FIRE-EARTH Alert: VTNM

CJ Members

FIRE-EARTH Alert: State of Emergency Continues in Vietnam amid Drought and Deluge

• More than 2 million people in Vietnam are experiencing acute water shortages and 18 of 63 provinces have been in a state of emergency since May.

• Meanwhile, several rounds of flooding since last month have destroyed or severely damaged at least 200,000 homes, destroying roads and other public infrastructure across 15 provinces, authorities said.

• Floodwaters have destroyed up to 20,000 hectares of crops, killing about 60,000 cattle and poultry.

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

FIRE-EARTH Alert: Vietnam

CJ Members

• Details of the Alert are available from FIRE-EARTH PULSARS.

Extreme Heat Kills Hundreds of People across South Asia

Record temperatures reported in India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam

Deadly heatwaves have scorched vast swathes of South Asia claiming hundreds of lives, exacerbating the drought and destroying or damaging crops in India, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.

The largest number of heat-related deaths have occurred in India, and weather forecasters have warned the recurring heatwave would persist and intensify into May, traditionally the hottest month in the sub-continent.

Related Links

• Deadly Heatwave Intensifies in India, Odisha Broils at Record 48.5ºC April 25, 2016
• Vietnam Reports Mass Fish Deaths April 22, 2016
• 330 Million People Affected by Severe Drought: Indian Govt April 20, 2016
• Deadly Heatwave Persists in India April 14, 2016
• Drought and Saltwater Intrusion Devastate Crops in Vietnam March 16, 2016

Vietnam Reports Mass Fish Deaths

Millions of dead fish litter miles of Vietnam’s coasts

Massive numbers of dead fish including rare species that live in the deep and other marine species have been founds on beaches of Vietnam’s central provinces of Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, Quang Binh and Hue, said reports.

State news outlet Thanh Nien quoted worried locals saying they dared not eat any of the washed up fish, adding in their report that “all signs (are) pointing to an environmental disaster.”

Central Ha Tinh province is home to a sprawling economic zone which houses numerous industrial plants, including a multi-billion dollar steel plant run by Taiwanese conglomerate Formosa.

In 2015, Vietnam earned USD6.6 billion from seafood exports, said the report.

Read more…

Thousands of Houses Damaged, Crops Destroyed by Large Hail in Vietnam

Hailstones measuring up to 15 cm batter Vietnam province

Some 1,000 houses were damaged and 100 hectares of crops destroyed in Vietnam’s Tuyen Quang province on Sunday in the region’s worst hailstorm in 30 years, said a report.

Huge hailstones fell for eight minutes early Sunday, punching holes roofs and injuring farmers on their way to work.

On Monday, hailstorms damaged about 4,300 houses in the northern highlands and 90 others in the Central Highlands Tuesday, “while a storm destroyed more houses in the south.”

Crops were reportedly destroyed in Ha Lang and Ha Quang Districts.

“In Dong Nai Province near Ho Chi Minh City, a rainstorm, thought to be the biggest ever to hit the province, collapsed or blew off the roofs of more than 230 houses and damaged crops,” said a report.

Drought and Saltwater Intrusion Devastate Crops in Vietnam

Severe drought plagues Vietnam

Severe drought has impacted all provinces in the Mekong Delta, Southern Central and Central highland regions since the end of 2015.

• 39 of Vietnam’s 63 provinces have requested support from central government to cope with the most severe drought in 90 years.
• 10 provinces have declared drought emergencies.

Disasters caused by drought and saltwater intrusion include:

• Paddy Rice damaged: 159,000 ha (393,000 acres)
• An additional 500,000 ha of paddy rice is likely to be damaged by mid 2016
• No. of people lacking water for daily consumption: 976,000
• Provinces in states of emergency: 10
• Total affected provinces: 39 [total of 63 provinces]

Since the end of 2015, water levels in the lower Mekong River have been at their lowest since records began about 100 years ago. It is estimated that levels of water shortage in the rivers of the Mekong Delta range from 30 – 50%.

Salt water intrusion in the Mekong Delta extends 20 – 25km further inland than seasonal averages.

Saltwater intrusion now stretches 90 – 93km inland in the Vam Co River; 45 – 65km in the Tien River and 55 – 60km in the Hau River. Saltwater intrusion began two months earlier than average, causing severe damage to crops and livelihoods.

[Excerpts from an internal report by the UNDRMT for the period Oct 2015 to March 2016.]

Floods Affect Millions in China, Myanmar, Pakistan, Vietnam

Hundreds of thousands of people left homeless

China
Flooring and landslides triggered by extreme rain events have severely affected more than one million people in south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

“Continuous rainfall has flooded 31 counties under 11 cities, with two people missing and 53,100 evacuated as of 4 p.m. Friday, according to the regional civil affairs department,” said a report.

The extreme weather events have damaged about 38,000 hectares of crops and destroyed 2,016 houses, with direct economic losses estimated at 343 million yuan (55 million U.S. dollars), said the report.

Myanmar

Up to 30 people killed by flooding and landslides.
About 120,000 severely affected.
About 525,000 acres of paddy fields have been flooded.
Several towns and villages completely submerged by floodwater.
“In Sagaing and Mandalay regions as well as Kachin and Shan states, the floods destroyed more than 17,000 houses, affecting nearly 100,000 people,” the official China news agency reported.

Pakistan

Floods have killed dozen of people in Pakistan and left about a third of a million severely affected. Hundreds of villages have been completely inundated, with thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.

Afghanistan
“Heavy rains and flood hit Kofab district last night and besides killing six people including women and children also washed away or badly damaged more than 120 houses there,” said a government official..

Vietnam

Floods and landslides triggered by extrme rain events in northern Vietnam have left dozens of people dead, and caused severe damage to property and public infrastructure, especially in Quang Ninh province, about 120 km east of the capital Hanoi, reports said.

 

China Evacuates 3,000+ Nationals from Vietnam

WARS FOR RESOURCES
SCENARIO 04
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More than 3,000 Chinese nationals evacuated from Vietnam

More than 3,000 Chinese nationals have been evacuated from Vietnam as of Saturday afternoon, China’s Foreign Ministry said, Xinhua reported.

The recent anti-China violence in Vietnam has left at least two Chinese nationals dead and more than 100 others injured, including 16 critically.

Violent protests erupted over a Chinese oil rig drilling in disputed waters in the South China Sea.

The protests started after China towed Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig to a location 220 km off the coast of Vietnam earlier this month.

Vietnamese ships attempted to block the installation of the rig, leading to several collisions with the Chinese vessels.

Boats from Vietnam and China exchange water cannon fire in the South China Sea, May 2014. Photo credit: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.

The protesters targeted companies with Chinese characters in their logos.

Hong Kong-listed sports shoe maker Yue Yuen, which manufactures footwear for Adidas, Nike and several other international brands, has suspended production in Vietnam, Reuters reported.

Angry mobs have set fire to at least 15 foreign-owned factories  including Chinese, Taiwanese, South Korean and Japanese businesses  in several Vietnamese industrial parks.

“An iron and steel complex in Ha Tinh Province of Vietnam, invested by Taipei-based Formosa Plastics Group, was badly hit in the violent attacks triggered by disputes in the South China Sea,” said the report.

“China is to send five ships to Vietnam on Sunday to evacuate [additional] Chinese nationals caught in a deadly anti-China violence, the Ministry of Transport said.”

Disputed Waters

Meanwhile, Manila is taking Beijing to an international court accusing China of reclaiming land on a disputed South China Sea reef.

Philippine govt claims the Chinese are building what appears to be a military base on the Johnson Reef in the Spratly Islands.

Spratly Islands (10°N 114°E; total area of less than 5km²) are a disputed group of at least 750 reefs, islands, islets, cays and atolls in the South China Sea.

The islands are claimed by PR China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

Related Links

• Factories Torched in Vietnam Anti-China Violence May 14, 2014

Factories Torched in Vietnam Anti-China Violence

WARS FOR RESOURCES
SCENARIO 04
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Anti-China violence escalates in Vietnam over South China Sea

Two dozen factories have been set on fire in southern Vietnam as anti-China sentiments flare over tensions concerning the disputed islands in South China Sea.

The protests started after China towed Haiyang Shiyou 981 oil rig to a location 220 km off the coast of Vietnam 12 days ago.

Last week, Vietnamese ships attempted to block the installation of the rig, leading to several collisions with the Chinese vessels.

This week, protesters targeted factories owned or operated by the Chinese and Chinese expatriates in the country.

Tens of thousands of workers took part in the protests in which up to two dozen factories were set on fire including those owned by South Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese companies.

The protesters targeted companies with Chinese characters in their logos.

Hong Kong-listed sports shoe maker Yue Yuen, which manufactures footwear for Adidas, Nike and several other international brands, has suspended production in Vietnam, Reuters reported.

Boats from Vietnam and China exchange water cannon fire in the South China Sea, May 2014. Photo credit: AP. Image may be subject to copyright.

Meanwhile, Manila is taking Beijing to an international court accusing China of reclaiming land on a disputed South China Sea reef.

Philippine govt claims the Chinese are building what appears to be a military base on the Johnson Reef in the Spratly Islands.

Spratly Islands (10°N 114°E; total area of less than 5km²) are a disputed group of at least 750 reefs, islands, islets, cays and atolls in the South China Sea.

The islands are claimed by PR China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.

80,000 Left Homeless by Flooding and Landslides in Vietnam

40 Dead or missing, 80,000 displaced due to flooding and landslides in Vietnam

Tropical Depression PODUL dumped up to 800mm of rain in some parts of central Vietnam, leaving hundreds of villages isolated.

Extreme rain events have triggered sever flooding and landslides in five central provinces, leaving at least 28 people dead, nine missing and more than 80,000 homeless since Thursday. At least 100,000 houses have been inundated, according to reports.

Many roads have been damaged, including many parts of the National Highway19, which have been washed away.  At least a dozen bridges have collapsed.  Widespread power outages have been reported in Binh Dinh Province, with the Tay Son District experiencing a total blackout.

Flooding in the region was exacerbated after 15 hydro power plants opened their sluice gates for safety, releasing tens of thousands of cubic meters of water.

Tropical Storm KETSANA forced a hydro power dam in Quang Nam to release 50 million cubic meters of water in September 2009, which intensified flooding that killed at least 163 people and caused more than US$786 million worth of property damage, said a report.

Tropical Storm HAIYAN killed at least 13 people and left 81 others injured when  it made landfall in north Vietnam after killing thousands of people in the Philippine, leaving more than 4 percent of the population homeless and vast areas utterly devastated.

Related Links

• PODUL Forces 25,000 to Flee Their Homes in Vietnam Posted on November 16, 2013
• Tropical Depression ZORAIDA Striking Mindanao, Philippines November 11, 2013

PODUL Forces 25,000 to Flee Their Homes in Vietnam

Flash floods triggered by Tropical Storm PODUL kill 15, inundate thousands of homes in Vietnam

Tropical Depression ZORAIDA, which entered the Philippines on November 11, later intensified to a tropical storm on its way to Vietnam. The system was christened “PODUL” and designated as TS32W on November 14. PODUL made landfall in Vietnam on the same day, dumping record rainfall of of about 700mm in two days over several parts of Quang Ngai province, about 750 km south of capital Hanoi. Other Vietnamese provinces reported rainfalls of 300- 600mm.

The extreme rain event triggered widespread flash flooding, which killed at least 15 people and left one missing in central Vietnam, said Vietnam’s National Committee for Search and Rescue in a statement released on Saturday.

Floodwaters have inundated thousands of homes as well as destroying or damaging dozens of roads and large swathes of crops.

Tropical Storm PODUL MTSAT-1R satellite image – framed at 00:00UTC on November 15, 2013. Source: Digital Typhoons.

PODUL was the 19th storms/ tropical depressions to hit Vietnam so far in 2013, said Vietnam’s National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHF). The 50-year average calculated over the 1964-2013 period is 12 storms per year.

Original caption: People evacuate in the flood water caused by a tropical depression in Binh Dinh province, central Vietnam, Nov. 15, 2013. Typhoon Podul, after moving towards the offshore of Vietnam’s central provinces from Phu Yen to Binh Thuan, weakened into a tropical depression on Friday, killing at least [15] people and inundating thousands of houses. (Image credit: Xinhua/VNA). More images…

Related Links

• Tropical Depression ZORAIDA Striking Mindanao, Philippines November 11, 2013

Typhoon HAIYAN Strikes Northern Vietnam Near China Border

Deadly HAIYAN makes landfall in northern Vietnam as a Cat. 1 storm

The once super typhoon was downgraded to a severe tropical storm as of posting, but was expected to dump up to 400mm of rain on parts of northern Vietnam and southern China.

Vietnam had reportedly evacuated about 900,000 people from coastal areas including 600,000 from the country’s northern region. China has  issued a typhoon alert for Hainan island, Guangdong and Guangxi provinces.

The typhoon had earlier swept over Vietnam’s Con Co island, forcing the residents to evacuated to underground shelter(!)

HAIYAN has already killed about a dozen people in Vietnam.

Severe Tropical Storm HAIYAN. IR/Water Vapor Difference [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] satellite image (recorded at 00:30UTC on November 11, 2013. Original image sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

The once Super Typhoon, HAIYAN has now transformed into a “rain machine,” expected to dump up to 400mm of rain over parts of northern Vietnam and southern China.

This post would be updated throughout the day, if further news becomes available.

Related Links

• Philippine Disaster Zone: “It’s Like the End of the World.” November 10, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN – NOV 10 Update November 10, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN: Casualties Could Top Many Thousands November 9, 2013
• Extraterrestrial Typhoon Force Generating 20-Meter “Tsunami” November 8, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN’S Arm Battering the Philippines November 7, 2013
• “Extraterrestrial” Typhoon HAIYAN – Image Update November 6, 2013
• HAIYAN Intensifying to “Extraterrestrial” Levels November 6, 2013
• Potential Super Typhoon Headed for the Philippines November 4, 2013
• Typhoon KROSA Destroys or Damages 19,000 Homes in Philippines  November 2, 2013

• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery

Super Typhoon HAIYAN – NOV 10 Update

Casualty Figures Moving Closer to FIRE-EARTH Forecasts

Super Typhoon HAIYAN has killed at least 10,000 people in the Tacloban alone,  according to the provincial governor.

Tacloban, officially the City of Tacloban (pop: 230,000), located central Philippines province of Leyte, bore the brunt of HAIYAN. The casualty figure has not yet been confirmed by the central government’s disaster agency.

FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models calculated the impact of Super Typhoon HAIYAN in the Philippines as a magnitude 6.2 catastrophe on the FEWW Disaster Scale, indicating large-scale regional destruction with up to 40,000 casualties, the blog said on Saturday.

Summary of Latest Events

• Potential Super Typhoon Headed for the Philippines November 4, 2013
• HAIYAN Intensifying to “Extraterrestrial” Levels November 6, 2013
• “Extraterrestrial” Typhoon HAIYAN – Image Update November 6, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN’S Arm Battering the Philippines November 7, 2013
• Extraterrestrial Typhoon Force Generating 20-Meter “Tsunami” November 8, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN: Casualties Could Top Many Thousands November 9, 2013

Typhoon HAIYAN was downgraded to a Cat. 4A storm force on the FEWW New Hurricane Scale racing toward Indochina Peninsula, over the warm (29ºC) waters of South China Sea, at a forward speed of about 35 km/hr, as of 04:30UTC on Saturday November 9, 2013.

UPDATES – Sunday November 10, 2013

• According to the latest official figures, about 500,000 people have been displaced and more than 4.5 million people affected as a result of the typhoon attack.

• At least 300 people were killed in Samar province, with 2,000 others reported as missing. Scores of others are injured. “However vast areas of Samar, an island of over 733,000, still have not been contacted over two days after the typhoon struck.” AFP said.

• Authorities in Vietnam have evacuated about 900,000 people in 11 provinces.

• “Tacloban is totally destroyed. Some people are losing their minds from hunger or from losing their families,” a high school teacher told reporters. “People are becoming violent. They are looting business establishments, the malls, just to find food, rice and milk… I am afraid that in one week, people will be killing from hunger.”

• “People are walking like zombies looking for food,” said a medical student in Leyte. “It’s like a movie.”

• A tourist describing the scene of total devastation in Tacloban City said: “It’s like the end of the world.”

• Aerial surveys show “significant damage to coastal areas” with large ships thrown ashore, countless homes destroyed and large swathes of crops “decimated,” said The U.N.’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA).

• President Benigno Aquino is reportedly considering to impose martial law to stem the widespread looting (!)

Typhoon HAIYAN – IR/Water Vapor Difference [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] satellite image (recorded at 02:30UTC on November 10, 2013. Original image sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

UPDATES – Saturday November 9, 2013

• As of 12:00UTC the typhoon-related death toll had climbed to 1,200, but it’s expected to rise sharply.

• Large scale devastation has occurred in the islands of Leyte and Samar, which is consistent with FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models.

• At least 36 provinces, out of a total of 80, have been severely affected.

• FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models estimate the total cost of damage at more than $5billion.

• At least 4.3 million people have been affected including about 350,000 who have lost their homes, according to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

• The Super Typhoon pummeled seven of the country’s 17 regions, causing large-scale power outages across much of the disaster areas.

• There are numerous reports of widespread looting across the disaster zone.

• Dozens of towns throughout the disaster zone have declared states of calamity.

• HAIYAN is currently targeting South China, moving close  to Vietnam shoreline, according to revised projections suggested by several models. This would be a nightmare scenario for Vietnam because the typhoon could dump 4 to 6 times more rain over the country, and affect a much larger land area, than previously forecast, according to FIRE-EARTH Models.

• Chinese authorities have issued a level three emergency response as the recently downgraded Cat 2 typhoon approaches southern China.

FIRE-EARTH Models show storm surges of up to 20 meters high, generated by the Super Typhoon, striking coastal areas in the Bicol Peninsula. SEE

• Extraterrestrial Typhoon Force Generating 20-Meter “Tsunami” November 8, 2013

[NOTE: To those reporters who have difficulty understanding the basic mechanics of tsunamis:  The height of tsunamis are governed by at least two major factors, in this case, (i) the initial height of the storm surge, and (ii) the geographical characteristics of the attack area. This is best described by Diposaptono et al in their paper Impacts of the 2011 East Japan tsunami in the Papua region, Indonesia: field observation data and numerical analyses – Geophysical Journal International, Volume 194, Issue 3, p.1625-1639.

… the impacts of the 2011 East Japan tsunami in Yos Sudarso Bay, Papua, Indonesia. Although the far-field tsunami had a height of 0.8 m measured at a tide gauge inside the small U-shaped bay, it severely damaged four villages scattered along the bay. Detailed numerical analysis was carried out to explain the damages. We used a well-verified source model in the near- and far-field cases to model the propagation of the tsunami southward in the Pacific until reaching Papua Island, Indonesia. The numerical analyses demonstrate two causes of damage in the bay: the maximum tsunami velocity (3.5 m s^-1) floated the houses in the villages of Tobati and Enggros and caused them to collapse, and water trapped by the hook-shaped peninsula amplified the tsunami height at the Holtekamp and Hanurata.

Extent of the Devastation

“From a helicopter, you can see the extent of devastation. From the shore and moving a kilometer inland, there are no structures standing. It was like a tsunami,” said Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas.
“The dead are on the streets, they are in their houses, they are under the debris, they are everywhere,” said Tecson John Lim, a Tacloban city administrator.

“I have never seen such damage in my life,” said Capt John Andrews, deputy director general of the Civil Aviation Authority in the Philippines. I saw “utter destruction.”

“At the airport, there’s actually no structure left standing except the walls,” he told reporters.

Bohol Island Earthquake Disaster Update

Meantime, the following disaster update has been issued for the M7.2 earthquake that struck Bohol Island on October 15 2013.

• Number of people killed:  195  + (12 others missing, presumed dead)
• Injuries: 651
• About 350,000 people have been displaced.

The earthquake triggered massive landslides causing extensive damage to housing, hospitals, schools, infrastructure and utilities, with more than 53,300 houses severely damaged or destroyed.

More details to follow…

This post will be updated throughout Sunday.

Related Links

• Super Typhoon HAIYAN: Casualties Could Top Many Thousands November 9, 2013
• Extraterrestrial Typhoon Force Generating 20-Meter “Tsunami” November 8, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN’S Arm Battering the Philippines November 7, 2013
• “Extraterrestrial” Typhoon HAIYAN – Image Update November 6, 2013
• HAIYAN Intensifying to “Extraterrestrial” Levels November 6, 2013
• Potential Super Typhoon Headed for the Philippines November 4, 2013
• Typhoon KROSA Destroys or Damages 19,000 Homes in Philippines  November 2, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery

Super Typhoon HAIYAN: Casualties Could Top Many Thousands

HAIYAN: A new breed of “intelligent,” “designer” typhoons with built-in “power-preserver mechanism”

FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models show the impact of Super Typhoon HAIYAN in the Philippines as a magnitude 6.2 catastrophe on the FEWW Disaster Scale, indicating large-scale regional destruction with up to 40,000 casualties. 

Few houses standing in Tacloban, Leyte province, Philippines:  Disaster Official

“Almost all houses were destroyed […] Only a few houses are left standing, but with partial damages,” Major Rey Balido, a spokesman for the national disaster agency, told Reuters.

Typhoon HAIYAN was downgraded to a Cat. 4A storm force on the FEWW New Hurricane Scale racing toward Indochina Peninsula, over the warm (29ºC) waters of South China Sea, at a forward speed of about 35 km/hr, as of posting (04:30UTC).

Typhoon HAIYAN -VISIBLE/INFRARED  [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] satellite image  – recorded at 03:30UTC on November 9, 2013. Original image sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

Typhoon HAIYAN – IR/Water Vapor Difference [FIRE-EARTH Enhancement] satellite image (recorded at 03:30UTC on November 9, 2013. Original image sourced from: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

More details to follow…

UPDATES

• As of 12:00UTC the typhoon-related death toll had climbed to 1,200, but it’s expected to rise sharply.

• Large scale devastation has occurred in the islands of Leyte and Samar, which is consistent with FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models.

• At least 36 provinces, out of a total of 80, have been severely affected.

• FIRE-EARTH Disaster Models estimate the total cost of damage at more than $5billion.

• At least 4.3 million people have been affected including about 350,000 who have lost their homes, according to the Philippines National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

• The Super Typhoon pummeled seven of the country’s 17 regions, causing large-scale power outages across much of the disaster areas.

• There are numerous reports of widespread looting across the disaster zone.

• Dozens of towns throughout the disaster zone have declared states of calamity.

• HAIYAN is currently targeting South China, moving close  to Vietnam shoreline, according to revised projections suggested by several models. This would be a nightmare scenario for Vietnam because the typhoon could dump 4 to 6 times more rain over the country, and affect a much larger land area, than previously forecast, according to FIRE-EARTH Models.

This post will be updated throughout Saturday.

Related Links

• Extraterrestrial Typhoon Force Generating 20-Meter “Tsunami” November 8, 2013
• Super Typhoon HAIYAN’S Arm Battering the Philippines November 7, 2013
• “Extraterrestrial” Typhoon HAIYAN – Image Update November 6, 2013
• HAIYAN Intensifying to “Extraterrestrial” Levels November 6, 2013
• Potential Super Typhoon Headed for the Philippines November 4, 2013
• Typhoon KROSA Destroys or Damages 19,000 Homes in Philippines  November 2, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery

Cyclone PHAILIN Carves a Path of Destruction

Coastal Towns Deserted as Deadly PHAILIN Rips into eastern India

Cyclone PHAILIN made landfall as a Cat 4A typhoon with winds of about 220km/h near Gopalpur, Odisha state, at about 15:45UTC, as initially forecast by FIRE-EARTH.

The deadly cyclone had claimed at least a dozen lives, leveling homes, all be it mud huts, uprooting trees and utility posts, and leaving hundreds of towns and villages deserted.

An estimated 600,000 to more than 3 million people were either evacuated, some forcefully because they feared losing belongings, or fled their homes to higher grounds.

More than 12 million people were in the deadly cyclone’s path, which was expected to generate storm surges of at least 3.5 meters.

The small town of Gopalpur, Odisha [formerly Orissa,] has an average elevation of less than 1 meter.

Unsurprisingly, storm surges have pushed water ore than 500 meters inland in Gopalpur and the surrounding low-lying areas, according to local reports.

A BBC reporter, Andrew North, has described the damage as “a scene of apocalyptic devastation” in the city of Brahmapur, near where the cyclone made landfall.

A storm surge of more than 3m high has inundated areas of Ganjam, Khurda, Puri and Jagatsinghpur districts of Orissa and the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh, reported the Times of India.

PHAILIN will dump at least 25cm on Odisha [Orissa] and the northern parts of Andhra Pradesh through Monday, forecasters said.

The massive amounts of rain can lead to widespread flooding throughout the region.

“We will assess after the cyclone eases … even now the cyclone is on,” said Odisha’s chief secretary. “There has been pretty severe devastation in Brahmapur town.”

Typhoons NARI and WIPHA

Meantime, the outer bands of Typhoon NARI crossed central Vietnam, and WIPHA, this year’s 26th typhoon, continued to intensify over northwest Pacific.

(1-3) Typhoons PHAILIN, NARI and WIPHA at 03:00UTC on October 13, 2013. Source MTSAT-2 via Digital-Typhoon. Enhanced by FIRE-EARTH.

more details to follow….

Related Links

• PHAILIN: A Perfect Super Cyclone October 12, 2013
• Millions Flee Monster Cyclone PHAILIN October 11, 2013
• PHAILIN Becomes a Super Cyclonic Storm October 11, 2013
• Massive Cyclone Drifting Towards E India October 10, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale
• Satellite Imagery

WUTIP Hammers Central Vietnam

UPDATED at 06:00UTC

• Typhoon WUTIP has left dozens of people dead or injured in central Vietnam, as of posting.

• The storm has destroyed or damaged up to 100,000 homes, and much of the public infrastructure in central Vietnam. Large scale crop losses have also been reported.

• Powerful winds have destroyed national power lines, causing widespread power losses throughout the region and beyond.

• The worst affected areas are the central provinces of Quang Binh, Ha Tinh, Quang Tri, and Thua Thien Hue.

• As of 1:00 a.m. local time on Tuesday (18:00UTC on Monday), Typhoon WUTIP had moved west to Laos , where it’s expected to weaken to a tropical depression, said a report.

Powerful Winds, Torrential Rains Pounding Central Vietnam as WUTIP Crosses the Country

High winds and heavy rains brought by Typhoon WUTIP are triggering flash floods in central Vietnam,  forcing the authorities to evacuate tens of thousands of people from several  provinces, while more flooding and landslides are expected to hit the region in the coming days.

Search continues for 74 missing in triple boat sinking

Meantime, search continues for 74 people missing after three fishing boats sank in the South China Sea on Sunday due to Typhoon WUTIP, said a report.

“The boats, all from south China’s Guangdong Province with 88 fishermen aboard, were lost on Sunday afternoon near Shanhu Island of the Xisha Islands, about 330 km from China’s island province of Hainan,” the report said.

WUTIP Making Landfall in Central Vietnam

Powerful winds, torrential rains lashing Indochina Peninsula as WUTIP targets Vietnam

Typhoon WUTIP is lashing eastern coast of Indochina Peninsula with high winds and heavy rains as it moves closer to landing in central Vietnam.

Typhoon WUTIP is about to make landfall on the east coast of central Vietnam with sustained winds of about 140 km/hr gusting up to 170 km/hr. The typhoon weakened slightly overnight to the equivalent of a Cat 1 hurricane force.

Typhoon WUTIP (TY 20W)

• Current position: Near 17.2ºN, 107.5E (03:32UTC on Monday, September 30, 2013)
• Movement: 25 km/hr, 280 degrees
• Max Sustained Winds: 140 km/hr
• Max Wind Gusts: 170 km/hr (expected to increase to 245km/hr)

Expected landfall: About 06:00UTC on September 30, 2013

Typhoon WUTIP. Visible/Shortwave IR Satellite Image recorded at 04:32UTC on Monday, September 30, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC.

Typhoon WUTIP – Water Vapor Satellite Image, with the projected path superimposed. Image recorded at 04:32UTC on Monday, September 30, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

74 missing after typhoon sinks boats in South China Sea

Forty seven people are reported missing after Typhoon WUTIP capsized three fishing boats in the South China Sea on Monday, said a report.

Related Links

• Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand September 29, 2013

Typhoon WUTIP Headed for Vietnam, Laos, Thailand

Extreme rains from WUTIP to exacerbate flooding in Indochina Peninsula

Typhoon WUTIP is currently a Cat 2B and expected to intensify to a Cat 3B hurricane force, headed directly toward Vietnam.

Typhoon WUTIP (TY 20W)

• Current position: Near 16.7ºN, 111.5ºE (05:32UTC on Sunday, September 29, 2013)
• Movement: 17 km/hr, 260 degrees
• Max Sustained Winds: 175 km/hr (expected to increase to 195 km/hr)
• Max Wind Gusts: 225 km/hr (expected to increase to 245km/hr)

Typhoon WUTIPVisible/Water Vapor Satellite Image, with the projected path superimposed. Image recorded at 05:32UTC on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Typhoon WUTIP. Visible/Shortwave IR Satellite Image recorded at 04:32UTC on Sunday, September 29, 2013. Source: CIMSS/SSEC/WISC. FIRE-EARTH Enhancement.

Flood Disaster in Thailand

The deputy PM responsible for flood management has assured the public that a scenario like the 2011 devastating floods in which all major dams in Thailand reached full capacity would not happen. Unless, off course, there’s more heavy rain in the north!

“He said the major dams in Thailand are now at half of its capacity and can contain more than 10,000 million cubic meters,” said a report.

He said earlier that the flood situation this year was “not worrying,” and that it’s “under control,” adding that “Bangkok would be 100 percent safe unless there is more heavy rain in the North for a couple of days.”

Related Links

• USAGI Disaster Update: 25 Dead; 7,100 Homes Destroyed September 23, 2013
• USAGI Poses a Severe Threat to Hong Kong: The HK Observatory   September 22, 2013
• Cyclone PABUK Chasing Typhoon USAGI September 21, 2013

• Typhoon USAGI Eying Taiwan September 19, 2013
• USAGI Intensifies to Super Typhoon Force  September 20, 2013
• Global Disasters/ Significant Events – September 21, 2013 September 21, 2013
• FEWW New Hurricane Scale September 3, 2008
• Satellite Imagery

Global Disasters/ Significant Events – September 25, 2013

Toll from Pakistan quake rises

About 1,000 people were killed or injured after a powerful 7.7Mw quake on Tuesday struck Baluchistan region in SW Pakistan, reports said.

“Two hundred and eighty five bodies have so far been recovered in the Awaran district,” the deputy commissioner of Awaran, the worst affected area, told Reuters.

“And 42 bodies were found in the neighboring Kech district,” he added.

Related Links

• Powerful Quake Kills Dozens in Pakistan  September 24, 2013
• Deadly Quake Prompts New Island to Rise Off Pakistan Coastline September 25, 2013

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Typhoon USAGI Kills Dozens in China

Typhoon USAGi has killed at least 29 people since making landfall in Shanwei City, in south China’s Guangdong Province on Sunday, authorities said.

As of Tuesday evening, the typhoon had affected 9.23 million people, forcing more than 530,000 residents in the province to relocate, said a report.

USAGI has ruined 152,000 hectares of crops of and destroyed 15,000 houses, causing direct economic losses of 17.76 billion yuan ($2.9billion), the report said.

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120,000 displaced Filipinos face humanitarian crisis: UN

Two weeks of fighting between government troops and rebels has forced more than 138,000 Filipinos to flee their homes. The clashes have left about 132 people dead, and more than 10,000 home destroyed in Zamboanga and the neighboring Basilan province.

The displaced victims are at risk of disease from unsanitary conditions, said the UN.

• Estimated no of people affected in Zamboanga City and Basilan: 257,131
• Estimated no of people displaced in Zamboanga City: 119,952
• Estimated no of people displaced in Basilan: 18,890
• Source: UNOCHA

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Iraq Body Count for September rapidly reaching 1,000

At least 22 more people were killed in Iraq on Tuesday, raising the September death toll so far to 940 civilians, according to IBC.

As of September 24, at least 5,550 people, both civilians and military personnel, have been killed and more than 13,000 other wounded in Iraq since the beginning of 2013, according to figures procvided by UNAMI and others.

Meantime, “insurgents on Wednesday carried out a coordinated gunfire and car bomb attack on government facilities and security forces in the Hawijah city in Iraq’s oil-rich province of Kirkuk, killing 15 people and wounding 30 others,” said a report.

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The health situation continues to deteriorate across Syria

“Some 60 per cent of public hospitals, 34 per cent of public health centres and 92 per cent of public ambulances have been affected. Around 212 health care staff have been killed, injured or kidnapped. In some locations, including Homs, 50 per cent of doctors have left  the country. In and around Aleppo city, only 36 doctors are practicing comp ared to 5,000 before the crisis. Around 70 per cent of pharmaceutical plants in the country have been impacted,” said UN OCHA.

Current Humanitarian Crisis
Population: 21.4m
No. of people in need: 6.8m
No. of IDPs: 4.25m
No. of Syrian refugees in neighboring countries & North Africa: 2.1m

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State of Emergency declared around Olympic city Sochi due to flooding

Russian authorities declared a state of emergency in Sochi and evacuated a village after flooding and mudslides swamped the city that will host the Winter Olympics, said a report.

“A highway leading to some of the Alpine event venues was flooded by up to 2.5 meters (8.2 ft) of water, which emergency workers said they were trying to drain, the regional branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry said.”

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Monsoon rains enhanced by USAGI kill dozens in Vietnam and Cambodia

Heavy monsoon rains exacerbated by Typhoon USAGI have buffeted  parts of Vietnam and Cambodia, triggering severe flooding and mudslides and killing at least 36 people, authorities said.

The death toll from USAGI exceeds 100, as of posting. Countries  worst-affected by the powerful typhoon were Philippines, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand.

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events – August 13, 2013

Extreme heat kills at least 40 people in south China

A heatwave that has been hovering over a large region encompassing eight provinces and municipalities in central, eastern and southern China has already been the longest lasting since 1961 (presumably when record-keeping began), with the temperatures reaching or exceeding 35ºC for an average of 25.3 day since July 1, said the National Meteorological Center (NMC). 

[Note: the actual number of people killed as a result of the heatwave may be much higher.]

“Authorities have for the first time declared the heat to be a second-level weather emergency, a label normally used for typhoons and floods. The NMC issued a second-level heat alert on Tuesday for the next 20 days.”

Worsening drought an the long-lasting heatwave have “taken a heavy toll on agriculture and made drinking water increasingly difficult to obtain,” said the report.

At least 130 million people in China have been affected by the drought and extreme heat. More than 10 million people, and as many livestock,  are short of drinking water, FIRE-EARTH estimates. See earlier posts on China drought.

Original caption: Withered tea plants are seen at a Longjing tea protection area in Hangzhou City, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, Aug. 12, 2013. More than 40 percent tea plants in the Longjing tea protection areas in Hangzhou died of the continuous scorching weather in recent days. (Xinhua/Long Wei). More images…

Related Links: Drought, Extreme Heat Cripple China, Japan, S. Korea

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Iraq Death Toll

Since August 1, at least 400 people have been killed and more than 2,500 others wounded amid growing violence in Iraq.

• In July, at least 1,057 people were killed and thousands more injured.
• Since the beginning of this year, at least 4,500 people have lost their lives to the violence.

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Vietnam’s coffee crop forecast down in 2013-2014

Vietnam’s coffee production for 2013-2014 is estimated at about 1.2 million tons, a decrease of 15 percent compared to the previous year, said the Vietnam Coffee and Cocoa Association (Vicofa).

The decrease is due to the drought and hail in June, which damaged about 5,000 hectares of coffee plantation and affected other 27,000 hectares, said a report.

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Fishery disaster declared in Apalachicola

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Pritzker has declared a commercial fishery failure for the oyster fishery in Apalachicola Bay, said a report.

“Gov. Rick Scott requested the declaration in September 2012 because the fishery was near collapse. A May 2013 state report sent last week to federal officials blames lack of fresh water flowing from federal reservoirs in Georgia and Alabama.”

“Pritzker declared the commercial fishery failure for the oyster fishery along the west coast of Florida. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the fishery resource disaster resulted from excessive drought conditions in Apalachicola Bay and elsewhere in the Florida panhandle during the 2012-13 winter fishing season.” More…

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Cholera outbreak infects 1,500  in NE Afghanistan

A cholera outbreak in northeast Afghanistan has infected 1,492 people, killing at least one person and leaving more than 100 in critical condition, local officials told reporters.

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events – 9 May 2013

Massive explosion derails Russian cargo train, forces mass evacuation

Dozens of people have been injured after a massive explosion derailed a cargo train in southern Russia sending more than 50 fuel tanks off the tracks and setting off a huge blaze, which forced about 3,000 people to evacuate nearby area.

• “Over 50 rail cars of a 71-car-long cargo train derailed at the Belaya Kalitva station in Russia’s Rostov region at around 2 am local time,” said a report.

• Interfax news agency quoted an official representative of the North Caucasian railway as saying the derailment had caused a propane gas leak, which engulfed the locomotive.

• “According to preliminary information, there was no explosion, instead, the tank caught fire,” the source has said.

Photo from mchs.gov.ru via RT.

Meantime, another blast has ripped through a Moscow bus during the Victory Day, as Russia marks the 68th anniversary of World War II, RT said.

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Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Severe Flooding in Inner Mongolia

Thousands have been forced to flee their homes amid severe flooding in Inner Mongolia. Yimin River overflowed inundating multiple towns and villages downstream.

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Property Damage in northern and central Vietnam

Hailstorm and high winds have caused significant property damage in northern and central Vietnam since May 7, reports said.

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Dhaka building collapse death toll reaches 921

Death toll from the collapse of Rana Plaza, the stricken factory building near the Bangladeshi capital, Dhaka, has climbed to 921, after 55 additional bodies were recovered on Thursday, officials said.

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DISASTER CALENDAR – May 9, 2013 — 
SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,038 Days Left 

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

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,038 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

Flooding and Landslides Leave Hundreds Dead, Missing or Injured

DISASTER CALENDAR SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,283 Days Left

[September 10, 2012] Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016. 

• SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,283 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History…

Symbolic countdown to the ‘worst day’ in human history began on May 15, 2011...

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Global Disasters/ Significant Events

Flooding and landslides triggered by extreme rain events have left hundreds of people dead, missing or injured, tens of thousands of people homeless, thousands of properties destroyed or damaged and  much of the farmland submerged in Ghana, North Korea, Pakistan, Philippines, SW China and Vietnam.

• Vietnam.  Flooding and landslides in Vietnam have left dozens dead or missing. “Floods have submerged over 3,500 houses and more than 22,000 hectares of crops and fruit trees, mainly in the two provinces of Ha Tinh and Nghe An,” said a report.

• United States.  Marathon Detroit refinery has reportedly released unknown chemical into the atmosphere, NRC said.
  • “The material is causing nausea, burning eyes, and difficulty breathing to local residents.”

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

GLOBAL WARNING

• WARNING: Human impact 2.85 x Earth’s diminishing carrying capacity
• WARNING: RAPID DECLINE IN PROGRESS!

Landslide and sinkhole close part of U.S. 64

Images of the day:

Landslide and Sinkhole Destroy Part of U.S. Route 64

A landslide and sinkhole, probably caused by recent heavy rains, close part of U.S. Route 64 the main east-west route along the southern border of Tennessee

The section that was destroyed by the earth movement lies in Wayne County between Savannah and Waynesboro about 140 miles east of Memphis, Tennessee. Photo source: TDOT. Click image to enlarge.

Related Links:

• Taiwan Massive Landslide Buries 6-Lane Freeway
• Landslide Fear Shuts Down Part of 10 Fwy in Pomona
• Mudslide Buries Chemical Factory in China
• Storms, Extreme Rain Events, Floods, Landslides
• Additional photos of the landslide

Other Landslide News:

• More than five families have been asked to leave an area that was recently hit by a landslide.
• Sinkhole opens up on Hunza Valley’s Attabad landslide dam

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Snow, Dust, Rain and Fire

Snow Blanketed Missouri to Canada

Click images to enlarge

True-color image captured by MODIS on NASA’s Aqua satellite on March 4, 2010. Credit: NASA

Middle East Covered by Sand Storms

Dust was still blowing over the Middle East on March 4, 2010,  when NASA’s MODIS captured this true-color image.  A 100-km wide sand plume extends from Saudi Arabia across southeastern Kuwait and into Iran. Credit: NASA

Heavy Rain in Queensland, Australia

A monsoon low-pressure system moved into Queensland, Australia  in late February and early March 2010, inundating a vast expanse of land with some areas reporting heaviest rainfall in 100 years. Color-coded image shows estimated rainfall amounts from February 24 to March 2, 2010. Amounts less than 50 millimeters appear in pale green, more than 450 millimeters  in dark blue. Image used measurements from many satellites and was calibrated with rainfall measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Credit: NASA. Caption edited by FEWW

Widespread Fires, Smoke-filled Skies Across SEA

The skies over Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam were smoke-filled on March 5, 2010, when NASA’s MODIS captured this image. Hundreds of active fires in the region are outlined in red. Small fires are often lit by farmers to burn off stubble and weeds, while larger fires generating thick smoke plumes may be forest-clearing fires. Credit: NASA

China, Vietnam Submereged Under Floods

Earth Observatory Image [acquired June 29, 2009 – July 5, 2009]

Intense Rain Floods China and Vietnam

Floods swept across southern China and northern Vietnam in the wake of several days of extreme rain in early July 2009. This image, based on data collected by the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite, shows rainfall anomalies for the week of June 29 through July 5, 2009. Blue indicates regions where rainfall was much heavier than average, while brown indicates that less rain fell than average. A broad swath of blue covers southern China and northern Vietnam, revealing patterns of heavy rain during the week. NASA image courtesy Jesse Allen based on data provided by the TRMM team. Caption by Holli Riebeek.

Widespread flooding and landslides have killed 75 people, with up to 1.5 million people left homeless in southern China, according to various reports. In Vietnam, up to 50 people may have died from severe weather, and dozens are missing. More intense rain was forecast in the region.

Related Links:

• Drought and Deluge
• Floods, Extreme Rain Events, Rising Sea Levels, Storms