (8), Texas (1) and Washington (16).

The deadly Okanogan Complex fire, raging across north-central Washington, had burned at least 305,000 acres, destroying hundreds of homes and outbuilding as of August 30. The fire has since been subdivided into its component blazes.  The fire killed three fire crews and injured four others last month.

Okanogan was one 16 active wildfire/fire complexes in Washington state that have consumed more than 921,249 acres as of September 1, said NIFC.

Fire Stats (9/1/15)
Acres from active fires: 1,990,649
Number of new large fires: 3
Number of active large fires: 65

Year-to-date statistics
2015 (1/1/15 – 9/1/15)     Fires: 43,819 –  Acres: 8,202,557 or 33,195 km² [NEW Record]

Annual average prior 10 years
2005-2014     Fires: 53,432 – Acres: 5,569,996

Latest Fire Management Assistance Declarations

• Idaho Tepee Springs Fire (FM-5110)
• Washington Goodell Fire (FM-5109)
• Washington Renner Fire (FM-5108)

Major Wildfires Burn 2 Million Acres in 7 U.S. States

70 Large fires or complexes char nearly 8,000 km² across 7 U.S. states

Currently, 70 large wildfires or complexes have burned nearly 2 million acres (~ 8,000 km²) across seven U.S. states, NIFC reported.

The fires are burning in Alaska (1), California (10), Idaho (17), Montana (16), Oregon (10), Texas (4) and Washington (12).

Two hundred soldiers based out of Fort Lewis, Washington have been deployed in Washington state to assist the civilian fie crews,

Dozens of crews and fire management personnel from Canada, Australia and elsewhere have also been deployed.

Preparedness: Level 5

[Geographic Areas are experiencing major incidents which have the potential to exhaust all agency fire resources. Eighty percent (80%) of Type 1 and Type 2 Incident Management Teams and crews are committed, as well as the majority of other National Resources.]

Acres from active fires: 1,954,138
Number of new large fires: 9
Number of active large fires: 70 (individual fires in complexes not included)

Year-to-date statistics 2015 (1/1/15 – 8/29/15)
Fires: 43,396 – Acres: 7,825,559 (an area nearly the size of state of Maryland)

Annual average prior 10 years (2005-2014)
Fires: 52,884 – Acres: 5,467,292

Warnings

Red Flag Warnings, Air Quality Alerts or Dense Smoke Advisories due to wildfires are currently in effect across vast swathes of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

‘Montana is facing extreme fire conditions’

State of Emergency Declared in Big Sky Country

“Firefighting resources in the state, geographic region, and across Western United States have reached critical shortage levels,” said Montana Governor.

Governor Bullock has issued an executive order declaring a fire emergency in the state of Montana, proclaiming that “Montana is facing extreme fire conditions.”

“Montana is facing extreme fire conditions. This declaration will provide additional resources to the brave men and women fighting these fires,” Bullock said. “As firefighters continue to battle blazes across the state, I encourage Montanans to be aware of fires in their area, obey any evacuation orders that may be issued, and ensure they’re not taking actions that might spark new fires.”

Wildfires are actively burning and extreme fire danger exists across the state of Montana, including the counties of Lincoln, Flathead, Lake, Sanders, Mineral, Missoula, Ravalli, Granite, POwell, Butte-Silver Bow, Anaconda-Deer Lodge, Beaverhead, Madison, Gallatin, Park, Broadwater, Jefferson, Meagher, Lewis and Clark, Teton, Pondera, Glacier, Cascade, Choteau, Judith Basin, Fergus, Petroleum, Wheatland, Golden Valley, Musselshell, Sweet Grass, Stillwater, Carbon, Yellowstone, Big Horn, Treasure, Rosebud, Custer, Powder River, Carter, Fallon and Garfield (42 of the state’s 56 counties), according to the governor’s executive order.

The fires have led to evacuations and road and campground closures.

“Firefighting resources in the state, geographic region, and across Western United States have reached critical shortage levels,” said the governor, “these critical shortages have already necessitated the deployment of international firefighting resources to the State of Montana to assist in fire suppression.”

Bullock has also deployed the Montana National Guard to assists in the emergency.

The fires include the following+

The Moose Meadows Fire (southwest of Philipsburg): 900ha  (~ 2,200 acres)
The Firestone Flats Fire (ENE of Arlee)+ 700ha
Gold Pan Fire Complex (SW of Sula on the Montana-Idaho border): 5,600ha
The Red Shale Fire (Bob Marshall Wilderness): 3,200ha

More information is listed at http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/27/0/

Meanwhile, residents of Greer, Idaho, are on standby to evacuate, said the sheriff’s office.

Hundreds of wildfires, mostly sparked by lightning storms, are currently burning hundreds of thousands of hectares (acres) across the Western United States, Alaska, and Hawaii.

Related Links

• Fierce Wildfires Destroy Dozens of Idaho Homes August 16, 2015

Wildfires Threaten Thousands of Structures in U.S. West

Lowell Fire threatens 1,800 structures in California: CalFire

States currently reporting large fires: Alaska (4), California (5), Montana (4), Oregon (2), Washington (2), Wyoming (1)
July 28, 2015: Four new large fires were reported yesterday.
[National Fire Information Center]

Alaska Fires: 4 ( Acres: 680,422;  New: 1;  Contained: 0)
California Fires: 5  (Acres: 10,179 New: 0 Contained: 0)
Oregon Fires: 2  (Acres: 1,693 New: 0 Contained: 0)
Washington Fires: 2 (Acres: 6,179 New: 0 Contained: 0)
Wyoming Fires: 1  (Acres: 2,366 New: 1 Contained: 0)

Lowell Fire burning in Nevada & Placer Counties, California
Evacuations: Evacuation warning areas are in effect for Red Dog Rd East of Greenhorn Creek, You Bet Road East of Greenhorn Creek, Chalk Bluff from Brady Road to Buckeye Road, Buckeye Road to Lower Greenhorn Road, Lower Greenhorn Road from Buckeye Road to Banner Quaker Hill Road, Cascade Shores Community, Lower Hill Road from Preston Road to Negro Hill. The public is asked to stay vigilant to any changes of evacuation areas.
Total Fire Personnel: 2,449
Injuries: 4

Willow Fire
Evacuations: The Central Camp area was evacuated due to the fire.
Closures: Gagges, Whiskers, and Whiskey Falls campgrounds are closed. All roads from 227 to these campgrounds are closed.
Size: 1,739 Acres
Total Personnel: 1,487
Weather Concerns; Beginning today, the high pressure ridge will bring much warmer temperatures to the fire area. Localized down canyon winds in the Willow Creek Drainage may push the fire at night.

Wragg Fire

Acres Burned – Containment: 6,991 acres – 80% contained
Structures Threatened: 136
Structures Destroyed: 2 outbuildings destroyed – 3 outbuildings and 1 residence damaged

Evacuations: Mandatory Evacuations have been ordered for Mix Canyon, Sky Ranch Road, Wild Horse Canyon Rd., and Blue Ridge Road. (Approximately 136 homes /200 residents)

An evacuation advisory has been issued for Gates Canyon Road and the area west of Pleasants Valley Road.

Total Fire Personnel: 1,158
Conditions: The fire intensity increased on the south side of the Wragg Fire increasing the acres burned by approximately 400 acres.

Moving America’s Oil [One Way or Another]

 Breached pipeline spills about 50,000 gallons of oil into Yellowstone River

An oil pipeline breach has spilled about 50,000 gallons of oil into the Yellowstone River about 9 miles upriver from Glendive, Montana, said state officials.

Some of the oil did enter the water, said a spokesman for Gov. Bullock.

Bridger Pipeline Co. said that they have shut down the 12-inch-wide pipeline, calling the breach an “unfortunate incident.”

The incident was a Déjà vu of 2011 ExxonMobil 12-inch Silvertip pipeline rupture breach near Laurel, when more than 60,000 gallons of oil contaminated an 85-mile stretch of riverbank.

BP Oil Spill in Gulf of Mexico

Judge Carl Barbier ruled Thursday that the fines for the 2010 BP massive oil spill were excessive, imposing a maximum ceiling of $13.7 billion, significantly lower than the $18 billion fine sought by prosecutors.

Related Links

• ExxonMobil pipeline leak into Yellowstone River forces evacuations Posted on July 3, 2011
• Exxon Pays Peanuts to the Monkeys Posted on August 14, 2009
• Exxon Mobile Court Orders Only Fraction of Damages Posted on June 16, 2009

Hard Freeze Kills Crops in Wyoming, Montana

RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
EARLY HARD FREEZE
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  666, 560, 477, 444, 177, 170, 111, 02
.

Early hard freeze destroys crops across 12 counties in Western U.S.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated  a total of 12 counties in two states—Wyoming ant Montana—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by an early hard freeze that occurred from Sept. 10 through Sept. 12, 2014.

The disaster designation are as follows;

• Wyoming.  Big Horn, Park, Fremont, Hot Springs, Johnson, Sheridan, Teton and Washakie counties.
• Montana. Big Horn, Carbon, Gallatin and Park counties.

Crop Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,891 counties across 44 states.

Those states are

• 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 above disaster lists include both primary and contiguous disaster designations.

iii. Some counties may have been designated 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 December 17, 2014.

Latest/ Recent Crop Disaster Declarations

• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Eight U.S. States December 11, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared for 7 New York Counties December 11, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters [Index]

 

Earthquakes Strike 11 U.S. States

HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SEISMIC HAZARDS
SCENARIOS 704, 703,  700, [500,] 09, 08, 07, 02
.

Multiple earthquakes strike 11 states, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands

At least 188 earthquakes measuring up to magnitude 4.0Mw have struck 11 states, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands  over the past 24 hours.

The largest quake, as of posting, measured 4.0Mw, occurring 2km (1mi) SE of Medford, Oklahoma, according to USGS/EHP.

Earthquakes also struck Alaska, California, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

 Related Links

• Significant Quake Strikes Near Irving, Texas November 23, 2014

Drought Destroys Crops in Five States

DISASTERS CAUSED BY CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  560, 444, 111, 100, 03, 02
.

Crop Disasters Declared for 20 Counties across Five States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared crop disasters in 20 counties across five states—Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington and Wyoming—due to the losses and damage caused by the debilitating drought.

The disaster designations are for the following counties:

• Idaho: Bear Lake, Boundary, Fremont, Madison,  Bonner, Caribou, Franklin, Teton, Bonneville, Clark and  Jefferson counties.

• Montana: Beaverhead, Gallatin, Lincoln and Madison counties.

• Utah: Cache and Rich counties.

• Washington: Pend Oreille County.

• Wyoming: Lincoln and Teton counties.

Crop Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 2,727 counties across 41 states. Most of those designations are due to  drought.

Those states are

• Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, 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 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 November 19, 2014.

Latest/ Recent Crop Disaster Declarations

• Drought, Freeze Destroy More Crops in U.S. West, Southeast  November 14, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States October 23, 2014
• Drought Destroys Crops in Georgia, Florida October 17, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Five States October 10, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in New England October 4, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Occur in 11 States October 3, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 10 States September 25, 2014
• Drought Crop Disasters Declared in U.S. West  September 18, 2014
• FREEZE Destroys Crops in Ohio, Pennsylvania  September 18, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Five States September 12, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States Posted on September 5, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Major Disaster Declared for Montana

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
MAJOR DISASTERS
SEVERE STORMS, STRAIGHT-LINE WINDS, FLOODING
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARED
SCENARIOS 900, 444, 111, 101, 066, 064, 027, 023, 02
.

Federal Disaster Declared in Montana due to Damage by Extreme Weather Events (DR-4198)

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the the state of Montana in the areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds and flooding during the period of  August 21 – 25, 2014.

Areas worst affected by the extreme weather disasters include Blaine, Carter, Musselshell, Petroleum, and Valley counties and the Fort Belknap Reservation within Blaine County.

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

Latest Federal Disaster Declarations

• Major Disaster Declared for New Mexico October 10, 2014
• Major Disaster Declared for Kentucky October 2, 2014
• Major Disaster Declared for Michigan September 28, 2014
• Major Disaster Declarations for Hawaii, California and Guam – September 13, 2014
• Major Disaster Declaration for American Samoa – Sep. 11, 2014
•  Major Disaster Declared for North Dakota August 21, 2014
• Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for Tennessee  August 15, 2014
• Federal Disaster Declared in Washington August 15, 2014
• Major Disaster Declared for Iowa August 7, 2014
• Federal Disaster Declared in Minnesota July 23, 2014
• Federal Disaster Declared for Iowa  July 16, 2014
• Federal Disaster Declared for New York  July 11, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Crop Disasters Declared in Five States

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
SEVERE FREEZE, HAIL
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
FLOODING
MAIN SCENARIOS 900, 444, 178, 177, 157, 111, 023, 02
.

Extreme weather and climate disasters destroy crops in 22 counties across five U.S. states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared crop disasters for an additional  22 counties across five states—Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Utah and  Washington—due to the losses and damage caused by extreme weather and climatic events that have occurred during the 2014 crop year, so far.

Losses and damages  caused by heavy rains, flooding and hail that occurred from Aug. 22, 2014, through September 24, 2014

Posted by feww on October 4, 2014

• Montana. Phillip, Blaine, Fergus, Garfield, Petroleum and Valley counties.

Losses and damages caused by severe freezes that occurred from December 4, 2013, through May 15, 2014

• Colorado. Delta, Mesa, Montrose,  Garfield, Gunnison, Ouray, Pitkin and San Miguel counties.
• Utah. Grand and San Juan counties.

Crop disasters caused by heavy rains, flooding, freeze and hail that occurred from  from December 7 through December 9, 2013

• Oregon. Gilliam, Morrow, Sherman, Wasco and Wheeler counties.
• Washington. Klickitat County.

Latest/ Recent Crop Disaster Declarations

• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in New England October 4, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Occur in 11 States October 3, 2014
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in 10 States September 25, 2014
• Drought Crop Disasters Declared in U.S. West  September 18, 2014
• FREEZE Destroys Crops in Ohio, Pennsylvania  September 18, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Five States September 12, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States Posted on September 5, 2014
• Federal Disasters
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

 

Significant Quake Strikes Montana

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

M3.5 Quake Strikes SE of Townsend, Montana

Centered at 46.257°N, 111.388°W the quake struck at a signature depth of about 3.4km (2.1mi).

EQ Details [Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology/ USGS]
Magnitude: 3.5Mw
Event Time: 2014-07-23 23:55:59 UTC
Location: 46.257°N 111.388°W depth=3.4km (2.1mi)
Nearby Cities:

• 12km (7mi) SE of Townsend, Montana
• 62km (39mi) SE of Helena, Montana
• 69km (43mi) NNW of Bozeman, Montana
• 92km (57mi) ENE of Butte, Montana
• 138km (86mi) S of Great Falls, Montana

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecasts

For detailed FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecasts tune into UDCCpf daily @ 06:32UTC.

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Related Links

• Strong Quake Strikes Alaska July 17, 2014
• Intense Seismicity Resumes in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oklahoma July 13, 2014
• “Extreme” and “Unusual” Geothermal Activity in YNP  July 12, 2014
• Heightened Seismicity Continues Across the U.S. July 8, 2014
• Earthquakes Strike California, New York, Oklahoma… July 6, 2014
• 95 Percent of All Earthquakes Strike U.S. July 2, 2014
• 90 Percent of All Quakes Strike U.S. June 30, 2014
• U.S. West Shaking Like Jelly  June 30, 2014

Major Disaster Declared for Montana

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENT
ICE JAMS & FLOODING
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARED
.

White House Declares Federal Disaster in Montana (DR-4172)

The 3-0 has declared a major disaster in the State of Montana in the areas affected by ice jams and flooding during the period of March 1-16, 2014.

Areas worst affected by the disasters are  the counties of Broadwater, Dawson, Golden Valley, Jefferson, Lake, Musselshell, Park, Pondera, Prairie, Ravalli, Richland, Rosebud, Sanders, Stillwater, and Wheatland.

Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments, said FEMA.

Latest Major Disaster Declarations

• Federal Disasters
• Drought 2013
• Agricultural Disasters Index

M3.8 Strikes Montana

Seismic Hazard
.

Shallow earthquake strikes S of Plentywood, Montana

The quake struck at a depth of 5km about 59km S of Plentywood, NE Montana.

Meantime, at least 16 shocks measuring between M2.5 and 3.5 occurred in the state of Oklahoma in the past 7 days.

Preferred Location Parameters
Event Time: 2014-02-25 22:45:38 UTC
Magnitude: 3.8 mb_lg (± 0.07)
Location: 48.250°N, 104.699°W
Dept:h 5.0 km  (± 2.0 km)
Number of Phases Used 12
Minimum Distance 44.6 km (0.40°)
Travel Time Residual 0.63 sec
Azimuthal Gap 148°
Nearby Cities:

• 59km (37mi) S of Plentywood, Montana
• 81km (50mi) W of Williston, North Dakota
• 244km (152mi) S of Regina, Canada

Review Status MANUAL
Event ID usc000my5t [USGS/EHP]

Related Links

• Another Swarm of Shallow Quakes Strikes Close to Oklahoma City February 18, 2014
• More Quakes Strike Oklahoma February 11, 2014
• Significant Earthquakes Strike Oklahoma December 29, 2013
• M4.5 Quake Strikes NE Edmond Oil and Gas Field, Oklahoma December 8, 2013
• 41 Earthquakes Strike Oklahoma in November  December 1, 2013
• Earthquake No. 19 Strikes N. Texas November 29, 2013
• Two More Quakes Strike North Texas November 29, 2013
• Oil Drilling Likely Caused Texas Earthquake Posted on May 17, 2009
• M3.3 Quake Strikes Azle, Texas Posted on November 25, 2013
• FEWW Earthquake Links

Hundreds More Lowest Temp Records Broken

EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS

Deadly winter storm impacts much of U.S., as arctic air, snow and ice engulf East Coast

Several inches of snow is forecast for the Mid-Atlantic into Southern New England and the Great Lakes for Tuesday through Thursday, said the National Weather Service (NWS) in its latest forecast.

A new round of arctic conditions will drive temperatures well below average across the country through Thursday, said NWS.

The winter storm cut power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses on Monday, and forced thousands of flight cancellations or delays.

Parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York state received up to 10 inches of snow through Monday morning, said NWS.

Hundreds of crashes reported from Texas to Pennsylvania, resulting in scores of injuries, as the storm-related death doll reached at least 18.

U.S. Daily Lowest Min Temperature Records

Meantime, hundreds of additional daily lowest minimum temperature records were set or tied across the country since the last report..

Low Temperature for Monday, December 9, 2013
(as received by 1 am EST December 10)
-34 degrees Fahrenheit  at West Yellowstone, MT

Low Temperature for Sunday, December 8, 2013
-43ºF at Chinook, MT ( old record smashed by -3.1 degrees)

High Temperature for Sunday and Monday, December 8 – 9
87ºF at Punta Gorda, FL

Map of the U.S. Daily Lowest Min Temperature Records in December 2013.  Some 538 records were broken and 111 others tied between 1 and 8 December 2013. [Full stats for December 9 NOT available, as of posting.]

Recent Extreme Weather Events

• Hundreds of Daily Min Temp Records Broken in December December 8, 2013
• Two Winter Storms Impacting the U.S. December 7, 2013
• Major Winter Storm Battering Southern Plains through Ohio Valley December 6, 2013
• Major Winter Storm Affecting Much of the U.S. December 5, 2013
• Massive Winter Storm Engulfs Much of Western, Central and Northern U.S. December 4, 2013
• Massive Storm System Impacting Western and Central U.S. December 3, 2013
• Nor’easter Spawned by Deadly Thanksgiving Storm November 27, 2013
• Deadly Thanksgiving Storm Moves East November 26, 2013