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Posts Tagged ‘New Mexico’

34 Wildfires Burning ¼ Million Acres across 12 States

Posted by feww on July 1, 2017

Large fire activity continues across 12 states from Alaska to Florida

National Preparedness was raised to Level 3 on  June 28 at 2:00 pm MDT (on a scale from 1 to 5)

Daily statistics Saturday, July 1, 2017 – 05:30 MT [NIFC]

Number of active large fires: 34
[Total number includes full suppression and resource managed fires. Total does not include individual fires within complexes.]

Acres from active fires: 249,029

States currently reporting large fires:
Alaska (3)
Arizona (7)
California (5)
Colorado (1)
Florida (1)
Idaho (2)
Nevada (2)
New Mexico (5)
Oregon (2)
Texas (1)
Utah (1)
Washington (4)

Year-to-date statistics 2017 (1/1/17 – 7/1/17)

  • Fires: 30,000
  • Acres: 2,833,498 [Up 34% YOY]

2016 (1/1/16 – 6/30/16)

  • Fires: 25,657
  • Acres: 2,110,041

Annual average prior 10 years 2006-2016

  • Fires: 32,587
  • Acres: 2,022,815
Prescribed Fires and Acres Year-to-Date
  • Fires: 60,526
  • Acres: 2,864,796

Canada:

YTD: 1,640 fires; 421,570 acres [170,676 hectares]

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States of Emergency Declared in Canada, California, Alabama

Posted by feww on June 18, 2016

UPDATED

States of emergency declared for two BC communities in Canada’s energy heartland

“It’s causing a lot of problems for a lot of people. This time everything washed out” —Dawson Creek resident 

“This is a big-time event, how it’s affected the highways and streets and roads,” Mayor Dale Bumstead told CBC News. “Our hospitals and fire halls are separated, we’ve only got one link and some of the roads and streets and transit infrastructure have been severely damaged.”


Many roads and rail lines in the region have been washed out or damaged by flooding. (B.C. Ministry of Transportation)

The Ministry of Transportation say hundreds of rural properties have been “severely affected” by flooding.

A state of emergency has been declared in Dawson Creek, B.C. where flooding has left behind significant damage to city infrastructure, roads and homes.

Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Caldwell said the 89.8 mm of rain that fell in Dawson Creek during the daytime June 15 is an all-time high according to records going back 90 years.

The town of Chetwynd, about 100km west of Dawson Creek, declared a state of emergency on Wednesday.

In May, multiple communities north of Fort St. John were evacuated as ferocious wildfires swept northeast British Columbia.

Santa Barbara County declares a state of emergency as Sherpa fire spreads

Santa Barbara County official have declared a state of emergency as Sherpa fire grew to about 7,5200 acres by early Saturday.

More than 1,200 personnel were responding to the fire amid continued threat to structures, agricultural crops, state parks, and critical infrastructure, officials said.

Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for El Capitan, Refugio, Venadito and Las Flores canyons north of Santa Barbara. Several neighboring communities have received evacuation warnings.

However, many locals have voluntarily evacuated because of the poor air quality across the entire county.

Avocado, citrus and olives groves have already been consumed by the fire, but it’s too early to quantify the extent of the damage, officials reported.

Temperatures are expected to get hotter [probably exceeding 100F] and the winds stronger this weekend, forecasters have warned.

New Mexico

Meanwhile, the so-called Dog Head Fire in New Mexico, has consumed about 18,000 acres since Wednesday.

The destructive fire burning southeast of Albuquerque, has destroyed dozens of homes and structures, forcing mass evacuations, and prompting Gov. Martinez to declare a state of emergency earlier this week.

Alabama declares state of emergency following widespread power outages

Gov. Bentley has declared a state of emergency for Alabama following widespread power outages caused by Friday’s severe weather.

The Executive Order will allow crews from other states to assist in the restoration of power to about 50,000 customers left in the dark as powerful storms swept through the state.

The majority of the outages occurred in Mobile, where 13,500 customers were without power.

Other damage reports include broken poles, downed cables and uprooted trees statewide.

“This is a big-time event, how it’s affected the highways and streets and roads,” said Bumstead. “Our hospitals and fire halls are separated, we’ve only got one link and some of the roads and streets and transit infrastructure have been severely damaged.”

 

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State of Emergency Declared in New Mexico as Wildfire Spreads

Posted by feww on June 16, 2016

Fast moving Dog Head fire grows to over 5,000 acres, consumes structures

Dog Head fire broke out in the Manzano Mountains Tuesday afternoon and has since consumed more than 5,000 acres, with zero containment, prompting State of Emergency declaration and mass evacuations.

At least 200 homes have been evacuated, as Gov. Martinez declared a state of emergency, and placed the National Guard on standby.

The Dog Head Wildfire is affecting portions of Bernalillo and Torrance Counties, Martinez said in her Proclamation.

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Massive Snowstorm Prompts State of Emergency Declaration in New Mexico

Posted by feww on December 28, 2015

DISASTER DIARY – DECEMBER 28, 2015

Up to 20 inches of snow with drifts of 10 feet hit SE part of NM

Gov. Martinez has declared a state of emergency in New Mexico, mobilizing the National Guard to rescue hundreds of stranded drivers.

Officials have closed I-40 indefinitely, with stretches of the interstate also closed in Texas and Oklahoma, said local reports.

“This is a dire situation, especially the eastern half of the state where the storm has hit hardest and continues to dump snow,” said Martinez . “We monitored the situation throughout the night and activated the National Guard to assist stranded motorists.

Martinez has described the extreme weather events as a “serious situation” and asked New Mexicans to stay off the roads until the conditions improve.

“Someone may look out the winter in Albuquerque or Santa Fe and say, ‘It doesn’t seem that bad,’ but it is extremely bad,” Martinez said. “I cannot express how serious the situation is. The southeastern part of the state has 16 to 20 inches of snow with snow drifts of 8 to 10 feet.”

Missouri Declares a State of Emergency

Gov. Nixon has declared a state of emergency in after rain, flooding and flash flooding across Missouri severely impacted the state. Nixon has warned that residents avoid water-covered roads and avoid travel at all if possible.

Meanwhile, St. Louis region became the wettest year ever at the weekend with 58.14 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The previous record of 57.96 inches was set in 2008. More rain is expected across the region.

Weekend flash floods killed at least 13 people in Missouri and Illinois, while the death toll across southern and central US climbed to about 50 after days of severe weather.

Disaster in Texas

Powerful tornadoes killed at least 11 people in Greater Dallas Area, destroying or damaging hundreds of homes and uprooting thousands of trees.

Gov. Abbott declared a state of emergency for Collin, Dallas, Ellis and Rockwall counties, and declared concurrently the four counties as disaster areas.

NWS has issued tornado warnings for Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma and Texas, also warning that a “historic blizzard” could hit Texas and Oklahoma with about 16 inches of snow.

States of Emergency in Oklahoma 

Oklahoma has also declared a states of emergency. The state of emergency proclaimed by Gov. Fallin on Nov. 29 will remain in effect, the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management said.

The following forecast is also issued by NWS:

Major Storm System Bringing Ice, Heavy Snow, Severe Weather, and Flooding from The Gulf Coast to New England

A major storm system will continue to bring a plethora of impacts including heavy snowfall, ice, heavy rainfall, flooding, and severe weather today and tonight. The low pressure system will move toward the Great Lakes region on Tuesday shifting the winter storm threat into Upstate New York and New England.

Meanwhile, the high temperatures are expected to continue in eastern US, with Washington DC reaching 70ºF (21ºC) on Sunday.

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Crop Disasters Declared for 220 Counties in Three States

Posted by feww on January 8, 2015

RAPID CLIMATE CHANGE
EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
SCENARIOS  900, [500,] 444, 117, 111, 100, 067, 03, 02
.

Persistent Drought Destroys or Damages Crops in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated a total of 220 counties in three states—Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico—as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a lingering drought that occurred from January 1, 2014, and continues.

Texas:

TX drought disaster jan 2015

Oklahoma: Beaver, Cotton, Jefferson, Roger Mills, Beckham, Ellis, Love, Texas, Bryan, Harmon, Marshall, Tillman, Cimarron and Jackson counties.

New Mexico: Curry, Lea, Quay, Union, Dona Ana, Otero and Roosevelt counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in  220 counties across three states. All of those disaster designations are due to drought.

Crop Disasters 2014

In 2014 USDA declared crop disasters in at least 2,904 counties across 44 states. Most of the designations were due to drought.

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 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 January 7, 2015.

Crop Disaster Declarations in 2014

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Major Disaster Declaration Proclaimed for New Mexico

Posted by feww on October 31, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC DISASTERS
MAJOR DISASTERS
REMNANTS OF TROPICAL DEPRESSION ODILE
SEVERE FLOODING
FEDERAL DISASTER DECLARED
SCENARIOS 900, 444, 111, 101, 066, 064, 027, 023, 02
.

Federal Disaster declared in New Mexico due to damage caused by severe flooding (DR-4199)

“Just weeks after receiving a federal declaration, and a subsequent amendment only days ago adding more counties for July 27-August 5 flooding, a second presidential declaration has been approved, this time providing federal assistance for flooding caused by the remnants of Tropical Depression Odile between September 15-26,” said the federal officials.

The new declaration is said to cover  state agencies, tribal governments, certain nonprofits, community ditch associations and other local government entities in Colfax, Eddy, Lea, Lincoln, Otero, Santa Fe, San Miguel and Sierra counties.

“The flooding between July and September was devastating for many of our communities,” said the State Coordinating Officer.

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.

 Federal Disaster Declarations Since July 2014

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Major Disaster Declared for New Mexico

Posted by feww on October 10, 2014

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

Federal Disaster Declared in New Mexico due to Extreme Weather Damage  (DR-4197)

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the the state of New Mexico in the areas affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of July 27 to August 5, 2014.

Areas worst affected by the disasters include Guadalupe, Rio Arriba, and San Miguel counties and the Pueblo of Acoma.

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

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90 Percent of All Quakes Strike U.S.

Posted by feww on June 30, 2014

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

U.S. Struck by 90 Percent of All Earthquakes in 7 Days

Some 1,425 earthquakes of all magnitudes have struck the United States in the past 7 days, or about 90 percent of total globally.

US quakes 7days 30june
7 Days, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 1,592 Earthquakes – Updated: 2014-06-30 12:02:59 UTC earthquakes in map area:  1,425
. Source: USGS/EHP


IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH Earthquake Forecast

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


 Related Links

 

Posted in Earthquake Hazard, Earthquake Information, Earthquake news, earthquake report, Earthquake Warning | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Significant Quakes Strike Tonga Trench; Aftershocks Rattle NM

Posted by feww on June 30, 2014

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

Magnitudes 6.7 and 6.4 earthquakes strike tip of Tonga Trench

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake occurred about 205km SSE of Mata-Utu, Wallis and Futuna, preceded by a 6.4Mw foreshock (197km NW of Hihifo, Tonga) and followed by a 5.6Mw aftershock (193km WNW of Hihifo, Tonga).

Earthquake Details

Magnitude: 6.7Mw
Time: 2014-06-29 17:15:08 UTC
Location: 15.043°S 175.567°W
Depth: 10.0km

Magnitude: 6.4Mw
Time: 2014-06-29 15:52:22 UTC
Location: 14.909°S 175.244°W
Depth: 10.0km

Magnitude: 5.6Mw
Time: 2014-06-29 18:24:30 UTC
Location: 15.356°S 175.447°W
Depth: 10.0km

Aftershocks Rattle New Mexico

At least 4 aftershocks measuring 3.3Mw – 3.6Mw have struck New Mexico, as of posting, following a significant event which occurred less than 24 hours earlier.

Related Links

 

Posted in Earthquake forecasts, Earthquake Hazard, Earthquake Information, Earthquake news, earthquake report, Global Disaster watch, significant events | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Significant Quakes Strike NM, Japan Region, Visokoi Island

Posted by feww on June 29, 2014

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

M5.2 Quakes Strikes 50km NW of Lordsburg, New Mexico

Centered at 32.607°N, 109.151°W, the quake occurred at a depth of about 5.0km (3.1mi).

EQ Details

Magnitude: 5.2Mw
Event Time: 2014-06-29 04:59:33 UTC
Location: 32.607°N 109.151°W depth=5.0km (3.1mi)
Nearby Cities:

  • 50km (31mi) NW of Lordsburg, New Mexico
  • 83km (52mi) WSW of Silver City, New Mexico
  • 136km (85mi) WNW of Deming, New Mexico
  • 144km (89mi) NNE of Douglas, Arizona
  • 288km (179mi) ESE of Phoenix, Arizona

[Source: USGS/EHP]

M6.9 EQ Strikes 154km NNW of Visokoi Island

The mainshock was followed by a cluster of aftershocks, including at least 6 events measuring magnitudes 5.6 to 4.8, as of posting.

Capped by ice-covered Mount Hodson, a stratovolcano, Visokoi Island is an uninhabited island in the Traversay Islands group of the South Sandwich Islands.

Event Time: 2014-06-29 07:52:56 UTC
Location: 55.506°S 28.451°W depth=16.5km (10.2mi)
Nearby Cities

  • 154km (96mi) NNW of Visokoi Island

M6.2 Event Occurs  134km ESE of Iwo Jima, Japan

Event Time: 2014-06-29 05:56:31 UTC
Location: 24.401°N 142.591°E depth=43.2km (26.8mi)
Nearby Cities:

  • 134km (83mi) ESE of Iwo Jima, Japan

IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

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


 

Posted in Earthquake Hazard, Earthquake Information, Earthquake news, earthquake report, Global Disaster watch, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

TX Wildfire Destroys 100 Homes, Threatens 1,000+ Others

Posted by feww on May 12, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
DESTRUCTIVE WILDFIRES
SCENARIO 101
DISASTER DECLARED
.

Mass evacuations ordered in Hutchinson County, TX as wildfire destroys 100 homes, threatens 1,200 more

Several hundred residents have been evacuated in the Texas panhandle after a destructive wildfire destroyed at least 100 homes  in Hutchinson County.

The fast moving fire, fanned by gusts of up to 50 mph, is threatening 1,200 more homes, according to Texas Emergency Management.

County officials have declared the fire zone a disaster area, according to a report.

N.M. Wildfire

Meanwhile,  a massive wildfire in the Gila National Forest north of Silver City near Signal Peak,  New Mexico, has consumed more than 2,700 acres, forcing evacuations.

Fire authorities have issued also a voluntary evacuation order for Pino Altos residents.

 

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Crop Disasters Declared for Texas, New Mexico

Posted by feww on March 13, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

15 Counties in Two States Declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Worsening Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 15 counties in two state—Texas and New Mexico—as crop disaster areas, in two separate designations, due to the worsening drought.

1. Texas. USDA designates 8 counties in Texas as Crop Disaster Areas due to the worsening drought. The counties are Gonzalez, Caldwell, Fayette, Karnes, Wilson, DeWitt, Guadalupe and Lavaca

2. New Mexico.USDA designates 6 counties in New Mexico and one in Texas as Crop Disaster Areas also due to the worsening drought. The disaster areas are

  • New Mexico: Dona Ana, Luna, Grant, Hidalgo, Otero and Sierra counties.
  • Texas: El Paso County.

Since January 10, 2014 USDA has declared 759 counties across 16 states as crop disaster areas due to drought.

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. A number of counties 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 were approved by USDA on March 12, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

Related Links

Posted in 2014 disaster diary, 2014 Disaster Forecast, 2014 global disasters, Climate Change, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Stockpile of Nuclear Weapons Waste in SC Left in Limbo

Posted by feww on March 3, 2014

NUCLEAR DISASTER WATCH
RADIATION LEAK
NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 043
.

South Carolina nuclear weapons waste has no place to go!

The plans to ship weapons grade nuclear waste stored at the Savannah River Site (SRS) are in limbo, after  a radioactive leak that has indefinitely shut down the  the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), a nuclear waste dump in New Mexico.

The Department of Energy (DOE) has thus far been unwilling to reveal whether they have any contingency plan to dump the toxic waste elsewhere, should they be forced to shut down WIPP permanently.

SRS has been under a federal mandate to ship its transuranic waste to the New Mexico facility and has been doing so since 2001, according to DOE; however, about 700 cubic meters of the waste still remains in SC.

The Savannah River Site

SRS [aka, The Bomb Plant] is a  nuclear reservation located in the state of South Carolina adjacent to the Savannah River, about 40 km from Augusta, Georgia. The site, owned by DOE, was built in the 1950s to refine nuclear materials for nuclear weapons. It covers more than 800km² and employs about 10,800 people.

SRS is also home to the “world’s surplus plutonium” where it is “being stored in a minimally-secured building located on top of the most dangerous earthquake fault in the South,” said a report.

The Bomb plant Promo

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

WIPP is one of DOE’s nuclear waste dumps where the U.S. Gov buries transuranic (man-made radioactive elements that are heavier than Uranium) radioactive waste such as plutonium used in making nuclear weapons.

wipp
A shipment of contact-handled transuranic waste arrives at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Source: WIPP, US Department of Energy

Located about 26 miles east of Carlsbad in SE New Mexico, WIPP has “disposal rooms” excavated in an ancient salt formation, about 700m (2,150 feet) underground. WIPP employs more than 800 workers. Waste disposal began at WIPP in 1999.

RH3-small
The Horizontal Emplacement and Retreival Equipment (HERE) is used to push remote-handled transuranic waste into horizontal boreholes in the disposal room walls. Source: WIPP, US Department of Energy

The 250-million-year-old salt formation below the Chihuahuan Desert is used to dump thousands of cubic meters of TRU radioactive waste each year. About 4% of the TRU waste received at WIPP is far too toxic and the containers must be remote-handled by robots and automated  machinery.

If Anything Can Explode, Leak, Contaminate… It Will!

On January 12, 2014 FIRE-EARTH forecast:

Estimated 100,000 HAZMAT storage sites across the U.S. can potentially explode, leak, contaminate the environment

United States is dotted with an estimated 100,000 HAZMAT storage sites containing one or more of deadly substances including radioactive, biohazardous, toxic, explosive, flammable, asphyxiating, corrosive, oxidizing, pathogenic, or allergenic materials, as well as herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers that don’t fall into those categories.

Some of the substances (hazchems), which include more than 200 types of dioxins, are so lethal that even a small leak into the water supply could kill or permanently harm millions of people, before they are detected.

Related Links

Posted in 2014 Disaster Forecast, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, News Alert, Significant Event Imagery, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Radiation Leak in N.M. WIPP Leaves Nuclear Waste in Limbo

Posted by feww on March 1, 2014

NUCLEAR DISASTER WATCH
RADIATION LEAK
NUCLEAR WASTE DISPOSAL
NIGHTMARE SCENARIO 043
.

Los Alamos nuclear waste in limbo after radiation leak at WIPP in New Mexico

The radiation leaks at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), which has exposed  at least 13 workers at a nuclear dump near Carlsbad, New Mexico two weeks ago, has  put operations at the plant on hold including shipments of toxic waste from Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Shipments of nuclear waste from labs in Idaho, Illinois and South Carolina are also without a home while operations are halted, AP reported.

As of late January 2014, WIPP had accepted about 85,000 cubic meters of nuclear waste.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP)

WIPP is one of DOE’s nuclear waste dumps where the U.S. Gov buries transuranic (man-made radioactive elements that are heavier than Uranium) radioactive waste such as plutonium used in making nuclear weapons.

wipp
A shipment of contact-handled transuranic waste arrives at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Source: WIPP, US Department of Energy

Located about 26 miles east of Carlsbad in SE New Mexico, WIPP has “disposal rooms” excavated in an ancient salt formation, about 700m (2,150 feet) underground. WIPP employs more than 800 workers. Waste disposal began at WIPP in 1999.

RH3-small
The Horizontal Emplacement and Retreival Equipment (HERE) is used to push remote-handled transuranic waste into horizontal boreholes in the disposal room walls. Source: WIPP, US Department of Energy

The 250-million-year-old salt formation below the Chihuahuan Desert is used to dump thousands of cubic meters of TRU radioactive waste each year. About 4% of the TRU waste received at WIPP is far too toxic and the containers must be remote-handled by robots and automated  machinery.

If Anything Can Explode, Leak, Contaminate… It Will!

On January 12, 2014 FIRE-EARTH forecast:

Estimated 100,000 HAZMAT storage sites across the U.S. can potentially explode, leak, contaminate the environment

United States is dotted with an estimated 100,000 HAZMAT storage sites containing one or more of deadly substances including radioactive, biohazardous, toxic, explosive, flammable, asphyxiating, corrosive, oxidizing, pathogenic, or allergenic materials, as well as herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers that don’t fall into those categories.

Some of the substances (hazchems), which include more than 200 types of dioxins, are so lethal that even a small leak into the water supply could kill or permanently harm millions of people, before they are detected.

Related Links

Posted in 2014 Disaster Forecast, Global Disaster watch, Significant Event Imagery, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Crop Disaster Declared in Three States

Posted by feww on February 27, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 20 Counties in Three States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 20 counties in three states as crop disaster areas, in two separate designations, due to the recent drought.

The disaster designations are for the states of California, Arizona and New Mexico.

  • California: Riverside, San Diego, Imperial, Orange,  and San Bernardino counties.
  • Arizona: Cochise, Graham,  Pima, Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, Apache Greenlee, Navajo, Yavapai, Coconino,  La Paz (2 disaster designations), Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.
  • New Mexico: Hidalgo County.

Between January 10 and February 26, 2014 USDA has declared 674 counties as crop disaster areas due to drought.

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

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

3. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

4. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on February 26, 2014.

State of Emergency

Governor Brown proclaimed a State of Emergency on January 27  amid the worsening statewide drought.  He called the “really serious,” adding that 2014 could be California’s third consecutive dry year. “In many ways it’s a mega-drought.”

57 California Counties Declared Crop Disaster Areas

All but one of the 58 counties in the state of California have been declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Extreme Drought conditions.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 57 counties in the state of California as crop disaster areas due to the worsening drought, since the beginning of the year.

California State Resources

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

Related Links

Posted in 2014 disaster diary, 2014 Disaster Forecast, 2014 global disasters, Climate Change, Global Disaster watch, global disasters, significant events | Tagged: , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »

Likely Radiation Leak at NM Military Nuclear Waste Dump

Posted by feww on February 17, 2014

High levels of radioactivity detected at New Mexico military nuclear waste dump

Abnormally high levels of radioactivity were detected at Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP), an underground military nuclear waste dump in New Mexico on Saturday, said to be the first real alarm since the plant began operating 15 years ago, said a report.

“At 11:30 PM Friday, a continuous air monitor detected airborne radiation in the underground,” said WIPP.

“They (air monitors) have alarmed in the past as a false positive because of malfunctions, or because of fluctuations in levels of radon (a naturally occurring radioactive gas),” said a Department of Energy spokesman.

“But I believe it’s safe to say we’ve never seen a level like we are seeing. We just don’t know if it’s a real event, but it looks like one,” he said.

“We’re in shutdown mode,” said DOE.

Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is one of DOE’s nuclear waste dumps where the U.S. Gov buries transuranic (man-made radioactive elements that are heavier than Uranium) radioactive waste such as plutonium used in making nuclear weapons.

wipp
A shipment of contact-handled transuranic waste arrives at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant. Source: WIPP, US Department of Energy

Located about 26 miles east of Carlsbad in SE New Mexico, WIPP has “disposal rooms” excavated in an ancient salt formation, about 700m (2,150 feet) underground. WIPP employs more than 800 workers. Waste disposal began at WIPP in 1999.

RH3-small
The Horizontal Emplacement and Retreival Equipment (HERE) is used to push remote-handled transuranic waste into horizontal boreholes in the disposal room walls. Source: WIPP, US Department of Energy

The 250-million-year-old salt formation below the Chihuahuan Desert is used to dump about 6,000 cubic meters of TRU radioactive waste each year. About 4% of the TRU waste received at WIPP is far too toxic and the containers must be remote-handled by robots and automated  machinery.

If Anything Can Explode, Leak, Contaminate… It Will!

On January 12, 2014 FIRE-EARTH forecast:

Estimated 100,000 HAZMAT storage sites across the U.S. can potentially explode, leak, contaminate the environment

United States is dotted with an estimated 100,000 HAZMAT storage sites containing one or more of deadly substances including radioactive, biohazardous, toxic, explosive, flammable, asphyxiating, corrosive, oxidizing, pathogenic, or allergenic materials, as well as herbicides, fungicides and fertilizers that don’t fall into those categories.

Some of the substances (hazchems), which include more than 200 types of dioxins, are so lethal that even a small leak into the water supply could kill or permanently harm millions of people, before they are detected.

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Crop Disaster Declared in 3 States

Posted by feww on February 14, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENTS
DROUGHT
CROP DISASTERS
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 33 Counties in Three States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 33 counties in three states as crop disaster areas, in three separate designations, due to the recent drought.

The disaster designations are for the states of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico.

  • Texas:  Andrews, Gaines, Winkler, Cochran, Loving, Yoakum, Donley, Lipscomb,  Roberts, Armstrong, Collingsworth, Hansford, Ochiltree, Briscoe, Gray, Hemphill, Wheeler, Carson, Hall and Hutchinson counties.
  • Oklahoma: Beaver, Ellis, Dewey, Blaine, Ellis, Roger, Mills, Custer, Major and Woodward counties.
  • New Mexico: Lea, Chaves, Eddy and Roosevelt counties.

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

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

3. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

4. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on February 12, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

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Crop Disaster Declared For 8 States Due to Extreme Weather

Posted by feww on February 7, 2014

EXTREME WEATHER & CLIMATIC EVENTS
MULTIPLE CROP DISASTERS
.

Crop disasters declared in 43 counties due to drought, flash flooding, flooding, excessive heat, excessive rain, lightning, high wind…

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated ten counties in two states—Maine and New Hampshire—as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by flash flooding, flooding, excessive heat, excessive rain, lightning and high wind that occurred April 1 – October 31, 2013.
Those counties are

  • Maine: Androscoggin, Oxford, Sagadahoc, Cumberland, Franklin, Kennebec, Lincoln and York counties.
  • New Hampshire: Carroll and Coos counties.

Excessive Moisture and Heat

USDA has designated a total of eight counties in Massachusetts and Connecticut as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by excessive moisture and heat that occurred during the 2013 crop year.

Those counties are

  • Massachusetts: Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire, Franklin and Worcester counties.
  • Connecticut: Hartford, Litchfield and Tolland counties.

Crop Disaster Declared for 25 Counties in Four States due to Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 25 counties in four states as crop disaster areas due to the recent drought. The disaster designations are for the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico and Colorado.

  • The disaster designation areas in California are Del Norte, Humboldt and Siskiyou counties.
  • Oregon: Curry and Josephine counties.
  • New Mexico:  DeBaca, Harding, Rio Arriba, Taos, Chaves, Los Alamos, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Colfax, Mora, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Guadalupe, Quay, San Juan, Union and  Lincoln counties.
  • Colorado: Archuleta, Conejos and Costilla counties.

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

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

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on February 5, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

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UPDATE: Drought Causes Crop Disaster in 25 Counties across 4 States

Posted by feww on February 6, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENT
WORSENING DROUGHT
CROP DISASTER
.

Crop Disaster Declared for 25 Counties in Four States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 25 counties in four states as crop disaster areas due to the recent drought.

The disaster designations are for the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico and Colorado.

  • The disaster designation areas in California are Del Norte, Humboldt and Siskiyou counties.
  • Oregon: Curry and Josephine counties.
  • New Mexico:  DeBaca, Harding, Rio Arriba, Taos, Chaves, Los Alamos, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Colfax, Mora, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Guadalupe, Quay, San Juan, Union and  Lincoln counties.
  • Colorado: Archuleta, Conejos and Costilla counties.

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

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

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on February 5, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

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Crop Disaster Declared for 20 Counties in Two States

Posted by feww on February 6, 2014

EXTREME CLIMATIC EVENT
WORSENING DROUGHT
CROP DISASTER
.

Drought Causes Crop Disaster in 20 Counties across Two States

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 20 counties in two states as crop disaster areas due to the recent drought.

The disaster designations are for the states of New Mexico and Colorado.

  • The drought disaster areas in New Mexico are the counties of DeBaca, Harding, Rio Arriba, Taos, Chaves, Los Alamos, Roosevelt, San Miguel, Colfax, Mora, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Guadalupe, Quay, San Juan, Union and  Lincoln.
  • The disaster areas in Colorado are the counties of Archuleta, Conejos and Costilla.

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

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

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. A number of counties have been designated crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA on February 5, 2014.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

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Drought Disaster Declared in 16 States

Posted by feww on January 16, 2014

CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS
.

520 Counties across 16 States Declared Crop Disaster Areas due to Drought

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared crop disaster for 520 counties across 16 states due to a recent drought.

The disaster areas, declared in 11 separate designations, cover more than 16.5% of all counties and county-equivalents in the U.S.

The latest crop disaster areas are in the following states

  • Arizona
  • Arkansas
  • California (47 County-level crop disaster designations)
  • Colorado   (40 County-level crop disaster designations)
  • Hawaii
  • Idaho
  • Kansas  (52  County-level crop disaster designations)
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Nebraska
  • Nevada
  • New Mexico
  • Oklahoma   (36 County-level crop disaster designations)
  • Oregon
  • Texas (197 County-level crop disaster designations)
  • Utah

The above list includes the disaster designation for 40 counties in 5 states posted earlier today.

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

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

3. The U.S. has a total of 3,143 counties and county-equivalents.

4. Several counties have been designated as  crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters occurring.

5. The disaster designations were approved by USDA between January 9 and December 18, 2013.

2014 Federal and Agriculture Disaster Declarations

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Major Disaster Declared in New Mexico

Posted by feww on October 30, 2013

New Mexico Declared Federal Disaster Area due to Severe Storms, Flooding and Mudslides

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Mexico due to major losses and damage caused by severe storms, flooding, and mudslides during the period of September 9-22, 2013.

The worst affected areas are the counties of Catron, Chaves, Cibola, Colfax, Eddy, Guadalupe, Los Alamos, McKinley, Mora, Sandoval, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, and Torrance.

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.

October 2 Disaster Declaration for NM

On October 2, 2013, WH signed a separate Major Disaster declaration for NM due to severe storms and flooding  which occurred July 23-28, 2013.

The worst of the losses and damages caused by severe storms and flooding occurred in the counties of Bernalillo, Colfax, Luna, Sandoval, and Socorro and the Cochiti, Kewa (Santa Domingo), San Felipe, and Sandia Pueblos.

2nd Major Disaster Declaration for the Santa Clara Pueblo

A separate Federal Disaster Declaration was signed last week for Santa Clara Pueblo to supplement the Tribe’s efforts in the area affected by severe storms and flooding during the period of September 13-16, 2013.

Major Disaster Declaration for Santa Clara Pueblo

On September 27, 2013 the Santa Clara Pueblo (Indian Reservation) was declared a Federal Disaster Area due to losses and damages caused by severe storms and flooding during the period of July 19-21, 2013.

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Major Disaster Declared for Pennsylvania

Posted by feww on October 3, 2013

Pennsylvania Declared Federal Disaster Area

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in the areas affected by severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding during the period of June 26 to July 11, 2013. 

Most of the losses and damages caused by the severe storms, tornadoes, and flooding have ocurred in the counties of Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Crawford, Fayette, Huntingdon, Jefferson, Lawrence, Venango, and Wayne.

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

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New Mexico Declared Federal Disaster Area

Posted by feww on October 2, 2013

Major Disaster declared in NM due to severe storms and flooding

The White House has declared a major disaster exists in the State of New Mexico in the areas affected by during the period of July 23-28, 2013.

The worst of the losses and damages caused by severe storms and flooding occurred in the counties of Bernalillo, Colfax, Luna, Sandoval, and Socorro and the Cochiti, Kewa (Santa Domingo), San Felipe, and Sandia Pueblos.

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.

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Major Disaster Declared for Santa Clara Pueblo

Posted by feww on September 28, 2013

Santa Clara Pueblo Declared a Federal Disaster Area

Santa Clara Pueblo (Indian Reservation) has been declared a Federal Disaster Area due to losses and damages caused by severe storms and flooding during the period of July 19-21, 2013

Major Disaster Declaration was declared by the Disaster President on September 27, 2013.

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