The Second Coming of MANUEL

MANUEL Strengthens into a Cat 1 Hurricane

Tropical Storm MANUEL, which has battered southwestern Mexico, has now intensified into a category one hurricane approaching northwestern Mexico and threatening more destruction.

MANUEL and INGRID, the first twin storms to hit Mexico within one day since 1958, have killed at least 80 people across Mexico.

About 60 people are now reported missing after a landslide buried a village in the southwestern Mexico.

“Very powerful” landslide

The Mexican President Nieto said at least 58 people were missing after a massive landslide buried the village of La Pintada in the southwestern Guerrero state.

“It doesn’t look good, based on the photos we have in our possession … [it was a] very powerful landslide.]

MANUEL is expected to dump up to 15 inches of rain in the state of Sinaloa, which could cause deadly flash-floods, according to forecasters.

Meantime… looters ransacked the flooded Mexican beach resort of Acapulco on Wednesday … read more

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Related Links

• Global Disaster Headlines – September 18, 2013 September 18, 2013
• Twin Storms Leave 42 Dead, 1.2 Million Battered September 17, 2013
• MANUEL and INGRID Kill Dozens in Mexico September 16, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008

Twin Storms Leave 42 Dead, 1.2 Million Battered

Tropical storm INGRID weakens having affected 1.2 million people

INGRID weakened to a tropical depression, dissipating over the mountains of Eastern Mexico, said the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Mexican government declared states of emergency in 23 towns in eastern Tamaulipas state after INGRID left the area devastated.

Mexico’s Interior Secretary Miguel Ángel Osorio Chong described the catastrophic floods as a “historic” natural disaster after twin storms pummeled southern Mexico on Monday.

Historic flooding and landslides triggered by twin storms INGRID and MANUEL left at least 42 people dead, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands and stranding at least 40,000 tourists.

Tropical Storm MANUEL made landfall on Sunday near the port of Manzanillo, on Mexico’s Pacific coast, causing devastation in the Pacific resort of Acapulco, where raging floodwaters and massive landslides claimed at least 21 lives.

The storms have affected an estimated 1.2 million people in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, Guerrero, Hidalgo, Michoacan and Oaxaca, the national emergency services said.

“Landslides buried homes and a bus in the eastern state of Veracruz, while thousands were evacuated from flooded areas, some by helicopter, and taken to shelters.”

The twin storms have destroyed or damaged about 30,000 homes throughout the affected regions in southern Mexico, FIRE-EARTH estimates.

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Popocatépetl Volcano Erupts Explosively

‘El Popo’ forecast: Large-scale explosions, high probability of incendiary fragments and ash showers

Mexican authorities have raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl southeast of Mexico City following recent activity. The volcano’s eruption in 2000 forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from the three states that surround the volcano in central Mexico.

Popocatépetl Volcano (“smoking mountain” in Aztec) is North America’s 2nd-highest volcano. The massive stratovolcano stands 5,450m high and lies about 65 kilometers (40 miles)  southeast of  Mexico City (19.023°N, 98.622°W ) in the eastern segment of the Trans-Mexican volcanic belt. Mexico’s Center for Disaster Prevention (CENAPRED) has warned of large scale explosions, with high probability of  incendiary fragments and ash showers. Image source:  CENAPRED, Mexico.

A lava dome is growing in the volcano’s crater, CENAPRED said in a recent bulletin. The massive volcano also has been ejecting incandescent fragments and ash, and spewing steam and volcanic gasses.

The volcano is expected to experience “significant explosions with growing intensity, hurling incandescent rocks significant distances,” with a high probability of ash showers, the center said.  Adding that local residents should expect possible flows of lava and lahar down the volcano’s flanks.

The following is the latest bulletin issued by CENAPRED

Abr 18 07:00 (12:00 Abr 18 GMT)

At 06:35 h (local time), the monitoring system recorded the beginning of an exhalation sequence with tremor, that continues at the moment of this report. The first exhalation of this sequence had an explosive component. It generated the emission of incandescent fragments over the north and northeast flanks at distances of 500-800 m (see image 1) and a dense plume of steam, gases and ash (see image 2). The incandescent fragments fall over the snow and generated a small water and ash flow.

Likely, ash fall will occur over the villages in the eastern and southeastern sectors of the volcano.

During the 12 previous hours the monitoring system registered 6 low intensity exhalations, accompanied by steam, gas and small amount of ash. The most important occurred at 00:46 h y 04:59 h (see image 3), which increased the incandescence over the crater rim.

During the night the cloudy conditions doesn##t allow to observe the volcano. During the early morning the volcano could be seen with a continuous emission of steam and gas, that increased the amounts of ash and the density since 06:36 h.

The traffic light alert signal remains in Yellow Phase 3. This level implies:

1. Announcing the situation and measures taken to the public and the media. 2. Prepare personnel, equipment and evacuation shelters. 3. Implement specific measures in the most vulnerable. 4. Implement preventive measures against ash fall, lahars and against fragments in vulnerable regions. 5. Alert air navigation systems. 6. Limit access to the volcano over a larger area.

See also:

• Etna Erupts Explosively Posted on April 14, 2012

Related Links

• FEWW Volcano Links
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• FEWW Earthquake Links

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• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
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