Major Disaster Declarations: Georgia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands

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Major Disaster Declarations Prompted by Hurricanes IRMA and MARIA

Major Disaster Declaration: U.S. Virgin Islands Hurricane Maria (DR-4340)
Incident Period: September 16, 2017
Designated Areas: Island-wide
https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4340

Major Disaster Declaration: Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria (DR-4339)
Incident Period: September 17, 2017
Designated Areas: Island-wide
https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4339

Major Disaster Declaration: Georgia Hurricane Irma (DR-4338)
Incident Period: September 07, 2017
Designated Areas [PA-A, PA-B] :

Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Baker, Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Ben Hill, Berrien, Bibb, Bleckley, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Calhoun, Camden, Candler, Carroll, Catoosa, Charlton, Chatham, Chattahoochee, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clay, Clayton, Clinch, Cobb, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Coweta, Crawford, Crisp, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Decatur, Dodge, Dooly, Dougherty, Douglas, Early, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Fulton, Gilmer, Glascock, Glynn, Gordon, Grady, Greene, Gwinnett, Habersham, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Hart, Heard, Henry, Houston, Irwin, Jackson, Jasper, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Jones, Lamar, Lanier, Laurens, Lee, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, Lumpkin, Macon, Madison, Marion, McDuffie, McIntosh, Meriwether, Miller, Mitchell, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pierce, Pike, Polk, Pulaski, Putnam, Quitman, Rabun, Randolph, Richmond, Rockdale, Schley, Screven, Seminole, Spalding, Stephens, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Terrell, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Towns, Treutlen, Troup, Turner, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, White, Whitfield, Wilcox, Wilkes, Wilkinson and Worth counties.

https://www.fema.gov/disaster/4338

From Puerto Rico to un infierno

• CJ
• OCT
• TML

Puerto Rico turned into a living hell

[Special report prepared by FIRE-EARTH Affiliates.]

• [Details available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

 

Mass Evacuation Ordered in Puerto Rico Due To “Significant Rupture” in Dam

Guajataca Dam: “Stay away, or be swept away”

More than 70,000 people living downstream from Guajataca Dam northwest of Puerto Rico are under order to evacuate, as the retaining wall threatens to collapse.

A fissure caused by heavy rains from Hurricane MARIA has become a “significant rupture,” the island’s governor told reporters.

Life-threatening flooding would occur, if the dam collapses, warned the National Weather Service (NWS).

“Stay away, or be swept away,” NWS warned.

MARIA Mercilessly Devastates Puerto Rico

Torrential Rains Trigger Severe Flooding Across Puerto Rico 

Hurricane MARIA has completely devastated Puerto Rico, plunging the Caribbean island into complete darkness, as widespread flooding submerge roads and inundate the rickety buildings and decaying infrastructure.

HURRICANE MARIA MOVING AWAY FROM PUERTO RICO BUT TORRENTIAL RAINS CONTINUE – WEATHER CONDITIONS DETERIORATING OVER EASTERN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC AND WILL SOON IN THE TURK AND CAICOS ISLANDS –NHC

Status as of 11:00 PM AST Wed Sep 20
Location: 19.2°N 67.9°W
Moving: NW at 9 mph
Min pressure: 959 mb
Max sustained winds: 110 mph [~ 177 km/h, Cat. 2B hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale]

Models show MARIA could re-intensify into a major hurricane.

.

CENTER OF HURRICANE MARIA PASSING WSW OF SAN JUAN

‘DESIGNER’ HURRICANE MARIA BISECTING PUERTO RICO

POSITION AND INTENSITY UPDATE  9:00 AM AST Wed Sep 20
Max sustained winds: 145 mph [~235 km/h, Cat. 4B hurricane on FEWW New Hurricane Scale]
Location: 18.3°N, 66.3°W
Moving: NW at 13 mph
Min pressure: 927 mb

Interesting Cloud Formations: The Hurricane Maker!

 

Major Disaster Declarations for Hurricane IRMA

Florida Hurricane IRMA (DR-4337)

Affected Areas in Florida

Designated Counties (Individual Assistance): Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Gilchrist, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Union, Volusia

Puerto Rico Hurricane IRMA (DR-4336)

Designated Counties (Individual Assistance):  Canovanas (Municipio), Culebra (Municipio), Loiza (Municipio), Vieques (Municipio)

U.S. Virgin Islands Hurricane Irma (DR-4335)

Designated Counties (Individual Assistance):  St. John (Island) (County-equivalent), St. Thomas (Island) (County-equivalent)

States of Emergency Declared In Canada, Peru, Puerto Rico

State of emergency declared in Peru’s Ucayali community due to mercury contamination

The Ministry of Health has declared a state of emergency in the Santa Rosa de Serjali community in Ucayali due to mercury contamination.

“The community of Santa Rosa de Serjali in Ucayali has been contaminated with high levels of mercury, with symptoms first appearing as early as November of 2014,” said a report.

Mass evacuation, as massive fire continues burning at Bay de Verde

“It’s absolute devastation,” said a worker at the Bay de Verde plant. “I got a phone call this morning at 6:30 and when I got out of bed and came downstairs, all I could see was black smoke coming from down in the plant.”

“My first thought was, ‘Oh my god, what’s gonna happen?'”

“Half of the [southern section of the community of about 700] has been evacuated, our emergency plan has been initiated and I have declared a state of emergency,” said the mayor.

State of emergency declared in Attawapiskat over spate of suicide attempts

Of the 2,000 citizens of Attawapiskat on remote James Bay, 101 people have tried to kill themselves, with one person dying, since September. The youngest was 11, the oldest 71, according to the First Nation’s chief, CBC reported.

On Saturday night alone, 11 people attempted to take their own lives, said Chief Bruce Shisheesh.

The Attawapiskat First Nation is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River on James Bay.

State of emergency declared at Puerto Rico government bank

Puerto Rico Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla has declared a state of emergency at the Government Development Bank. He says the move is intended to protect the residents.

The executive order is aimed at  protecting the bank’s dwindling liquidity by only allowing withdrawals needed for the delivery of essential public services.

Crop Disasters Declared in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Puerto Rico

Extreme weather and climatic disasters destroy crops in multiple areas across two states and Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 13 counties in the states of Oklahoma as Arkansas as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by heavy rains, flash flooding and flooding that occurred from Dec. 26, 2015, through Jan. 5, 2016. 

Those counties are:

• Oklahoma. Adair, Cherokee, Haskell, LeFlore, Latimer, McCurtain, Muskogee, Pushmataha and Sequoyah counties.
• Arkansas. Crawford, Polk, Scott and Sebastain counties.

USDA has also designated 27 municipalities in Puerto Rico as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by a recent drought.

Those municipalities are: 

• Puerto Rico. Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Barranquitas, Bayamon, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cayey, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Maunabo, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, San Juan, San Lorenzo, Trujillo Alto, Vieques and Yabucoa municipalities.

All counties and municipalities listed above were designated crop disaster areas on March 23, 2016.

Previous Disaster Designations – 2016:

• Crop Disasters Declared in Florida, Georgia  March 18, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Nine U.S. States March 4, 2016

• Multiple Crop Disasters Hit Eight U.S. States February 29, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in Montana February 25, 2016
• Crop Disasters Declared in the U.S. States of North Carolina and Virginia February 11, 2016

• Crop Disasters Declared in Two U.S. States February 5, 2016
• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in Georgia & the Carolinas January 24, 2016
• Multiple Crop Disasters Declared in Three U.S. States January 9, 2016
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

ZIKV Infection: Local Transmission in United States

ZIKV infection: Increased risk of fetal microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome —CDC

Aedes aegypti, the most common mosquito vector of ZIKV globally, is present in Puerto Rico. Therefore, the virus is expected to continue to spread throughout Puerto Rico, posing risk of infection to 3.5 million residents, including about 43,000 pregnant women per year.

The first locally acquired case of Zika virus disease in Puerto Rico was identified in early December 2015, and 29 additional laboratory-confirmed cases have been detected since, including in one pregnant woman and in a man with Guillain-Barré syndrome.

Zika virus, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, spread to the Region of the Americas (Americas) in mid-2015, and appears to be related to congenital microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome (1,2). On February 1, 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the occurrence of microcephaly cases in association with Zika virus infection to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. On December 31, 2015, Puerto Rico Department of Health (PRDH) reported the first locally acquired (index) case of Zika virus disease in a jurisdiction of the United States in a patient from southeastern Puerto Rico. During November 23, 2015–January 28, 2016, passive and enhanced surveillance for Zika virus disease identified 30 laboratory-confirmed cases. Most (93%) patients resided in eastern Puerto Rico or the San Juan metropolitan area. The most frequently reported signs and symptoms were rash (77%), myalgia (77%), arthralgia (73%), and fever (73%). Three (10%) patients were hospitalized. One case occurred in a patient hospitalized for Guillain-Barré syndrome, and one occurred in a pregnant woman. [CDC]

Clinicians in Puerto Rico are now required to report all cases of microcephaly, Guillain-Barré syndrome, and suspected Zika virus infection to PRDH. “Other adverse reproductive outcomes, including fetal demise associated with Zika virus infection, should be reported to PRDH.”

Index case. The first case of Zika virus disease identified in Puerto Rico occurred in a man aged 80 years with multiple chronic medical conditions, who reported onset of symptoms on November 23, 2015.

Eight days after illness onset, he was evaluated in a hospital emergency department for progressive weakness after several days of watery, nonbloody diarrhea, recent episodes of falling, shoulder pain, chills, malaise, and abdominal pain. He did not report myalgia, headache, or retro-orbital pain. He was febrile, tachycardic, tachypneic, and hypotensive, with bilateral erythematous sclera. Laboratory results revealed leukocytosis with a predominance of neutrophils; hemoconcentration; thrombocytopenia; elevated serum transaminases, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine; hyponatremia; and hypoglycemia. He received a diagnosis of sepsis, was admitted to the intensive care unit for fluid resuscitation and monitoring, and was treated with broad spectrum antibiotics. Diagnostic considerations included leptospirosis and dengue. He experienced respiratory decompensation requiring intubation and 5 days of mechanical ventilation. He was hospitalized for 2 weeks, during which time he underwent an extensive evaluation. Blood and stool cultures were negative, as were serologic tests for human immunodeficiency virus, Leptospira, and Strongyloides. Schistosoma immunoglobulin G titers were elevated, for which praziquantel was administered. On December 2, serum was collected for dengue and chikungunya diagnostic testing, and was positive for anti-dengue virus IgM, negative for anti-chikungunya virus IgM, and negative for detection of dengue virus and chikungunya virus RNA. Because a hospital-based enhanced surveillance protocol was in place for detection of Zika virus, the same serum specimen was tested for Zika virus infection by RT-PCR with a positive result. Confirmatory molecular diagnostic testing was performed at CDC. Detection of anti-dengue virus IgM antibody likely was a result of cross-reactive anti-Zika virus IgM antibody. Although no pathogen other than Zika virus was identified, the patient’s clinical course suggests that he also had an occult bacterial infection. Read more…

Suggested citation: Thomas DL, Sharp TM, Torres J, et al. Local Transmission of Zika Virus — Puerto Rico, November 23, 2015–January 28, 2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65(Early Release):1–6. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6506e2er

Disease Outbreak News – 12 February 2016  – Mirrored from WHO

Sexually transmitted ZIKV infection in Dallas, Texas

On 5 February 2016, the National IHR Focal Point for the United States of America notified PAHO/WHO of a probable case of sexual transmission of Zika virus.

Person A, a resident of Dallas, Texas, travelled to Venezuela for one week between late December and the beginning of January. Several days after returning to the United States, Person A developed symptoms consistent with Zika virus infection, including fever, rash, conjunctivitis, and malaise. One day prior to symptom onset and once during the symptomatic period, Person A had sex with Person B (non-traveller). Approximately one week after the onset of illness in Person A, Person B developed symptoms consistent with Zika virus disease, including fever, pruritic rash, conjunctivitis, small joint arthralgia and malaise.

Laboratory tests confirmed Zika virus infection in both Person A and Person B. Samples collected from Person A at 14 days after symptom onset and from Person B at 4 and 7 days after illness onset had evidence of Zika virus IgM and neutralizing antibodies. Additional tests are being carried out. Local meteorological conditions at the time would not have supported mosquito activity; furthermore, entomological sampling that was conducted in the concerned area yielded no mosquitoes. Read more…

Related Links

• Zika or Not? February 12, 2016

Zika Virus: Coming to a Place Near You…

ZIKV spreading in Brazil, reported in 19 countries as of January 4 —ECDC

At least 19 countries are reporting local transmission of confirmed Zika virus infections (ZIKV) in the nine months to 4 Jan 2016, reported the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).

​Those countries are

​Brazil, Cape Verde, Colombia, El Salvador, Fiji, French Guiana, Guatemala​, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, New Caledonia, Puerto Rico, Panama, Paraguay, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Suriname, Vanuatu and Venezuela.

ZIKV in Brazil
The Ministry of Health (MOH) of Brazil is concerned about a possible association between the Zika virus outbreak and increased numbers of babies born with microcephaly (smaller than expected head size).

Brazil reported its first case of ZIKV in May 2015. The virus has since spread rapidly, causing infections in many Brazilian states and other countries in Latin America. The association of Zika virus infection and microcephaly and is still under investigation, said MOH.

Microcephaly in Brazil
Starting in October 2015, the Brazilian MOH received reports of an increase in the number of babies being born with microcephaly. The number of microcephaly cases are roughly 10 times higher than what the country normally sees in a year.

There are no published reports of increased numbers of microcephaly associated with other similar viral (i.e. flaviviral) diseases transmitted by mosquitoes.

ZIKV in Puerto Rico
On December 31, the Puerto Rico Department of Health reported the first locally acquired case of Zika virus infection in Puerto Rico.  Zika was confirmed in a resident of Puerto Rico with no known travel history.  Health officials in Puerto Rico are monitoring for other cases of Zika virus infection, said CDC.

 Zika: Coming To America Through Mosquitoes, Travel, and Sex —Forbes
“…The latest two [viruses] that hit the U.S., chikungunya and dengue, are painful and bad enough — and dengue can kill people who are infected more than once. Zika adds an added nasty punch of perhaps causing microcephaly, a birth defect where babies are born with abnormally small skulls and brains, and often have developmental abnormalities…” (Stone, 1/4).

On Dec. 10, officials in Panama announced the country’s first case of locally acquired ZIKV , which raised the number of countries in the Americas with reported cases of the infections to at least 10

On Dec. 1, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert concerning the Yellow Fever. Cases had already been reported in Brazil, Chile (on Easter Island), Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Paraguay, Suriname and Venezuela.

In light of the circulation of yellow fever in several areas of the Region, and in the context of the ongoing El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization ( PAHO/WHO) advises Member States to establish and maintain the capacity to detect and confirm cases of yellow f ever and keep health professionals up to date to enable them to identify suspected cases and manage cases properly, especially in areas at risk for yellow fever. In addition, M ember States are advised to maintain high vaccination coverage in at risk populations.

INTRODUCTION [ECDC]

Zika virus disease is a mosquito-borne disease caused by Zika virus (ZIKV) which causes in general a mild febrile illness with maculo-papular rash. Aedes mosquitoes are considered as main vectors. Before 2007, viral circulation and a few outbreaks were documented in tropical Africa and in some areas in Southeast Asia. Since 2007, several islands of the Pacific region have experienced outbreaks. In 2015, ZIKV disease outbreaks were reported in South America for the first time. ZIKV disease is now considered as an emerging infectious disease.

A significant increase of patients with Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) was reported during the 2014 outbreak in French Polynesia. A similar increase along with an unusual increase of congenital microcephaly was observed in some regions in north eastern Brazil in 2015. Causal relationships are currently under investigation.

There is no prophylaxis, treatment or vaccine to protect against ZIKV infection. Therefore, preventive personal measures are recommended to avoid mosquito bites during the daytime. http://ecdc.europa.eu/en/healthtopics/zika_virus_infection/factsheet-health-professionals/Pages/factsheet_health_professionals.aspx#sthash.2cnQku6v.dpuf

THE PATHOGEN

• Zika virus (ZIKV) disease is caused by a virus from the Flavivirus genus, Flaviviridae family, from the Spondweni group.
• It was first isolated in 1947 from a monkey in the Zika forest, Uganda, then in mosquitoes (Aedes africanus) in the same forest in 1948, and in a human in Nigeria in 1952. There are two ZIKV lineages: the African lineage and the Asian lineage which has recently emerged in the Pacific and the Americas. [1,2]

CLINICAL FEATURES AND SEQUELAE

• The incubation period ranges between approximately three to 12 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.
• Most of the infections remain asymptomatic (between 60 to 80%).
• Disease symptoms are usually mild and the disease in usually characterised by a short-lasting self-limiting febrile illness of 4–7 days duration without severe complications, with no associated fatalities and a low hospitalisation rate.
• The main symptoms are macular or papular rash, fever, arthralgia, non-purulent conjunctivitis/conjunctival hyperaemia, myalgia and headache. The maculo-papular rash often starts on the face and then spreads throughout the body. Less frequently, retro-orbital pain and gastro-intestinal signs are present.

Auto-immune, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and microcephaly in foetuses and newborns from mothers possibly exposed to ZIKV in the two first trimesters of the pregnancy were notified during recent Zika disease outbreaks (French Polynesia and Brazil). Further evidence is needed to establish a causal link between these neurological/neurodevelopmental impairments and infections with ZIKV.

EPIDEMIOLOGY

• Serological surveys in Africa and Asia indicate a most likely silent ZIKV circulation with detection of specific antibodies in various animal species (large mammals such as orangutans, zebra, elephants, water buffaloes) and rodents.
• The knowledge of geographical distribution of ZIKV is based on results of serosurveys and viral isolation in mosquitoes and humans, and with reports of travel-associated cases and very few published outbreaks. Before 2007, the areas with reported ZIKV circulation included tropical Africa and Southeast Asia.
• An outbreak was reported on Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) from April to July 2007 [3]. This was the first outbreak of ZIKV identified outside of Africa and Asia. Between 2013 and 2015, several significant outbreaks were notified on islands and archipelagos from the Pacific region including a large outbreak in French Polynesia. In 2015, ZIKV emerged in South America with widespread outbreaks reported in Brazil and Columbia [1,4,5].

TRANSMISSION

• Zika virus is transmitted by mosquitoes. It has been isolated from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and experimental infections show that this species is capable of transmitting ZIKV.
• Other Aedes mosquito species (notably Ae. africanus, Ae. albopictus, Ae. polynesiensis, Ae. unilineatus, Ae. vittatus and Ae. hensilli) are considered as potential vectors of ZIKV. These species bite during the day (especially in mid-morning and between late afternoon and twilight).
• Additional modes of transmission have been identified. Perinatal transmission can occur most probably by trans-placental transmission or during delivery when the mother is infected. Sexual transmission was reported in two case reports.
• There is a potential risk of ZIKV transfusion-derived transmission.
• More information on mosquitoes can be found here: Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti. [1,6-8]

Related Links

• Disasters/ Significant Events – Dec 25, 2015 Posted on December 25, 2015
• Most Dangerous Pathogens  December 12, 2015
• ZIKV – Emerging Virus May Cause Severe Birth Defects  December 4, 2015

Crop Disasters Declared in Puerto Rico

Crop disasters declared for 55 Puerto Rico municipalities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared 55 municipalities in Puerto Rico as  crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by high winds from Tropical Storm Erika that occurred from Aug. 27-28, 2015. Those municipalities are:

Adjuntas, Aguas-Buenas, Aibonito, Arecibo, Arroyo, Barranquitas, Bayamón, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cataño, Cayey, Ceiba, Ciales, Cidra, Coamo, Comerio, Corozal, Culebra, Fajardo, Guayama, Guayanilla, Guaynabo, Gurabo, Guánica, Hatillo, Humacao, Jayuya, Juan, Juana-Diaz, Juncos, Lares, Las-Piedras, Loiza, Luquillo, Maricao, Maunabo, Morovis, Naguabo, Naranjito, Orocovis, Patillas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Río-Grande, Sabana-Grande, Salinas, San, San-Lorenzo, Santa-Isabel, Trujillo-Alto, Utuado, Vieques, Villalba, Yabucoa and Yauco.

All municipalities listed above were designated natural disaster areas on Nov. 12, 2015.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 3,673 counties and county equivalents across 46 States [as well as Puerto Rico, and US Virgin Islands]: Those states are Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

• About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations have been due to drought so far this year.

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 were:

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 as crop disaster areas more than once due to multiple disasters.

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

Related Links

• Crop Disasters Declared in 10 U.S. States November 5, 2015
• More Crops Destroyed by EWE in Nine U.S. States October 29, 2015
• Drought, Deluge Destroy Crops in 12 States October 22, 2015
• Drought, Freeze… Kill Crops in 173 Counties across 7 States October 16, 2015
• Drought Destroys or Damages Crops in Three U.S. States October 8, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared across Multiple Areas October 1, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Drought Destroys Crops in U.S. West, Puerto Rico

Drought destroys crops in 5 states and Puerto Rico

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 80 counties across five states—California, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington—and 8 municipalities in Puerto Rico as crop disaster areas due to damages and losses caused by drought.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #1

• Idaho: Adams, Boise, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Custer, Gem, Idaho, Latah, LemhiLewis, Nez Perce and Valley counties.

• Montana: Lincoln, Missoula and Ravalli counties.

• Oregon: Wallowa County.

• Washington: Asotin, Pend Oreille and Whitman counties.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #2

• Oregon: Benton, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Curry, Deschutes, Douglas, Jackson, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Polk, Tillamook, Washington and Yamhill counties.

• California: Del Norte and Siskiyou counties.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #3

• Washington: Adams, Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Columbia, Cowlitz, Douglas, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Lincoln, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pierce, Skagit, Skamania, Snohomish, Spokane, Stevens, Thurston, Wahkiakum, Whatcom, Whitman and Yakima counties.

• Idaho: Benewah, Latah and Nez Perce counties.

• Oregon: Hood River, Multnomah and Wallowa counties.

Crop Disaster Areas – Designation #4

• Puerto Rico: Aibonito, Arroyo, Cayey, Coamo, Guayama, Patillas, Salinas and Santa Isabel municipalities.
  

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 1,692 counties, or county equivalents, across 26 States: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

USDA has also designated 8 additional municipalities in Puerto Rico as drought disaster areas.

About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations so far 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 were:

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 as 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 August 5, 2015 .

Related Links

• Extreme Weather Events Destroy Crops in 10 States July 30, 2015
• Crop Disasters Declared in Six States July 23, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Florida, Idaho , Montana, Utah, Washington & Puerto Rico  July 16, 2015
• U.S. Drought: Crop Disaster Declared for Idaho Counties July 10, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Six U.S. States July 2, 2015
• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Severe Freezing Destroy Crops in 7 States June 25, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

Significant Earthquakes – August 5, 2015

M 4.5 strikes 90km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico

The quake was one of a swarm of at least 18 earthquakes measuring ≥ 2.5Mw to strike the Puerto Rico Trench in the past 24 hours.

Magnitude: 4.5Mw
Location: 19.521°N, 66.366°W (90km N of Brenas, Puerto Rico), depth=72.0 km
Date – Time:2015-08-05 at 07:29:59 UTC

M 5.7 earthquake strikes near Tonala, Mexico
Location: 16.163°N, 93.621°W; depth=109.9 km
Time: 2015-08-05 09:13:24 UTC

M 3.8 – 64km SW of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska
Location: 60.090°N 153.303°W
Depth: 130.2 km
Time: 2015-08-05 10:06:30 UTC

M4.1 – 68km SSW of Nikolski, Alaska
Location: 52.338°N 169.067°W
Depth: 35.0 k
Time: 2015-08-05 09:30:03 UTC

M 4.6 – 145km WNW of Tobelo, Indonesia
Location: 2.333°N 126.847°E
Depth: 51.0 km
Time: 2015-08-05 00:16:26 UTC

M 3.8 – 64km SW of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska
Location: 60.090°N, 153.303°W
Depth : 30.2 km
Time: 2015-08-05 10:06:30 UTC

M3.9 – 33km N of Anchor Point, Alaska
Location: 60.124°N 151.785°W
Depth: 56.2 km
Time: 2015-08-05 07:38:22UTC

[Source: USGS/EHP]

Drought Destroys Crops in Florida, Idaho , Montana, Utah, Washington & Puerto Rico

Drought Disaster: Crop Disasters Declared for 90 U.S. counties and municipalities

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has designated 76 additional counties across five states—Florida, Idaho, Montana, Utah and Washington—as well as 14 municipalities in Puerto Rico, as crop disaster areas due to losses caused by drought.

The disaster designations are as follows:

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #1

• Florida: Broward, Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Palm Beach counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #2

• Idaho: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Lewis, Latah, Nez Perce and Shoshone counties.
• Montana: Lincoln, Mineral, Missoula and Sanders counties.
• Washington: Pend Oreille, Spokane and Whitman counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #3

• Montana: Beaverhead, Broadwater, Cascade, Chouteau, Deer Lodge, Flathead, Glacier, Granite, Jefferson, Lake, Lewis and Clark, Liberty, Lincoln, Madison, Meagher, Mineral, Missoula, Pondera, Powell, Ravalli, Sanders, Silver Bow, Teton and Toole counties.
• Idaho: Bonner, Clark, Fremont, Lemhi, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho and Shoshone counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #4

• Puerto Rico: Aguas Buenas, Caguas, Canovanas, Carolina, Cayey, Cidra, Gurabo, Juncos, Las Piedras, Patillas, San Juan, San Lorenzo, Trujillo Alto and Yabucoa municipalities.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #5

• Utah: Duchesne, Salt Lake, Summit, Utah and Wasatch counties.

Drought Crop Disaster Designation #6

• Washington:  Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Okanogan, Pend Oreille, Skagit, Spokane, Stevens, Whatcom and Whitman counties.

Crop Disasters 2015

Beginning January 7, 2015 USDA has declared crop disasters in at least 1,451 counties across 22 states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington and Wyoming.

USDA has also designated 14 municipalities in Puerto Rico as drought disaster areas.

About 99 percent of the 2015 crop disaster designations so far 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 were:

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 as 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 July 15, 2015 .

Related Links

• U.S. Drought: Crop Disaster Declared for Idaho Counties July 10, 2015
• Drought Destroys Crops in Six U.S. States July 2, 2015
• Drought and Deluge, Hail and Severe Freezing Destroy Crops in 7 States June 25, 2015
• Drought
• Agricultural Disasters Index

M4.8 Quake Strikes Nevada

Earthquake clusters strike Nevada,  California, Alaska, Oklahoma, Hawaii, Puerto Rico

A 4.8-magnitude earthquake, centered at 37.292°N, 114.655°W struck Nevada at a depth of 4.0 km (2.5 mi), USGS/EHP reported.

The quake, originally reported as a magnitude 5.4 event, was followed by dozens of smaller aftershocks, most of them occurring locally with several reported in neighboring states of California and Utah.

EQ Details
Magnitude: 4.8Mw
Location: 37.292°N, 114.655°W; Depth= 4.0 km
Time: 2015-05-22 @ 18:47:42UTC
Nearby Cities:

• 37km (23mi) SSW of Caliente, Nevada
• 75km (47mi) NW of Mesquite, Nevada
• 97km (60mi) WNW of Saint George, Utah
• 103km (64mi) W of Washington, Utah
• 130km (82mi) NNW of Las Vegas [FIRE-EARTH projection]
• 453km (281mi) SSW of Salt Lake City, Utah

1 Day, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 234 earthquakes – 218 earthquakes in map area – Download Updated: 2015-05-23 at 11:20:44UTC [USGS/EHP]

Heightened Seismicity Continues Across the U.S.

SEISMIC HAZARD
HEIGHTENED GLOBAL SEISMICITY
SCENARIOS 08, 07
.

Quakes Rattle Alaska to New Jersey, Hawaii to Puerto Rico

More than 97 percent of all quakes in the 24 hours to posting have occurred in the United States.

1 Day, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 348 earthquakes – Updated: 2014-07-08 15:44:28UTC.  Showing 338 earthquakes in map area. Source: USGS/EHP

7 Days

About 96 percent of all earthquakes worldwide occurring over the past 7 days have struck the United States (including Puerto Rico).

7 Days, All Magnitudes Worldwide: 2,048 earthquakes – Updated: 2014-07-08 15:53:22 UTC. Showing  1,971 earthquakes in map area. Source: USGS/EHP

Other Significant Seismicity

M6.3 – 13km NNE of Port-Vila, Vanuatu
Event Time: 2014-07-08 12:56:26 UTC
Location: 17.617°S 168.359°E depth=114.0km (70.8mi)

M5.5 – 15km NNE of Shiraoi, Japan
Event Time: 2014-07-08 09:05:23 UTC
Location: 42.681°N 141.411°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)
Nearby Cities: 790km (491mi) N of Tokyo, Japan

M4.8 – 82km WSW of San Antonio, Chile
Event Time: 2014-07-08 13:25:26 UTC
Location: 33.912°S 72.431°W depth=13.1km (8.1mi)
Nearby Cities: 172km (107mi) WSW of Santiago, Chile

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: FIRE-EARTH EQ Forecast

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

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 Related Links

• Earthquakes Strike California, New York, Oklahoma… July 6, 2014
• 95 Percent of All Earthquakes Strike U.S. July 2, 2014
• 90 Percent of All Quakes Strike U.S. June 30, 2014
• U.S. West Shaking Like Jelly  June 30, 2014

Storm Extravaganza

Hurricane Season Could Get Busier Still

L-R:  HURRICANE EARL, Tropical Storm FIONA, T.S. DANIELLE, Invest Area 98L, T.S. LIONROCK, T.S. NAMTHEUN, Typhoon KOMPASU. Click image to enlarge.

Hurricane EARL

HURRICANE EARL – IR (NHC Enhancement) Satellite Image. Source: CIMSS. Click image to enlarge.

Hurricane EARL: Summary of status at 11:10UTC on August 31, 2010 [Estimated by Fire-Earth]

• Location: Near 20.8N 67.1W
• Position: About 205 km (110NM) NNW of San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Max Sustained Winds: 225 km/hr
• Wind Gusts: 270 km/hr
• Movement: WNW (290 degrees) at 20 km/hr
• Max Wave Heights: 4.1m (12 feet)
• Sources: JTWC and others

EARL is at category 4A strength on the  FEWW New Hurricane Scale.

Related Links:

• The Storm Trio
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale

System 94L and Tropical Storm Blas – GOES-13 Image

The War of the Storms May Have Begun

Tropical storm Blas and System 94L via GOES 13

GOES East 1 km Infrared Weather Satellite Image

Tropical storm Blas is seen in the lower LHC, and System 94L in the lower RHC. Source: NASA.

Near Real-Time Image by GOES 13

• Additional channels:   Infrared Water Vapor

Visible Image centered at  16.79° N, 66.17° W (about 180 km south of San Juan, Puerto Rico).

Tropical Storm Celia (04E)

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Celia has just been formed  in the Pacific off the southern coast of Mexico and is expected to become a hurricane with the next 24 hours.

Location: Near 12.4N 98.0W AT 21:00UTC on June 19, 2010

Related Links:

• Tropical Storm Blas Roves in Eastern Pacific

Hefty Omar May Develope into a Hurricane

Update 10-16: Omar is now a cat 2 hurricane!

Omar is moving in a northeastly direction at 28 kmph. [Center located at latitude 16.6 north, longitude 65.2 west or about 137 km south-southwest of St. Croix and 227 km south-southeast of San Juan Puerto Rico.]  Omar is expected to move through the northern Leeward islands and the Virgin Islands  early Thursday, NHC reported.

Omar seems to have the potential to strengthen to a much larger hurricane under current/favorable conditions, according to FEWW model.

TS Omar headed toward Puerto Rico may become a hurricane soon

Tropical Storm Omar is likely to develop into a hurricane in the next few hours, the U.S. National Hurricane Center reported.

The storm headed toward Puerto Rico at about 11 kmph with sustained winds of 110 kmph was located near latitude 14.6 north, longitude 68.3 west or about 540 km south-southwest of San Juan Puerto Rico on October 15 at 01:15UTC.

TS Omar AVN Color Enhanced Satellite Image (still frame) – Oct 15, 2008 at 01:15UTC – SSD/NOAA

Hurricane watch and a tropical storm warning areas:

• Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• British Virgin Islands
• Islands of Anguilla, St. Kitts, Nevis, Saba, St. Eustatius, St. Maarten/Martin, and St. Barthelemy.
• The island of Montserrat.