Severe Flooding Plagues Parts of Houston

Torrential Rains Down Power Lines, Flood Houston Streets

Extreme rains and thunderstorms hit Harris County, Texas, Saturday night, prompting officials to warn people to stay off the roads.

• A weather system moved across southeast Texas over the weekend dumping up to 6 inches of rain over much of Harris County in three hours.

• Local media reported golf ball-sized hail in parts of the Houston metro area.

• “County officials said at least three bayous and creeks are close to capacity, potentially causing flooding in surrounding streets and low-lying areas. South Mayde Creek at Greenhouse near Katy and Brays Bayou near Lawndale and Gessner were both at capacity. Keegans Bayou near Sugar Land was also rising,” said a report.

• Storm cut power to at least 50,000 customers in the area, CenterPoint Energy reported.

“Showers, thunderstorms and flash flooding risks will continue Saturday night from the Tennessee Valley into South Texas. Some storms may become severe during the early overnight hours but the severe risk should diminish throughout the night.” NWS reported.

“Showers and thunderstorms will continue Saturday night. Some storms will still have the potential to become severe with tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail all possible. The severe threat will diminish throughout the night. Flash flooding will also be a concern with stronger storms.”

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Explosion at Marathon Detroit Refinery

An explosion at Marathon Detroit Refinery prompted the authorities to partially evacuate the nearby city of Melvindale due to air quality concerns.

Explosion in a storage fuel tank at Marathon Detroit Refinery spewed a large plume of black smoke.

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Thousands fighting SW China forest fire

Thousands of fire crews have been deployed to contain a forest fire that has  raged for a sixth day in southwest China’s Yunnan Province.

• The blaze broke out on Tuesday and has since consumed hundreds of hectares of forests in Lufeng County, Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, Xinhua reported.
  

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Bangladesh: Dhaka building collapse update

• Confirmed Fatalities: 367
• Still Missing: As many as 600
• Rescued: 2,343
• Injured: More than 1,000, many received serious injuries

U.S. Wildfires

• Warm days mean early wildfire season in Oregon
• Wildfires reported across Maine 
• Strong winds give new life to wildfire near Livingston, Montana

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DISASTER CALENDAR – April 28, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,049 Days Left 

Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,049 Days Left to ‘Worst Day’ in the brief Human  History
• The countdown began on May 15, 2011 …

GLOBAL WARNINGS

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID PLANETARY DECLINE IN PROGRESS!
• Europe: The First Phase of Collapse Has Started 
• United States: The First Phase of Collapse Has Begun

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

Oil and Gas News

Two killed in a major explosion at Chevron oil refinery in Pembroke Dock, Wales

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a massive explosion and saw large clouds of black smoke billowing from the refinery.

Early reports said that two petrol tankers had collided inside the refinery, killing both drivers. An unspecified number of people are believed to have been injured in the incident.

• Two people killed in Wales oil refinery explosion

Eyewitness photo of Chevron’s oil refinery in Pembroke Dock, Wales. Credit: Jennie Robson. More photos.

Cairn Energy files suit to prevent protesters disrupting exploration drilling offshore Greenland

• Oil firm files lawsuit against Arctic protesters

Possible Oil Spill Following Tanker Collision

Sector San Juan on 31May11 reports CFS PAMPLONA, 475′ container ship drifting 2 miles north of Barceloneta, PR. Vsl carrying 75 metric tonnes of diesel; swells 3-4′, winds from NE, calm seas. Spill trajectory requested.

Related Links

• Disasters Caused by Oil and Gas Drilling, Oil Spills, Leaks, Polluting Land, Water and Air

Oil Refinery Explodes in Washington State

Serial No  1,531. If any posts are blocked in your country, please drop us a line.

A Massive explosion at oil refinery kills at least 5 people

The blast struck the Tesoro Corp. oil refinery in Anacortes, about 110 kilometers  north of Seattle on Puget Sound, early Saturday morning.

A Tesoro Corp. refinery, including a gas flare flame that is part of the plant operations, is shown Friday, April 2, 2010, in Anacortes, Wash. An overnight fire and explosion at the refinery killed at least three people working at the plant. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren). Image may be subject to copyright.

Three male employees died at the scene and two female workers lost their lives later at a Seattle hospital. Two other employees with first degree burns were hospitalized at the Harvard View Medical Center near Seattle, WA.

“It was the largest fatal refinery accident since a 2005 explosion at a BP American refinery in Texas killed 15 people and injured another 170.” AP reported.

The company says the explosion occurred while maintenance work was being carried out and was extinguished in less than 2 hours.

The refinery was recently charged with safety violations and fined by the authorities “amid what federal watchdogs call a troubling trend of serious accidents at refineries.”

The blast reportedly shook homes and woke people as far away as 20 km.

“We could tell this was horrific, this was huge,” said Jan Taylor of La Conner, Wash., who felt the blast rock her motorhome at the RV park across the bay.

Map of Tesoro Corp Installations in the U.S. with the approximate location of Anacortes refinery encircled. Sourec Tesoro website. Image may be subject to copyright.

Anacortes refinery was acquired by Tesoro 12 years ago. It processes crude from Alaska North Slope and produces a total of about 120,000 barrels. “The refinery primarily supplies gasoline, jet fuel and diesel to markets in Washington and Oregon, and manufactures heavy fuel oils, liquefied petroleum gas and asphalt. It receives crude feedstock via pipeline from Canada and by tanker from Alaska and foreign sources.” Company website said.

Related Links:

• U.S. power plant explosion kills 50*
• 2010: Year One of Human-Enhanced Disasters
• Major Blackout Plunges Brazil into Darkness

• IF Nature Had a List of Extreme Dislikes
• Murphy’s law has no time vector!
• ConocoPhillips Alaska Head Killed in Avalanche