Disaster Declared in 94 Counties across 4 States

Extreme Weather Events Cause Agricultural Disasters in  Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin

Damage and losses caused by the combined effects of blizzards, excessive snow, excessive heat, excessive rain, high winds, hail, freeze, frost, tornadoes, flooding and lightening that occurred between January 1 and May 11, 2012 prompted USDA to declare disaster in 94 counties across 4 states.

List of the 72 Michigan counties declared Primary Disaster Areas

List of 10 Michigan counties declared Contiguous Disaster Areas

The following 12 counties in Indiana, Ohio and Wisconsin have also been designated as disaster areas because they are contiguous.

• Indiana: Elkhart, Lagrange, La Porte, St. Joseph and Steuben counties.
• Ohio: Fulton, Lucas and Williams counties.
• Wisconsin: Florence, Forest, Marinette and Vilas counties.

March Heat, April Freezes

According to a report by the Central Region Climate Response Team, March Heat, April Freezes, March 2012 “was the warmest March on record for 25 states east of the Rockies, and for 15 other states this March ranked among the ten warmest.”

“During the middle of March maximum temperatures were averaging 40 degrees F above normal. Maximum temperatures regularly reached the low and mid 80s
well north into Wisconsin. Many locations broke daily records by more than 20 degrees F.”

However, April 2012 experienced “at least three significant cold air masses” that crept into the Midwest and caused freezing temperatures.

• Iowa. The freeze caused a 50% destruction of the grape crop, about 90% damage to the apple and fruit tree blossoms and caused significant damage to corn and other crops.

• Illinois. The 2012 apple crop in parts of the state was a total loss due to freeze on April 11.
  • “Sweet corn grower in Vermilion County planted sweet corn on March 19. Plants were up a couple of leaves when back‐to‐back freezes hit (26F and 27F), reducing stand by 5,000 plants per acre.
  • “Sleepy Creek Vineyard in Vermilion County reported earliest budding grapevines had 100 percent damage, and others had 80 percent damage.”

• Michigan. “Thousands of acres of this year’s grape crop have been lost across southwest lower Michigan.
  • “A surveyor for National Grape Cooperative, better known as Welch’s Foods, said he went through hundreds of acres before even finding a live bud.  John Jasper estimates more than 10,000 acres were destroyed April 12, mostly in Berrien, Cass and Van Buren counties.
  • “Many apple, peach, cherry and blueberry orchards have also had substantial losses across northern Indiana and southern Lower Michigan.”

• Wisconsin.  “Cherry growers in Door County, WI, anticipate losses of 70% …”

• Kentucky.  Frost damaged apples, peaches, pears, plums, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and grapes to varying degrees across the state.
  • “Wheat harvest began two weeks early in Kentucky due to warm weather, but warm temperatures, and then a brief cold snap, have wreaked havoc on the crop’s yield, which some farmers say has been cut nearly in half. Some farmers are getting 12 bu/acre, compared to a normal of 80 bu/acre,” said the report (PDF file).

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

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

• May 2012:     396.78 ppm
• May 2011:     394.16 ppm
• May 2002:    375.65 ppm
• May 1962:     321.01 ppm
• [1-year increase: 2.62 ppm; 10-year increase: 21.13 ppm; 50-year increase: 75.77 ppm]

Recent Global CO₂

• April 2012:     394.01 ppm (1-year increase: 2.18 ppm)
• April 2011:     391.83 ppm

New Zealand Earthquake

• A Richter magnitude 7.0 quake struck the Cook Strait, west coast of North Island, NZ, about 100km SSW of New Plymouth and 170 km north-west of Wellington (40.00°S, 173.75°E), at a depth of about 230km on Tuesday, July 3 2012 at 10:36UTC.
  • NO tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
  • NO report of casualties, as of posting.
  • The quake shook Wellington and was felt as far away as the Bay of Plenty and Christchurch, reports said.

U.S. Heat Wave

US Weather Hazards Map, July 3, 2012. “The heat wave continues for a large portion of the central and eastern U.S., with high temperatures this afternoon forecast to be 10-15 degrees above normal. Combined with high levels of humidity, this will create dangerous heat index values as high as 100-110 degrees for locations such as Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City and St. Louis,” said NWS.

The core of the record heat in the central United States is forecast to move gradually to the east this week, however heat alerts and heat indices to 105 degrees will continue. “Much of the eastern half of the country will continue to bake under clear skies, high temperatures and a lack of significant rain,” said NOAA forecasters.

Continued relentless heat through most of the week from the Plains to the Atlantic Coast will dominate the weather events.

Current Warnings Prompted by Unrelenting Heat

Red Flag Warnings, Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories issued in parts of 26 states from Wyoming to North Carolina.

Heat Advisories

Heat Advisories are in effect until this evening for parts of the Northern Plains, Ohio Valley and the Southeast:

• North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Ohio, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida.

Record Daily High Temperatures Nationwide – June 2012

All Time Record High Temperatures Nationwide – June 2012

Mid-Atlantic Derecho

• Death toll has climbed to 22 after the weekend derecho that ravaged the Mid-Atlantic region, with at least 2 million utility customers, or an estimated 7 million people, experiencing power outages amid the continued heat.

Drought Emergency

• Nebraska.  Gov. Heineman has declared a state emergency due to the drought conditions throughout the state of Nebraska.
  • “This declaration is important for continued efforts of state officials to ensure the safety of Nebraskans,” Heineman said. “This action is necessary as dry conditions are presenting an imminent threat to the ability of local governments to respond to drought conditions. Additionally, actions such as haying along the roadsides in Nebraska help with drought conditions.”
  • Nebraska has broken or tied scores of record high temperatures in recent days.
  • Extreme temperatures will continue over central and western Nebraska through at least Friday due to high pressure lingering over the Central Plains, NWS reported.
  • “As excessive heat and dry conditions continue, fire danger is high again today. In addition, isolated thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening in north central Nebraska and in the Panhandle. The very dry conditions will continue to make the use of fireworks and even power equipment hazardous.”

Map of U.S. Precipitation (7-day total)

Map of U.S. Precipitation as Percent of Normal (7-day total)

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

State of Disaster Declared for Colorado’s Deadly Fire

High Park Fire declared a disaster

Gov Hickenlooper has signed an executive order declaring High Park Fire in Larimer County a disaster area. “The High Park Fire’s proximity to numerous homes, property, and critical infrastructure poses an imminent danger to life and property,” the Executive Order said.

The large fire, which has already consumed about 45,000 acres and more than 120 structures, is about 15 miles west of Fort Collins. The blaze is about 5% contained and continues to grow.

Inciweb said:

The western flank of the fire is active and continues to be an area of concern, particularly as it moves into an area that contains 70 percent beetle killed trees. In addition, the northwest portion of the fire is actively burning …

New evacuation order is in place for Pingree Park Road, Hourglass and Comanche reservoirs, east on Buckhorn Road up to and including Pennock Pass, NE to junction with Stove Prairie and Hwy 14; West to junction with Highway 15 and Pingree Park Road.

General evacuation area runs west of Horsetooth Reservoir, north of Masonville, east of Pennock Pass and south of Hwy 14. Additional evacuation area includes area north of Hwy 14 from Hewlitt Gulch to 287 and north to Eagles Nest. For more specific orders see below.

Evacuation orders remain in place for the following areas:

-Pre-evacuation alerts have been sent to Glacier View residents but no evacuation orders have been issued.

-North of County Road 38E, from Horsetooth Reservoir to Redstone Canyon to Lory State park.

-Bonner Peaks subdivision.

-County Road 44H (Buckhorn Road) from County Road 27 to Pennock Pass and residents to the south approximately 3/4-1 mile.

-CR27E to Bellvue.

-Areas south and west of Bellvue to include the Lory State Park area, the Redstone Canyon area and Buckhorn Road up to the Stove Prairie School.

-Poudre Canyon from MM111 to MM118 on Highway 14. This means Poudre Canyon from Stove Prairie to MM118 is under mandatory evacuations. RESIDENTS OF POUDRE CANYON WHO HAVE NOT YET LEFT ARE ASKED TO LEAVE NOW.

-The area between CR27E and Stove Prairie Road and south through the entire Rist Canyon area including Davis Ranch Road, Whale Rock Road.

-South on CR44H 3 miles to just north of Stringtown Gulch Road Paradise Park Road, Moose Horn Lane, Magic Lane and Spencer Mountain Road.

-Old Flowers Road from Stove Prairie Road to the 8000-block of Old Flowers Road.

-Stove Prairie Road north along County Road 27 to Highway 14, east along Highway 14 to approximately mile marker 111, southeast to Rist Canyon Fire Station 1, then back west to to include Wilderness Ridge Way, Rist Creek Road, Spring Valley Road and County Road 41 and all of the roads that run off of it.

-Hewlitt Gulch, King’s Canyon area and Boyd Gulch Road.

Approximately 2,600 notifications (contacts, not residents) have been sent for evacuations on this fire.

At least one person is known to have died in the fire so far. The body of a woman was found in the ashes of her remote cabin near the Roosevelt National Forest.  Her death is reportedly the state’s fourth wildfire fatality in 2012.

Other Wildfires

• New Mexico.  Gov. Martinez has declared a State of Emergency for Lincoln County due to the Little Bear Fire, the Governor’s Office said.
  • As of June 12, 2012 – 3 pm, the blaze located in Smokey Bear Ranger District, Lincoln National Forest, which includes White Mountain Wilderness, had consumed more than 36,000 acres, with about a third contained.
  • The fierce fire has so far destroyed 234 structures including 224 residential structures and 10 outbuildings, NM fire info reported.
  • Evacuations; “All campgrounds west of Bonito Lake; subdivisions of Villa Madonna, Enchanted Forest, Nogal Canyon (Forest Road 400, campground and summer homes), Angus, Sierra Vista, Sonterra (1, 2 and 3), Copper Canyon, and Loma Grande; Eagle Lakes Campground, Eagle Creek summer homes, Ski Run Road (State Highway 532) at mile marker 3, State Highway 48 to Capitan, and State Highway 37 to Highway 380 and Ski Apache. This list may not be all inclusive.” Inciweb reported.

The Latest Little Bear Fire Map.  The blaze is located in Smokey Bear Ranger District, Lincoln National Forest, including White Mountain Wilderness.

Other Disasters, Significant Events

• Pennsylvania, USA.  The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated three counties in Pennsylvania as a agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by freezing temperatures that occurred March – April 2012. The disaster areas are
  • Primary disaster area: Erie County.
  • Contiguous disaster areas:  Crawford and Warren counties.
• Ohio. Ashtabula County in the state of Ohio was added to declaration list because it’s contiguous.
• New York.  Chautauqua County in New York was also declared a disaster area because it’s contiguous.

• Tennessee.   USDA has designated eight counties in Tennessee as agricultural disaster areas due to damage and losses caused by a freeze that occurred April 7-24, 2012.
  • Primary disaster areas:  Hancock and Hawkins counties.
  • Contiguous disaster areas:  Claiborne, Grainger, Greene, Hamblen, Sullivan and Washington counties.

• Virginia. The following counties in Virginia were also designated as disaster areas because they’re contiguous: Lee and Scott counties.

• Texas, USA.   At least 123 bottlenose dolphins became stranded along the Texas coast since November 2011, of which 119 died, NOAA reported.
  • The deaths are regarded as an “Unusual Mortality Event (UME)”
  • Algae blooms and oil pollution, especially the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, are said to be among possible causes.
  • Previous UMEs in the Gulf have been attributed to:
    • biotoxins (53%)
    • infectious diseases (7%)
    • unknown causes (40%)
  • “15 UMEs have occurred in the Gulf of Mexico (11 of which involved cetaceans; the remaining 4 were specific to manatees only) since 1991, when the marine mammal UME program was established, to the present. There have been 55 formally recognized UMEs in the U.S.” NOAA reported.
  • The 2010-2012 Cetacean Unusual Mortality Event in Northern Gulf of Mexico “involves 745 Cetacean (whales, dolphins and porpoises) strandings in the Northern Gulf of Mexico (5% stranded alive and 95% stranded dead).”

Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus).  Photo: NOAA/NMFS-SWFSC

[NOTE: An unusual mortality event (UME) is defined under the Marine Mammal Protection Act as, “a stranding that is unexpected; involves a significant die-off of any marine mammal population; and demands immediate response.”]

Related Links

• Colorado Blaze Devours 42,000 Acres in 60 Hrs
• Disaster Declared as Little Bear Fire Grows
• Thousands Evacuated as U.S. Wildfires Grow

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