Gila National Forest Wildfire Largest in New Mexico History

Massive NM wildfire consumes 200,000 acres and growing

New Mexico, USA. Gila National Forest wildfire is now the largest in New Mexico history and spreading, having so far consumed about 200,000 acres, or more than 800km² [official estimate is 190,262 acres, as of May 30, 2012 @ 23:06hrs, with only 5 percent contained.]

Latest Progression Map of Whitewater Baldy Complex Wildfire, NM.   Source: Southern Area Incident Management Team

• The fire known as Whitewater-Baldy Complex Fire, sparked by lightning on May 16th, is spreading in all directions through New Mexico’s ponderosa pine-covered hills and brush-covered steep canyons, spurred by winds and dry conditions (humidity is less than 5%; temperature is 73ºF).
• The fire, located 15 Miles East of Glenwood, New Mexico, has destroyed dozens of cabins and outbuildings.
• Some 1,200 fire crews are tackling the blaze.
• Last June, the Los Conchas wildfire burned about 157,000 acres  near Los Alamos National Laboratory, threatening stored nuclear material.
• See also:  State Of Disaster Declared in Michigan Counties Posted on May 26, 2012

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Floods across NSW, Australia has forced authorities to declare disaster in 64 areas.
  • Storms, extreme rain events and record flooding  in across Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) in February and March has forced the government to declare Natural Disasters in 64 areas, with Wakool Shire being the latest addition to the list.
  • Wakool Shire has been included in the list of areas declared Natural Disasters as a result of the floods across NSW earlier this year, the NSW Minister for Police and Emergency Services announced.
  • “Around 400 people across the state were rescued in the recent floods which affected around 70 per cent of NSW – an area equivalent to the size of Spain.”
  • Floods have caused widespread disruptions isolating about 31,000 people and forcing the evacuation of 28,000 others.

• See also:  Back-to-Back Disasters in Australia

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

Disaster declared for more areas in NSW, Australia

Severe rain and flooding in NSW causes significant damage to 15 areas

Torrential rain and severe flooding across parts of Northern and Central NSW have prompted the state government to declare natural disasters in two more council areas—a total of 15 disaster declarations.

Disaster Calendar 2011 – December 15

[December 15, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,553 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• New South Wales, Australia. Weeks of torrential rains triggering severe flooding in parts of northern and central NSW has caused significant damage to 15 local government areas.
• Significant damage has been caused to Lachlan Shire and Parkes Shire Councils following the severe weather, said the Minister for Police and Emergency Services .
• “The region has suffered extensive damage from the rain, hail and strong winds which has brought down trees causing damage to property and infrastructure including roads and fencing,” a report said.
• “Many families and business owners have been affected by the weather that has lashed the area and this Natural Disaster Declaration will help get them back on their feet,” said the Minister.
• Other areas that have been designated as disaster areas are Moree Plains, Inverell and Armidale Gunnedah, Narrabri, Gwydir, Muswellbrook, Liverpool Plains, Tamworth and the Upper Hunter Shire Councils, Uralla, Guyra, Glen Innes Severn Shire Councils, the report said.

Other Global Disasters:

• Texas, USA. Gov. Rick Perry has included eight Big Country counties to a list of 67 state counties  to form an expanded federal disaster declaration, a report said.
• “The original declaration in July covered only 45 [sic.] counties for fires that occurred between April 6 and May 3. The new declaration extended the wildfire window to include fires through Aug. 29 [2011.]”
• The 8 additional areas, which make up a total of 119, are Brown, Coke, Haskell, Howard, Jones, Knox, Nolan and Shackelford counties.
• Texas spent at least $330 million to tackle the wildfires that scorched about 4 million acres and destroyed thousands of homes and other structures across the state.
• Minnesota, USA. Thirty-four counties in Minnesota have been declared Agricultural Disaster Areas due to losses caused by the combined effects of excessive rain, excessive heat, high winds, tornadoes and an early fall frost that occurred during the period of April 1, 2011, through Sept. 15, 2011, USDA reported.
•  The 7 Primary Disaster Areas are Clay, Meeker, Pope, Yellow Medicine, Le Sueur, Norman and Waseca counties.
• The 27  counties declared as contiguous disaster areas are Becker, Kandiyohi, Otter Tail, Stearns, Blue Earth, Lac Qui Parle, Polk, Steele, Chippewa, Lincoln, Redwood, Stevens, Douglas, Lyon, Renville, Swift, Faribault, McLeod, Rice,Wilkin, Freeborn, Mahnomen, Scott, Wright, Grant, Nicollet and Sibley.
• The following counties in the Dakotas are also designated as disaster areas because they’re contiguous.
• North Dakota: Cass, Richland and Traill counties.
• South Dakota:  Deuel County.
• Maine, USA. Thirteen counties in the state of Maine have been declared as Agricultural Disaster Areas due to losses caused by two separate disaster conditions, USDA reoported.
• Event No 1. Primary Natural Disaster Areas: Aroostook, Hancock, Penobscot and Washington counties in Maine were designated primary natural disaster areas as a result of excessive rain, hail, high winds, below normal temperatures, dry weather and excessive heat that occurred from May 3, 2011, through Sept. 20, 2011.
• Contiguous disaster areas: Knox, Piscataquis, Somerset and Waldo counties
• Event No 2. Primary Natural Disaster Areas: Oxford County in Maine was designated a primary natural disaster area as a result of excessive rain, flash flooding, flooding and high winds associated with and following Hurricane Irene that occurred from Aug. 28, 2011, through Sept. 23, 2011.
• Contiguous disaster areas: Androscoggin, Cumberland, Franklin and York counties.

• The following 2 counties in New Hampshire were also designated as natural disaster areas because they’re contiguous: Carroll and Coos counties.

• Thailand. Death toll from Thailand’s epic flooding has reached at least 708, with three people missing, said the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department official.
• Floodwaters are still flowing in 17 provinces in central and southern Thailand, affecting more than 5,7090 villages, China’s official news agency reported.
• England. about 75,000 people with diabetes die in England every year (~15 per cent of all deaths), said a report.
• An estimated 24,000 of the deaths are “avoidable.”
• Some 290,000 people in the UK have Type 1 diabetes and more than 2.6 million are diagnosed with Type 2, however an additional 850,000 are undiagnosed.

Global Disaster Links

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2010 Disasters [Includes Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters: 2011 SIX TIMES MORE DISASTROUS THAN 2010
• 2011 Disaster Calendar

Disaster Zones Declared in NSW and WA, Australia

Severe Flooding in NSW, catastrophic bushfires in WA destroy homes, farms and businesses in Australia

Disaster zones have been declared in two Australian states due to catastrophic bushfires in Western Australia (WA), which began on 23 November, and severe flooding in northwestern New South Wales (NSW).  

Disaster Calendar 2011 – November 29

[November 29, 2011]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,569 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• NSW, Australia. The state government in Australian state of New South Wales has declared 3 shires in the northwest as disaster zones after flooding destroyed farms and businesses.
• Thousands of people and livestock and hundreds of farms remain isolated after days of torrential rains which triggered mega flooding, creating an inland sea.
• The three shires of  Armidale Dumaresq, Inverell and Moree Plains have been declared disaster areas.
• “I saw first-hand how widespread the devastation is,” said the Emergency Services Minister.
• “There are many families and business owners who have been affected by these recent floods.”
• Evacuation orders remain in effect at various locations.
• WA, Australia. The Government of Western Australia (WA) has  declared the Margaret River region a disaster zone following devastating fires that consumed thousands of hectares of bushland and destroyed dozens of homes, sheds and chalets.
• Tungurahua Volcano, Ecuador. Ecuador’s government is urging about 700 people in 4 villages on the slopes of the Tungurahua Volcano in the Andes to evacuate the area after the 5,023-meter volcano began erupting on Monday, sending pyroclastic flows down the volcano flanks.
  

Strombolian eruptions observed during the night of November 28, 2011. Photo by J. Bustillos / IGEPN. Image may be subject to copyright.

Related Links

• Australian Disasters [Index]
• Tungurahua volcano erupts

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities  (EDRO Forecast)
• 2011 Much More Disastrous: FIRE-EARTH Forecast
• Global Disasters in 2011 Could Impact 1/3 to 1/2 of the Human Population  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs  (FIRE-EARTH Forecast)

• 2010 Disaster Calendar 
• 2011 Disaster Calendar