Drug-Resistant ‘Japanese Fungus’ Spreads to 200 Patients in 55 UK Hospitals

Candida auris: An emerging fungus that presents a serious global health threat –CDC

Healthcare facilities in several countries including the UK, United States, Japan, Venezuela, Colombia, India, Pakistan, Oman, Kuwait, Israel, South Africa and Spain have reported that C. auris has caused severe illness in hospitalized patients.

• Some strains of C. auris are resistant to all three major classes of antifungal drugs [including the first-line anti-fungal drug fluconazole.] This type of multidrug resistance has not been seen before in other species of Candida.
• Also of concern, C. auris can persist on surfaces in healthcare environments and spread between patients in healthcare facilities. [CDC]

C. auris was first identified in Japan eight years ago. The first case in Britain was detected in 2013, and has since spread to at least 200 patients in 55 UK hospitals.

On July 14, 2017, the US case count was updated to 98 across nine states, with a total of 68 cases in New York, and 20 in New Jersey.

• The superbug is linked with bloodstream, wound and ear infections (otitis). 
• Several strains of C. auris appear to be rapidly evolving.

#Health Dangers of a Deadly Fungus: The Candida auris 'Superbug' https://t.co/PCM588DNxH pic.twitter.com/OKjDgEoHml

— HealthpremiumNY (@healthpremiumNY) August 13, 2017

Public Health England (PHE)

“As at the beginning of July 2017, 20 separate NHS Trusts and independent hospitals in the United Kingdom had detected over 200 patients colonised or infected with Candida auris,” PHE said.

“Three hospitals have seen large nosocomial [within hospital] outbreaks that have proved difficult to control, despite intensive infection prevention and control measures, though two of these outbreaks have been declared over and one is seeing significantly fewer numbers of new acquisitions.

 “Over 35 other hospitals have had patients known to be colonised with Candida auris transferred to them.”

A “biosafety” unit at Porton Down, Britain’s infamous chemical weapons lab, has been testing fungicidal activity of a variety of disinfectants and antiseptics, UK media reported.

Related links:

• https://www.cdc.gov/fungal/diseases/candidiasis/candida-auris.html
• https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/candida-auris

Major Disaster Declaration: New Jersey

Federal Disaster Declared for New Jersey due to Destructive Weather Events

New Jersey Severe Winter Storm and Snowstorm (DR-4264)

• Incident period: January 22, 2016 to January 24, 2016
• Major Disaster Declaration declared on March 14, 2016

Federal government has declared a major disaster exists in the state of New Jersey in the areas affected by a severe winter storm and snowstorm during the period of January 22-24, 2016.

Areas that have sustained severe damage include by the counties of Atlantic, Bergen, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Essex, Hudson, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Morris, Ocean, Somerset, Union and Warren.

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.

Federal Disaster Declarations (2015)

The federal government proclaimed 43 Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4247] for a U.S. state/tribal area/territory in 2015, two Emergency Declarations, EM-3372 and EM-3373 and 34 Fire Management Assistance Declarations [FM-5084 to FM-5117.]

Major Disaster Declarations (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

Historic Nor’easter: Dozen Dead; NJ Declares State of Emergency

UPDATES:

About 72cm of snow recorded in parts of West Virginia as of 15:00UTC

New York Gov. declares a State of Emergency

State of Emergency declared in New Jersey as nor’easter threatens massive snow dump, coastal flooding

One in seven Americans should expect at least 6 inches of snow by Sunday as historic winter storm moves north

Warnings, Watches or Advisories have been issued for up to 90 million people across at least 21 states, as the historic winter storm continued to move north.

Blizzard Warning, Winter Storm Warning, High Wind Warning, Storm Warning, Coastal Flood Warning, Flood Warning, Gale Warning, and Freeze Warning in effect across multiple States.

At least a dozen people have been killed, multiple states have declared states of emergency, and thousands of flights have been cancelled across a large portion of the U.S. from Arkansas in the south to Massachusetts in the northeast.

States of emergency are currently in effect across North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia and portions of several other states, as well as in the District of Columbia.

Major To Historic Winter Storm Will Impact The Middle Atlantic To Southern New England Into Sunday

A powerful low pressure system will bring heavy snow and blizzard conditions from the Middle Atlantic Region all the way through southern New England. The heaviest snow is expected to fall over the Middle Atlantic Region including the Washington DC and Baltimore metro areas west to the Blue Ridge mountains. In addition, moderate coastal flooding is expected. The storm will taper off by Sunday. -NWS-

 

Federal Disaster Declared for New Jersey

New Jersey Declared Major Disaster Area

New Jersey Severe Storm (DR-4231)

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Jersey in the areas affected by a severe storm on June 23, 2015. 

The areas that were worst affected by the extreme weather event include the counties of Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, and Gloucester.

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

This is the 27th Major Disaster Declaration [DR 4205-4231] proclaimed for a U.S. state/territory, so far this year. Additionally, the federal government has also issued seven Fire Management Assistance Declarations for the year to date, as of posting.

Fire Management Assistance Declarations (2015)

[FM-5090] 07/20/2015 Washington Blue Creek Fire
[FM-5089] 07/20/2015 California North Fire
[FM-5088] 07/06/2015 Idaho Cape Horn Fire
[FM-5087] 06/29/2015 Washington Sleepy Hollow Fire
[FM-5086] 06/17/2015 Arizona Kearney River Fire
[FM-5085] 06/16/2015 Alaska Card Street Fire
[FM-5084] 06/15/2015 Alaska Sockeye Fire

Related Links

• Federal Disaster Declared for Kansas [DR-4230] July 21, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declared for Colorado [DR-4229] July 19, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declared for Louisiana [DR-4228] July 14, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for Wyoming  [DR-4227] July 8, 2015
• Major Disaster Declared for West Virginia – (WV’s 4th major disaster in 2 months) [DR-4221] May 22, 2015
• Federal Disaster Declarations
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Deadly Storm: State of Emergency Declared in Kentucky

Up to 20 inches of snow accumulating in Kentucky

Gov.  Beshear has declared a state of emergency for the Commonwealth—Kentucky’s second such declaration in three weeks.

“Two significant winter storms nearly back-to-back are rare in Kentucky, and pose a challenge for our emergency management teams, road crews and local emergency responders. This emergency declaration will allow us to deploy any needed state assistance, including National Guard troops if necessary, without delay,” he said.

Beshear’s earlier statewide emergency was declared on February 16, 2015 due to heavy snow and bitter cold.

Meantime, snow continues to accumulate, with up to 20 inches recorded in several parts of Kentucky.

Governors of states of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, West Virginia and New Jersey have also declared states of emergency due to the powerful winter storm.

Thousands of flights cancelled, hundreds of schools closed

The storm forced the cancellation of thousands of flight in the South and the Northeast, as hundreds of schools closed in the affected areas.

At least one person was killed in a vehicle crash in Tennessee, according to local reports.

Police in Little Elm, Texas, said one man was killed in a multivehicle crash on icy roads Wednesday night, according to a report.

Another person was killed in the chain-reaction, seven-vehicle pileup caused by icy conditions, said a report.

Related Links

• States of Emergency Declared in LA, AL, WV and NJ March 5, 2015

States of Emergency Declared in LA, AL, WV and NJ

Massive Winter Storm Causes States of Emergency from U.S. South to New England

A massive winter storm stretching all the way from southwest Texas to southern New England is forecast to dump up to 30cm (two feet) of snow on parts of the eastern United States, prompting the governors in at least four states—Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia and New Jersey—to declare states of emergency, as of posting. States of emergency declared due to previous storms are still in effect for much of the rest of the region in the affected regions.

The storm, which is affecting more than 120 million people,  has forced hundreds of schools, businesses and local governments to close, grounding thousands of flights, including about 1,800 Wednesday night.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest forecast:

Winter Storm from the Mexican Border in Texas to southern New England through Thursday

A widespread winter weather event is underway from southwest Texas into parts of southern New England.  Sleet and freezing rain are expected from south/central Texas into the Southeast …

Areas from the southern Plains across the Mid-Atlantic into New England could see “significant snowfall.”

A rather vigorous and elongated piece of energy in the mid to upper levels, moving from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic today and tomorrow, will interact with an arctic air mass and surface cold front plunging south and eastward into the Southeastern states this evening.

Significant snowfall of up to 12 inches is possible from the Tennessee Valley to the central Mid-Atlantic on Thursday, according to the forecast.

Moderate to heavy rain from the southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic, combined with snow melt, could result in flood or flash flooding, especially across the lower Ohio Valley and western Mid-Atlantic regions.

Behind the front, winter hangs on tight as temperatures plummet across the eastern third of the nation. By Thursday evening, cold high pressure dominates resulting in unseasonably cold temperatures from the Plains to the eastern seaboard.

Temperatures for the remainder of the week are expected to fall by as much as 35 degrees below normal, said the forecast.

Possible New Snow Record for Beantown

The Walking City, which recorded its coldest February this year, could receive an additional 8cm (3 inches) of snow from the storm, said NWS.

Boston needs just 4.8cm more of powdery precipitation to break its all time record for total snowfall in a winter of 273.4 cm (107.6 in), set in 1995-96.

Record Rainfall Causes Flash Floods in NY Suburbs

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC HAZARDS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
SEVERE FLOODING
SCENARIOS 888, 023
.

Up to 33cm of rain turns roads into rivers in New York Area

Record rainfall in parts of New York’s Long Island triggered severe flash floods turning roads into rivers during the morning rush hour on Wednesday.

Up to 33 cm of rain was recorded at MacArthur Airport in Islip over a 24-hour period, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) breaking the previous record of 29 cm that was set in August 2011 in the Hudson Valley during Tropical Storm Irene.

During a particularly intense two-hour period the area received “more than two months of rainfall in two hours,” said NWS.

The record rainfall contributed to at least one fatality.

Flooding shut down parts of major commuter routes and forced the closure of the Long Island Rail Road, the largest commuter railroad in the U.S.

Floodwaters reportedly destroyed a number of homes and caused sewage backup, forcing dozens of people to evacuate in southern New Jersey.

The same weather system was responsible for extreme rain events in Washington and Baltimore on Tuesday,  said NWS.

Earlier this week, at least one person died in Detroit floods after record rainfall.

Heightened Seismicity Continues Across the U.S.

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

Quakes Rattle Alaska to New Jersey, Hawaii to Puerto Rico

More than 97 percent of all quakes in the 24 hours to posting have occurred in the United States.

1 Day, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 348 earthquakes – Updated: 2014-07-08 15:44:28UTC.  Showing 338 earthquakes in map area. Source: USGS/EHP

7 Days

About 96 percent of all earthquakes worldwide occurring over the past 7 days have struck the United States (including Puerto Rico).

7 Days, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 2,048 earthquakes – Updated: 2014-07-08 15:53:22 UTC. Showing  1,971 earthquakes in map area. Source: USGS/EHP

Other Significant Seismicity

M6.3 – 13km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu
Event Time: 2014-07-08 12:56:26 UTC
Location: 17.617°S 168.359°E depth=114.0km (70.8mi)

M5.5 – 15km NNE of Shiraoi, Japan
Event Time: 2014-07-08 09:05:23 UTC
Location: 42.681°N 141.411°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
Nearby Cities: 790km (491mi) N of Tokyo, Japan

M4.8 – 82km WSW of San Antonio, Chile
Event Time: 2014-07-08 13:25:26 UTC
Location: 33.912°S 72.431°W depth=13.1km (8.1mi)
Nearby Cities: 172km (107mi) WSW of Santiago, Chile

---

IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

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

---

 Related Links

• 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

Crop Disasters Declared in New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
EXTREME RAIN EVENTS
FLOODING
DESTRUCTIVE HIGH WINDS
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS 444, 177, 111, 066
.

Severe Weather Destroys Crops in Three States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture USDA has designated a total of 9 counties in three states—New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania—as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain, flooding, high winds and hail that occurred on May 22, 2014.

The disaster designations are as follows:

• New Jersey: Atlantic, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester and Salem counties.
• Delaware: New Castle County.
• Pennsylvania: Delaware and Philadelphia counties.

Crop Disasters 2014

Beginning January 10, 2014 USDA has declared at least 2,001 separate crop disasters across 29  states. Most of those designations are due to the worsening drought.

• Those states are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah and Washington, Wyoming. [FIRE-EARTH has documented all of the above listings.]

Notes:
i. USDA trigger point for a countywide disaster declaration is 30 percent crop loss on at least one crop.

ii. The total number of counties designated as agricultural disaster areas includes both primary and contiguous disaster areas.

iii. 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 June 11, 2014.

California Drought Disasters

• Drought Spells More Crop Disasters for Five States May 22, 2014
• Southern Sierra Loses Snow Cover May 27, 2014
• California’s Snow Story: Going, Going … May 21, 2014
• Severe – Exceptional Drought Plague 100% of California  May 16, 2014

Related Links

• Drought Crop Disasters Declared in 10 States  May 29, 2014
• Crop Disasters Declared in 11 States May 16, 2014
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

States of Emergency Declared in Multiple States

EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATIC EVENTS
DEADLY SNOW AND ICE STORMS
STATES OF EMERGENCY
.

Delaware, New Jersey,  Mississippi, Tennessee … Declare States of Emergency due to Severe Snow and Ice Storms

Heavy snowfall and icy conditions have caused deadly accidents, extremely hazardous roadway conditions and widespread power outages in Central and Eastern U.S., prompting at least 4 states, as well as several counties and cities in other states to declare states of emergency.

Delaware

Gov. Markell declared a State of Emergency in Delaware starting at midnight Sunday, after NWS issued  a winter storm warning for the state.

Markell announced that state government as well as the city of Wilmington  will be closed Monday.

New Jersey
Gov. Christie declared a state of emergency for New Jersey, and ordered state offices closed Monday for non-essential services.

“This winter storm is expected to arrive tonight and last through Monday, bringing heavy snow and creating hazardous travel conditions throughout the state,” said Christie.

Philadelphia Mayor declared an official snow emergency for the city on Sunday, while officials canceled schools Monday classes and closed university campuses.

Mississippi

Gov. Bryant has declared a State of Emergency due to the severe weather. NWS has forecast an ice storm in northwest Mississippi and in the Delta area. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are also forecast for central and south Mississippi.

“It may seem difficult to accept with today’s warm temperatures, but the National Weather Service has predicted winter weather and severe storms for parts of the state,” said Bryant. “Residents should take necessary precautions now before the bad weather arrives.”

Tennessee
Governor Haslam declared a State of Emergency in Tennessee as the massive storm system moved closer to the region.

National Weather Service (NWS) has warned counties in southern and western Kentucky could see more than an inch of ice accumulation as the storm moves across the area.

Many school systems have announced closings ahead of the dangerous ice storm.

NWS Weather Forecast

Significant snow storm to impact the eastern U.S. on Monday while unseasonably cold temperatures continue

Late season winter storm will continue to shift east through Monday. Heavy snow is forecast from the Ohio Valley into the Mid-Atlantic through Monday night. Unseasonably cold temperatures more typical of January will prevail east of the Rocky Mountains for the next few days keeping winter around for a while longer.

Severe cold is forecast to continue throughout the Upper Midwest, as the major winter storm bears down on Central and Eastern states, said NWS.

Indiana
At least 12 inches of snow had fallen on Parts of Indiana by late Sunday evening, locals said.

Flight Cancellation and Delays
About 4,500 flight cancellations within, into, or out of the United States between Saturday and Monday (so far) were reported, in addition to more than 12,000 delays due to the massive storm system.

Deadly Storm
Road crashes due to icy conditions have left a number of people dead including a 13-year-old girl in southwest Missouri on Sunday, and a 32-year-old woman in Colorado, who was killed in a 120-vehicle pileup near Denver on Saturday, while scores of others were reportedly injured.

State of Emergency Declared in Tennessee

EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATIC EVENTS
STATES OF EMERGENCY
DEADLY ICE & SNOWSTORM
.

State of emergency declared in TN as ice and snow pound state’s south

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) declared a state of emergency in the state on Wednesday due to extreme weather.

“The cold air and precipitation is expected to build northward in the state throughout Wednesday and is likely to produce ice and snow-covered roads into Thursday morning,” said TEMA in a statement. “Localized power outages are possible due to downed trees and power lines.”

TEMA also activated its emergency operations center after forecasters predicted that storm system could dump up to 12 inches of snow on parts of the state.

120 Million of People Affected

The massive storm system is affecting an estimated 120 millions people in 22 states from Texas to Maine, leaving more than a dozen people dead and many injured, as of posting.

Winter Storm Warnings, Watches and Advisories were in effect from Georgia to Maine. Forecasters have warned the powerful system could dump up to 18 inches (46 cm) of snow over the Atlantic Coast through Saturday.

Real-Time U.S. Composite Satellite Image. (Source: SSEC/Wisc-Uni)

• 7-day Storm Animation [valid February 7-13, 2014 ]

Latest Weather Forecast by NWS

Winter Storm Brings Heavy Snow and Ice from the Southeast to New England on Thursday

A strengthening area of low pressure will move up the East Coast on Thursday bringing with it significant winter weather from the Southeast to New England. Ice Storm Warnings and/or Winter Storm Warnings are currently in effect for several states. In these areas, road conditions will be dangerous.

The National Weather Service (NWS) said parts of upper east Tennessee could see more than 11 inches of snow.

Temperatures are forecast to plunge by as much as 20 degrees below average over the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap)  for Thursday, February 13, 2014. Issued at 2:56UTC. Source: NWS. UPDATE

States of Emergency Declared for 9 Additional States

Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey have already declared States of Emergency due to the severe ice storm. More states are expected to follow suit.

Thousands of schools and government offices were ordered closed along the storm path from Texas to North Carolina.

“This is not the storm we had two weeks ago, where we were playing in the snow and building snowmen. This is an ice storm,” said Gov Haley, as she declared a State of Emergency for South Carolina.

Flight Cancellations and Delays

More than 10,000 flights into, within, or from the United States have been canceled and thousands more delayed since Tuesday. The trend is expected to continue through weekend.

Federal Emergency Disaster Declared for the State of Georgia

The White House has declared a federal emergency in the State of Georgia resulting from a severe winter storm beginning on February 10, 2014, and continuing.

The emergency disaster declaration will provide federal disaster relief to “lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe” in the counties of Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield, and Wilkes.

White House Issues Federal Emergency Disaster Declaration for South Carolina

The White House has declared a  Federal Emergency Disaster in the State of South Carolina resulting from a severe ice and snowstorm beginning on February 10, 2014, and continuing.

Energy Emergency

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended on Wednesday the regional States of Emergency Declarations, Waivers, Exemptions & Permits for transporting propane throughout the United States.

A total of at least 36 states and District of Columbia are currently impacted by shortages of propane and other heating fuels.

States covered by the emergency declarations include:

• Western Service Center: North Dakota and South Dakota
• Southern Service Center: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee
• Eastern Service Center: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia
• Midwestern Service Center: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin

Colorado Gov Issued Emergency Declaration to Authorize Temporary Exception to Hours of Service Regulations for CMVs Used for Propane Transport on February 7, 2014.

Texas Gov Renews Proclamation Declaring Liquefied Petroleum Gas Emergency [Feb. 4, 2014.]

Connecticut Provides Emergency Exemption from Hours of Service of Drivers [Feb. 11, 2014.]

S. Carolina Gov Issues Emergency Declaration for Severe Winter Weather Impact [Feb. 11, 2014.]

S. Carolina Gov Issues Executive Order to Waive Truck Restrictions  [Feb. 11, 2014.]

N.  Carolina Governor Temporarily Suspends Motor Vehicle Regulations … [Feb. 11, 2014.]

Related Links

• NJ Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Deadly Snowstorm February 13, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in Maryland February 12, 2014
• Virginia Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Deadly Storm February 12, 2014
• Deadly Ice and Snow Blanket U.S. South February 12, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States February 11, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in New York, Pennsylvania February 6, 2014
• Disaster Emergency Declared in Multiple States February 5, 2014
• State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas February 5, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey  February 4, 2014

Energy Emergency Links

• Never Mind the Salt, Propane Shortage Biting Hard February 6, 2014
• Deadly Winter Storm Prompts States of Emergency in Georgia, Carolinas  January 29, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in Alabama, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi …  January 28, 2014

• Wisconsin Declares State of Emergency over Extreme Cold, Fuel Shortage January 26, 2014
• Louisiana Declares 2nd State of Emergency due to Dangerous Cold January 25, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared for Louisiana January 24, 2014

• Energy Emergency Declared for Alabama January 24, 2014
• Tennessee Declares Statewide Energy Emergency January 22, 2014
• Ohio Declares Statewide Energy Emergency January 20, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in Oklahoma due to Propane Shortage January 8, 2014

NJ Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Deadly Snowstorm

EXTREME WEATHER AND CLIMATIC EVENTS
STATES OF EMERGENCY
DEADLY ICE & SNOWSTORM
.

Tomorrow does not look like a good day in New Jersey —Gov Christie

Gov. Christie has declared a state of emergency and closed state offices in New Jersey as a deadly snowstorm moves up U.S. East Coast

“This winter storm is expected to arrive tonight and last through early Friday morning, and the heavy snow will create hazardous travel conditions across the state,” said Christie. “I encourage all New Jerseyans to drive carefully and remain off the roads if possible …”

Forecasters said the storm could dump more than a foot of snow on some parts of the state.

“Tomorrow does not look like a good day in New Jersey,” said Christie.

The latest declaration is Christie’s fourth state of emergency proclamation due to snow so far this year.

Latest Weather Forecast by NWS

Winter Storm Brings Heavy Snow and Ice from the Southeast to New England on Thursday

A strengthening area of low pressure will move up the East Coast on Thursday bringing with it significant winter weather from the Southeast to New England. Ice Storm Warnings and/or Winter Storm Warnings are currently in effect for several states. In these areas, road conditions will be dangerous.

Temperatures are forecast to plunge by as much as 20 degrees below average over the Southeast and the Mid-Atlantic.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap)  for Thursday, February 13, 2014. Issued at 2:56UTC. Source: NWS. UPDATE

States of Emergency Declared for 8 Additional States

Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Maryland have already declared States of Emergency due to the severe ice storm. More states are expected to follow suit.

Thousands of schools and government offices were ordered closed along the storm path from Texas to North Carolina.

“This is not the storm we had two weeks ago, where we were playing in the snow and building snowmen. This is an ice storm,” said Gov Haley, as she declared a State of Emergency for South Carolina.

Flight Cancellations and Delays

Thousands of flight have been canceled or delayed since  Tuesday and the trend is expected to continue through weekend.

Federal Emergency Disaster Declared for the State of Georgia

The White House has declared a federal emergency in the State of Georgia resulting from a severe winter storm beginning on February 10, 2014, and continuing.

The emergency disaster declaration will provide federal disaster relief to “lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe” in the counties of Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Elbert, Fannin, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Gordon, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Haralson, Hart, Jackson, Lincoln, Lumpkin, Madison, Murray, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, Walker, Walton, White, Whitfield, and Wilkes.

Energy Emergency

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) extended on Wednesday the regional States of Emergency Declarations, Waivers, Exemptions & Permits for transporting propane throughout the United States.

A total of at least 38 states and District of Columbia are currently impacted by shortages of propane and other heating fuels.

States covered by the emergency declarations include:

• Western Service Center: North Dakota and South Dakota
• Southern Service Center: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee
• Eastern Service Center: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and West Virginia
• Midwestern Service Center: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin

Colorado Governor Issued Emergency Declaration to Authorize Temporary Exception to Hours of Service Regulations for CMVs Used for Propane Transport on February 7, 2014.

Texas Governor Renews Proclamation Declaring Liquefied Petroleum Gas Emergency [Feb. 4, 2014.]

Connecticut Provides Emergency Exemption from Hours of Service of Drivers [Feb. 11, 2014.]

Related Links

• Virginia Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Deadly Storm February 12, 2014
• Deadly Ice and Snow Blanket U.S. South February 12, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States February 11, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in New York, Pennsylvania February 6, 2014
• Disaster Emergency Declared in Multiple States February 5, 2014
• State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas February 5, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey  February 4, 2014

Energy Emergency Links

• Never Mind the Salt, Propane Shortage Biting Hard February 6, 2014
• Deadly Winter Storm Prompts States of Emergency in Georgia, Carolinas  January 29, 2014
• States of Emergency Declared in Alabama, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi …  January 28, 2014

• Wisconsin Declares State of Emergency over Extreme Cold, Fuel Shortage January 26, 2014
• Louisiana Declares 2nd State of Emergency due to Dangerous Cold January 25, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared for Louisiana January 24, 2014

• Energy Emergency Declared for Alabama January 24, 2014
• Tennessee Declares Statewide Energy Emergency January 22, 2014
• Ohio Declares Statewide Energy Emergency January 20, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in Oklahoma due to Propane Shortage January 8, 2014

Disaster Emergency Declared in Multiple States

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
STATES OF DISASTER EMERGENCY
.

Deadly Snow Storm Threatens 32 States

States of Emergency Declared in Arkansas, Kansas, Mississippi, New Jersey…

The second snow storm in a week is forecast to dump up to a foot of snow across all or portions of at least 32 states. The deadly snow storm will be followed by yet another massive arctic blast that will bring life-threatening temperatures and frigid conditions to more than two-thirds of the country.

State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas

Gov. Brownback has signed a state of disaster emergency declaration for Kansas for the entire state in response to a deadly storm, which continues to batter Kansas as it moves through the state.

Arkansas Declares a State of Emergency amid Widespread Power Outages

Tens of thousands of Arkansans were left without electricity on Tuesday, prompting Gov Beebe to declare a state of emergency.

“A severe winter weather system, beginning February 3, 2014, and continuing, has resulted in the loss of electric power and other utilities within the State of Arkansas, which will require utility companies and their crews to work long hours to restore such services as quickly as practicable …  Adverse circumstances have been brought to bear upon the citizens and public properties within the State …  [I’m authorized as] a state governor to declare a regional emergency during the duration of the emergency conditions, not to exceed thirty (30) days from the date of the initial declaration of emergency, and to exempt any motor carrier or driver operating a commercial motor vehicle to provide direct assistance in providing emergency relief during an emergency …” said Gov Beebe in his State of Emergency Proclamation.

Mississippi declares a State of Emergency amid Threat of Deadly Snow Storm

Gov. Bryant has declared a State of Emergency as a deadly snow storm threatens to batter northern portions of Mississippi, including Coahoma, DeSoto and Tunica counties.

“I have declared a State of Emergency to aid emergency officials in preparing for the onset of this potentially dangerous weather,” said Bryant. “Residents should not overreact but should make plans now to ensure they are prepared for a variety of conditions, including prolonged freezing temperatures, icy roadways, heavy rains, and potential flooding.

New Jersey Declares Yet Another State of Emergency

New Jersey Gov Christie issued yet another State of Emergency late Tuesday ahead of the winter storm that is forecast to dump up to a foot of snow just about everywhere.

All state offices will be closed Wednesday, said the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.

“Tonight’s winter weather is expected to produce snow and ice, creating hazardous travel conditions and affecting areas throughout the state that are already recovering from yesterday’s storm,” said Gov. Christie in a statement, urging “all New Jerseyans to remain off the roads if possible” to allow “first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”

States of Emergency Declarations in Other Areas

• Town of Sellersburg, Ind. under state of emergency
• Dodge County, WI has declared a state of emergency due to the statewide propane shortage.
• Limited State of Emergency Declared in Niagara Falls

Additional Links

• Energy Demand: International Demand And Cold Weather Strain Midwest Propane Supply
• AP: A state-by-state look at winter’s latest wallop

Related Links

• State of Disaster Emergency Declared in Kansas  February 5, 2014
• State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey on February 4, 2014

State of Emergency Declared in New Jersey

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
STATE OF EMERGENCY
.

Christie declares a state of emergency due to a heavy snow storm plaguing NJ

The governor has ordered  all non-essential state workers to go home, on a staggering schedule, starting at noon.

“Today’s winter storm is expected to produce heavy snow and travel hazards throughout the state, affecting tonight’s evening commute,” Christie said in a statement on Monday.

The storm is forecast to dump heavy snow and freezing rain throughout the state, felling trees, and causing power outages and flooding, he said.

“Total Nightmare”

As of 7:00 p.m.  EST up to 9.5 inches of snow had fallen in some parts of the Garden State creating a “total nightmare” for the Super Bowl fans leaving the state.

“It’s a parade of storms this week,” said the state climatologist at Rutgers University. “We haven’t been able to tap this kind of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and other environments in quite a few weeks. January was the 8th snowiest on record in New Jersey but it wasn’t abundantly moist. We had a lot of cold, dry snow, fluffy snow, not the thumping snow that we have today.”

State of Emergency Proclamation (excerpts) 

… beginning on February 3, 2014 the State of New Jersey is expected to experience a severe winter storm with high winds, heavy snow, mixed precipitation, dangerous storm surges, and sub-zero temperatures throughout the State … this severe winter storm is predicted to produce hazardous travel conditions, cause fallen trees and power outages, and produce potential coastal, stream, and river flooding throughout the State … this severe winter storm is expected to result in dangerous conditions across New Jersey for several days,  impeding transportation and the normal operation of public and private entities … impending weather conditions constitute an imminent hazard, which threatens and presently endangers the health, safety, and resources of the residents of one or more municipalities and counties of this State … this situation may become too large in scope to be handled by the normal county and municipal operating services in some parts of this State, and this situation may spread to other parts of the State …

Christie’s State of Emergency Proclamation: Full Text

Meanwhile, the National weather Service issued the following forecast:

New Winter Storm to Impact the Central U.S. Tuesday and the Northeast on Wednesday

The next winter storm is ready to impact the Plains and Midwest with snow and ice Tuesday into Wednesday. Heaviest snow is forecast from central Kansas through central Missouri and Illinois, into central Indiana. This same system could bring a foot of snow to northern Pennsylvania into central New England on Wednesday.

U.S. Weather Hazards Map (Hazmap)  for Tuesday, February 4, 2014. Issued at 02:36UTC. Source: NWS. UPDATE

Polar Déjà vu

UPDATED at 09:30UTC – January 22, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC & WEATHER EVENTS
.

New York, New Jersey, Delaware Declare States of Emergency as Polar Vortex II shuts down DC,  grounds thousands of flights

New York: Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency Tuesday for the following counties: Suffolk, Nassau, Richmond, Kings, Queens, New York, Bronx, Westchester and Rockland as a major winter storm battered the tristate area, bringing serious snow and extremely cold temperatures. A dangerous polar vortex is chasing the storm.

“This winter storm will bring a one-two punch of snow and extreme cold. I urge all those in the affected regions to exercise caution, and avoid travel if possible,” said Cuomo. “State resources are deployed to clear snow and help those impacted by the storm, but above all it is important that New Yorkers remain safe both during and after the storm.”

New Jersey

Governor Christie declared a State of Emergency in New Jersey, authorizing the emergency services to activate, coordinate and prepare  response to the storm.

“Today’s winter storm is expected to produce heavy snow, dangerous conditions and travel hazards throughout the state,” said Christie. “I’ve authorized state officials to take all necessary action to prepare, and my Administration will continue monitoring conditions throughout the remainder of the storm. I encourage all New Jerseyans to stay off the roads if possible so that our first responders and public safety officials can safely respond to any emergency situations.”

Delaware

Delaware’s governor Markell has declared a state of emergency as the winter storm brought snow and high winds to the East Coast.

The storm, which forced  schools, government offices and businesses in Delaware to close early, is forecast to  bring up to 16 inches of snow to mid-Atlantic region.

• Maryland declared a snow emergency.

Govt Shutdown

Hundreds of thousands of federal workers in DC area were ordered to stay home Tuesday. Schools and offices were also shut down throughout the region.

• The storm forced Governments in Delaware and Maryland to shut down.
• Connecticut sent home nonessential state workers.
• Philadelphia schools and offices were closed.

NWS Forecast

A Powerful winter storm continues to intensifying off the East Coast with bitter cold spreading into the Eastern U.S., said the National Weather Service (NWS).

“A storm system will strengthen overnight in the Atlantic waters off the East Coast spreading heavy snow and strong wind into coastal sections of New England and the Northeast. Blizzard conditions are possible in eastern Massachusetts. In addition, temperatures across the eastern U.S. will be 10 to 25 degrees below average with bitter wind chills.”

The forecast also warned of

• Heavy snow from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast Coast

• Temperatures will be 15 to 30 degrees below average over parts of the Upper Midwest

• Temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees below average for the Mid-Atlantic/Central Appalachians into the Lower Great Lakes

• Storm along the Mid-Atlantic Coast will deepen rapidly while moving northeastward to the Canadian Maritimes paralleling the Coast by Wednesday evening.

• … another storm over the Upper Midwest will move southeastward to the Central Appalachians by Thursday morning.

Hazardous Weather Warnings

Hazardous conditions extended along a 1,700-km front from Kentucky to Massachusetts on Tuesday, snarling  transport and triggering multiple weather Warnings, Watches and advisories including Blizzard Warning, Winter Storm Warning, Storm Warning, Special Marine Warning, Flood Warning, Gale Warning, Wind Chill Warning, Hard Freeze Warning and Freeze Warning among others.

Flight Delays and Cancellations

More than 6,000 flights within, into, or out of the United States were canceled or delayed on Tuesday, according to FlightAware.com. An additional 1,400 flights have been canceled for Wednesday.

National Low and High Temperature [contiguous United States]

Issued 7 pm EST Tuesday, January 21, 2014

• -38ºC (-37 degrees) at Embarrass, MN

• 29ºC  (84 degrees) at Camarillo, CA

Source: NWS Weather Prediction Center, College Park, MD

Temperature spread 67ºC (121 degrees).

On January 7, 2014 FIRE-EARTH said [Google and WordPress censored]:

FIRE-EARTH Models show more Extreme Weather Events could wreak havoc across North America in the coming days and weeks.

• More Extreme Weather Events to Hit North America

 

Crop Disaster Declared in Five States

High Winds, Hail, Excessive Rain and Flooding prompt USDA to declare crop disaster for44 counties in five states

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 44 counties across five states as agricultural disaster areas due to losses caused by a combination of excessive rain, related flooding, high winds and hail in three separate declarations.

Designation # 1: Ten Counties in New Jersey have been declared  Crop Disaster Areas due to losses caused by excessive rain, related flooding, high winds and hail that occurred May 1 – September 24, 2013.

Those counties are Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Monmouth, Ocean and  Salem.

Designation # 2: USDA has designated 20 counties in Michigan as Agricultural Disaster Areas due losses caused by hail that occurred June 10 – August 2, 2013

Those areas are Bay, Calhoun, Eaton, Genesee, Gratiot, Hillsdale, Huron, Ingham, Jackson, Lenawee, Livingston, Midland, Monroe, Oakland, Saginaw,  Sanilac, Shiawassee, Tuscola, Washtenaw, and  Wayne counties.

Designation # 3: USDA has designated fourteen counties in three states–Florida, Georgia and Alabama– as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive rain that occurred May 1 – September 25, 2013.

• Florida: Escambia, Madison, Santa Rosa, Taylor, Dixie, Jefferson, Okaloosa, Hamilton, Lafayette and Suwannee counties.
• Georgia: Brooks and Lowndes counties.
• Alabama: Baldwin and Escambia counties.

All counties listed above were designated natural disaster areas Nov. 13, 2013.

“Secretary Vilsack also reminds producers that Congress has not funded the five disaster assistance programs authorized by the 2008 Farm Bill. These are SURE; the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP); the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish (ELAP); the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP); and the Tree Assistance Program (TAP). Production losses due to disasters occurring after Sept. 30, 2011, are not eligible for disaster program coverage,” said USDA.

Recent Crop Disaster Designations

• Crop Disasters
• Crop Disaster Declared in Maine and Montana November 1, 2013

1ST Anniversary of Superstorm SANDY

Superstorm SANDY left hundreds of thousands of people homeless

SANDY hit the US east coast last year, killing scores of people and causing damage estimated at $65 billion—the second costliest hurricane ever.

[Note: At least 286 people were killed across the United States, the Caribbean, and Canada, as a result of SANDY. Total damage estimated at $68 billion.]

Atlantic Hurricane Season

The 2010 season (the third most active season on record jointly with 1887 and 1995) experienced 19 named storms, 12 of which developed into hurricanes (second most active hurricane season jointly with 1969.)

About 40 million people in the coastal regions of the US, from  North Carolina to Texas, are most at risk of hurricanes.

FIRE-EARTH Forecast [May 20, 2011]

Based on the blog models, recent trends set by the impact of weather extremes on population centers, especially since late 2009, and other geophysical and planetary factors, FIRE-EARTH believes 2011 could  prove less lucky than the last two years. We forecast a particularly costly hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin in 2011. 

What we told you last year

On October 18, 2012, FIRE-EARTH said

WARNING: The United States is now one major disaster away from the onset of large scale collapse!

• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun  October 31, 2012

• SANDY: Fisheries Disaster Declared for NY, NJ November 17, 2012
• Hurricane SANDY Could Become a Super Storm
•  October 27, 2012

Christie Declares State of Emergency as Fire Destroys Boardwalk

Fire Destroys New Jersey Shore Boardwalk, Dozens of Businesses

New Jersey Gov. Christie declared a state of emergency on Thursday as fire crews worked to contain a massive blaze that has ravaged a large section of the boardwalk along the New Jersey Shore, devouring dozens of nearby businesses, according to reports.

Hundreds of fire crews have been deployed to tackle the blaze in the Seaside Heights area which became a six-alarm fire in less than two hours, destroying large sections of a landmark that was recently restored following the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy.

“I feel like I want to throw up… After all the effort and time and resources that we’ve put in to help the folks of Seaside Park and Seaside Heights rebuild, it’s just unthinkable.” WCBS quoted Christie as saying.

The massive blaze began in Kohr’s Frozen Custard near the boardwalk in Seaside Park, and rapidly spread over seven blocks. About 50 businesses were destroyed, said NJ.com.

Record Heatwave Kills Dozens in U.S.

Deadly heat persists in eastern U.S.

At least 46 people have died amid extreme heat that has paralyzed more than two dozen states from the Midwest to the East Coast.

Heat-related fatalities occurred in Virgina (at least 12 deaths reported), Maryland (11), Chicago (10), Wisconsin (4), Ohio (3), Pennsylvania (3) Tennessee (2), and Indiana (1), where an infant died after being left in a vehicle in triple-digit temperatures outside her home in Greenfield, about 25 miles east of Indianapolis.

Hundreds of thousands of people in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey, Maryland and Indiana are still without power 9 days after deadly storms swept through the region causing widespread destruction and ‘catastrophic damage’ to power grids.

Map of Temperature Departure from Normal

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• Krasnodar Region, Russia. The worst flooding in living memory in southern Russia’s Krasnodar Region, near the Black Sea, has left at least 153 people dead and and more than 5,000 homes destroyed or damaged, reports said.
  • “The flash flood inundated the cities of Gelendzhik, Krymsk and Novorossiysk as well as the four villages of Divnomorskoe, Nizhnebakanskaya, Neberdzhaevskaya and Kabardinka.”
  • “The streets of Krymsk are now mostly deserted. The town looks like the set of a post-apocalyptic movie,” RT reported .
  • About 3,000 people have been evacuated from flood-hit areas in Krasnoda, as of posting,  while 30,000 people are without power in the region, and more than 80 percent of the population of Krymsk have lost their gas supply cut off.

Trends in Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Up-to-date weekly average CO₂ at Mauna Loa

• Week of June 24, 2012:     395.33 ppm
• Weekly value from 1 year ago:     393.50 ppm
• Weekly value from 10 years ago:     375.08 ppm

Recent Mauna Loa CO₂

• June 2012:     395.77 ppm
• June 2011:     393.68 ppm

Recent Global CO₂

• May 2012:     393.77 ppm
• May 2011:     391.90 ppm

Links to Recent Related Entries

• Drought Disaster Declared in Montana Posted on July 5, 2012
• Colorado Declared Agri Disaster Area Posted on July 4, 2012
• Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States Posted on July 3, 2012
• Deadly Heat Blankets Eastern U.S. Posted on July 2, 2012
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises Posted  on July 1, 2012
• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population Posted on June 30, 2012
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand Posted on June 30, 2012
• Explosive Wildfires Continue Erupting Across the U.S. Posted on June 29, 2012
• Destructive Wildfire Activity Intensifies in Colorado Posted on June 28, 2012
• Drought 2012 Posted on January 8, 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

NE U.S. Blizzard, Rainstorm GOES Movies

Late winter rainstorms pummeled  NE U.S.

And the severe weather season hasn’t even begun yet!

The northeastern U.S. was pummeled by blizzards, swamped by heavy flooding, and battered by late winter storms. Two movies of the events were captured by NASA Satellite GOES-12 between February 1 and 16, and March 8 and 16, 2010.

This is a still image of the well-developed storm on March 15, 2010 at 2115 UTC (4:15 p.m. ET) the New England coast. Source: NASA GOES Project

“Following the Nor’easter ‘parade of blizzards’ in February this year, another week-long parade of storms flooded the upper Midwest and Northeastern U.S. in March,” said a NASA GOES Project official. “The merge of three storms in the Midwest was unusual, where the normal pattern is a series of spring storms carried by the prevailing westerlies (winds).”

“The movie was created by overlaying the clouds observed several times per hour by NOAA’s GOES Imager onto a true-color map previously derived from NASA’s Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) land-mapping instrument. The infrared channels on GOES detect clouds day and night, which are portrayed as grey for low clouds and white for high clouds. The movie compresses nine days into two minutes. It illustrates how continental-scale land/sea/air phenomena come together to make large late winter storms.” NASA Website said.

“Heavy rains that hit the northeast cause flooding, fatalities, power outages and damages. Downed trees from rain-soaked roots toppled power lines. Outages were reported in Connecticut, Maine, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania. Literally thousands of trees were reported felled in Connecticut and New York. Flooding forced evacuations and put roadways under water. As far north as Maine, parts of the state received more than eight inches of rain. ”

Total rainfall for the first 19 days of March:

• Boston: 7.45″
• Bridgeport, Conn: 4.02″
• Newark, NJ: 5.24″
• New York City: 4.72″
• Portland, Maine: 3.57″ of rain.

Most of that rainfall was caused by the storms.

The link to the movies: (Unfortunately, the movie were available only in one format, MP4, as of posting.)

1. GOES Movie of the Northeastern US Floods
2. GOES Blizzard movie

Note: The second movie linked to above, is a 2-minute movie compressed from GOES satellite data recorded February 1-16, 2010, capturing two blizzards which hit the Baltimore, Md. and Washington areas.

During the first two weeks of February, Washington, DC,  was put out of action by two blizzards which dumped heavy wet snow as follows:

• 5 inches fell on February 3
• 24 inches fell on February 6
• 12 inches on February 10.
• A second, back-to-back storm followed on February 16 dumping 10 inches on Philadelphia and New York, but spared Washington and Baltimor.

“These storms are called Nor’easters because the counter-clockwise circulation around a low pressure system on the Atlantic coast pushes moist sea air from the north-east into arctic air over the land. This windy mixture creates a very efficient snow-making machine from Boston to Washington. ‘The GOES movie illustrates how succeeding storms form along the Gulf coast, travel up the Atlantic coast, pause over the mid-Atlantic states, and finally slide out to sea,’ said a NASA official with GOES Project.” Source: NASA/EO website.

Related Links:

• Winter Officially Starts Today!
• Ready to Welcome Climate Refugees?
• Global Weather Chaos
• The World Is Rapidly Collapsing
• Deadly Winter Storm Paralyzes United States
• Deadly Weather in Your Area?
• US Northeast Snow Records Broken
• Humongous Snowstorm Paralyzes Eastern U.S.
• ‘Humongous’ storm spreads across the US

Deadly Storm Strikes Northeastern U.S.

Storm Kills 7, Damages Many Buildings and Leaves Up to a Million Homes Without Electricity

At least 7 people were killed many buildings were damaged and up to a million homes lost electricity after a torrential rainstorm battered northeastern United States.

Most of the damage occurred in Connecticut, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, where strong winds and torrential rains uprooted trees, snapped power lines and flooded many of the streams in the weekend.

Three people were crushed to death by falling trees in Greenwich, Conn, Westport, Conn., and Hartsdale, N.Y.

NWS Radar Mosaic. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

“In Teaneck, N.J., two neighbors were killed by a falling oak tree as they headed home from a synagogue at 7 p.m. on Saturday.” A report said.

A police officer was killed in Rhode Island, after his car hydroplaned in a pool of water formed by the weekend storm.

“In New Hampshire, a large pine tree fell on a car travelling on a highway on Sunday afternoon, killing a man and injuring his wife and child, police said.”

In Ocean Grove, N.J., five homes were consumed by a large fire that was fueled by strong winds which also damaged a historic inn, reports said.

Storm advisories and flood warnings are in place in many areas throuought the Northeast and elsewhere.

Predominant Weather. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Hazards. Click Image to enlarge and update. (24-Hr FE ED).

Related Links:

• US Weather
• Satellite Imagery
  

NO More Coal-fired Power Plants Here!

Submitted by a CASF Member:

Too Little, Too Late?

Longleaf Energy Resources Leaves Court with a Red-Coal Face

A Georgia state court invalidated a permit to build a 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Early county, citing the developers’ failure to limit emissions of carbon dioxide. A Fulton County Superior Court Judge, Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore [kudos to judge Moore], reversed a right to pollute permit [aka, air permit] issued earlier this year by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to Longleaf Energy Resources.

Southern Company’s Plant Bowen in Cartersville, Georgia is seen in this aerial photograph in Cartersville in this file photo taken September 4, 2007. One of the biggest coal-fired plants in the country, it generates about 3,300 megawatts of electricity from four coal-fired boilers. (Chris Baltimore/Reuters; caption: abc News. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

The judge citied a 2007 U.S. Thelma Wyatt Cummings Moore decision in which carbon dioxide was ruled to be a pollutant under the existing Clean Air Act and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has the authority to regulate carbon dioxide emissions.

Anthracite Coal. Credit USGS

How much coal would it take to light a 100W light bulb for one year?

A 100-Watt light bulb consumes about 876 kWh of electricity in one year (100 W × 24 h/day × 365 days = 876,000 Wh = 876 kWh).

Energy density

The energy density of coal, expressed in kilowatt-hours per kilogram, is about 6.67 kWh/kg. The typical thermodynamic efficiency of coal power plants is about 30%. That means only 30% of the coal burned up turns into electricity, with the rest normally wasted as heat. Coal power plants generate approximately 2.0 kWh per 1kg of burned coal.

876 kWh ÷ 2kWh/kg = 438 kg of coal

However, the above amount does not take into account a further 5–10% transmission and distribution losses caused by resistance and heating in the power lines AND the initial energy used to mine the coal and ship it to the power plant, which could be equivalent to 10-15% of the total coal consumed.

438 kg ÷ 80% = 547.5 kg of coal {Total amount of coal consumed to light a 100W bulb for one full year!}

How Much Carbon Dioxide?

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) forms during coal combustion when one atom of carbon (C) combines with two atoms of oxygen (O2). Carbon has an atomic weight of is 12, and oxygen 16, making the atomic weight of carbon dioxide 44. A kg of coal with a carbon content of 78 percent and a heating value of 32 MJ/kg emits about 2.86 kg of carbon dioxide. (Source: Carbon Dioxide Emission Factors for Coal)

547.5 kg of coal x 2.86 = 1,566 kg of CO2 {The total amount of CO2 produced.}

[Note: other nasty byproducts include sulfur, which reacts with oxygen to produce SO2, which then combines with moisture in the air to produce acid rain, nitrogen oxides, NOx, and mercury, all of which are extremely harmful to air, water, soil, trees, marine animals and humans.]

Meanwhile, back in Crawford ranch …

White House officials, congressional staff revealed, refused to open e-mail from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, that said climate-warming greenhouse emissions threaten public health and welfare!

The EPA has also told members of Congress that the Defense Department is defying orders over cleaning up toxic pollution at three military bases at Fort Meade in Maryland, McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey and Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida.

Related Links:

• Georgia court cites carbon in coal-plant ruling

EPA Sued Over GHG Pollution

The states of Massachusetts, Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) yesterday for failing to limit greenhouse gas emissions from new cars and trucks. The lawsuit came one year after the Supreme Court ruled that the agency had the power to do so.

Main Entry: 18 States Sue EPA Over GHG Pollution
Original Report: 18 states sue EPA over greenhouse gas pollution