Virginia Declared Major Disaster Area

Severe storms and straight-line winds caused extensive damage across Virginia

The Disaster President has declared a major disaster exists in the Commonwealth of Virginia following losses and damage caused by severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 1, 2012.

The worst affected areas are the counties of Albemarle, Alleghany, Amelia, Amherst, Appomattox, Arlington, Augusta, Bath, Bedford, Bland, Botetourt, Buckingham, Campbell, Carroll, Charlotte, Clarke, Craig, Culpeper, Cumberland, Dinwiddie, Fauquier, Floyd, Fluvanna, Frederick, Giles, Greene, Halifax, Highland, Louisa, Lunenburg, Madison, Nelson, New Kent, Nottoway, Orange, Page, Pittsylvania, Powhatan, Prince Edward, Pulaski, Rappahannock, Roanoke, Rockbridge, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Tazewell, and Warren and the independent cities of Bedford, Charlottesville, Covington, Danville, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Manassas Park, Martinsville, Radford, Roanoke, Salem, Staunton, and Winchester.

West Virginia Disaster Declaration

On July 23, the Disaster President declared a major disaster exists in the State of West Virginia in the area affected by severe storms and straight-line winds during the period of June 29 to July 1, 2012.

• The areas worst affected by severe storms and straight-line winds are the counties of Barbour, Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Doddridge, Fayette, Gilmer, Grant, Greenbrier, Hardy, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Kanawha, Lewis, Lincoln, Logan, Marshall, Mason, McDowell, Mercer, Mingo, Monroe, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pleasants, Pocahontas, Preston, Putnam, Raleigh, Randolph, Ritchie, Roane, Summers, Tucker, Tyler, Upshur, Wayne, Webster, Wetzel, Wirt, Wood, and Wyoming.

SPC Storm Reports for the Disaster Period.

Other Global Disasters/ Significant Events

• USA.  About 89 percent of the U.S. corn crops were located in drought areas as of July 24, 2012, USDA reported.

Approximate percentage of corn located in drought areas. USDA

• USA. About 73% of the U.S. domestic cattle inventory is within drought stricken areas, as of July 24, 2012, USDA reported.

The U.S. Cattle Map

This graphic depicts the U.S. cattle areas experiencing drought from data accrued through the U. S. Drought Monitor on July 24, 2012. Approximately 73% of the domestic cattle inventory is within a drought stricken area, based on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2007 Census of Agriculture data. Source: USDA

• USA.  Millions of fish are dead or dying in lakes and river across the country due to the extreme conditions caused by drought and soaring heat.
• Kansas. “Governor Sam Brownback objected to federal officials releasing water from three Kansas reservoirs to keep the Missouri River navigable and protect endangered birds. A spokesperson said Brownback preferred to keep the reservoirs as high as possible to conserve water for farmers and communities drawing from them.” Reuters reported.

Related Links

• Deadly storms pummel mid-Atlantic, knock out power to 3 million customers  Posted June 30, 2012
• States of Emergency Declared in 4 States and DC as Storm Death Toll Rises Posted July 1, 2012

• Deadly Heat Wave Affects Third of U.S. Population
• The record-setting heat wave continues to expand

Disaster Declared in W. Virginia Counties

Three W. Va. counties declared federal disaster areas in response to March 15 storms

Lincoln, Logan and Mingo counties have been declared federal disaster areas following widespread damage caused by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began on March 15.

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 24

[March 24, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,453 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• W. Virginia, USA.Three West Virginia counties have been declared federal disaster areas following widespread damage caused by severe storms, flooding, landslides and mudslides that began on March 15.
  • Gov.  Tomblin  announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) had declared  Lincoln, Logan and Mingo counties as federal disaster areas.

Other Global Disasters

• New Brunswick, Canada. A state of emergency has been declared in the New Brunswick community of  Perth-Andover following severe flooding.

 St. John River in Perth-Andover continued rising on Friday. Photo:  Government of New Brunswick via CBC

• The village has issued a mandatory evacuation order to at least 500 residents in low-lying areas near the St. John River, a report said.
• Several other communities along the river path are also threatened by flooding.
• Flooding, caused by warm weather breaking “numerous ice jams in waterways throughout western and northern New Brunswick,” has  washed out several roads and forced a hospital to close.
• The deluge is said to be the worst flooding in quarter of a century.
• “We had a chance to be on the ground to be with the people in the community, it is very devastating. I know that when you talk to local people, everyone measures the seriousness of flooding to 1987 and 1993. And everyone is indicating that it is significantly worse than those two years,” Premier Alward said, calling the flood damage “devastating.”

• Texas, USA. UPDATE: Agricultural losses due to the 2011 drought.
  
  • Total Agricultural losses:   $7.62 billion
    • Livestock: $3.23 billion (up from $2.06 billion)
    • Lost hay production value: $750 million (no change)
    • Cotton: $2.2 billion (up from $1.8 billion)
    • Corn: $736 million (up from $409 million)
    • Wheat: $314 million (up from $243 million)
    • Sorghum: $385 million (up from $63 million)
  • Additional Losses
    • Commercial timber losses: $669 million
    • The loss of economic and environmental benefits provided by urban trees:  $280 million per year (TFS estimate)
      • NOTE: Trees need about 30 years to mature.
    • Sub Total: ~ $4.2 billion[FIRE-EARTH estimate]
    • Losses incurred by related industries: $3.4 billion
    • Residential and commercial property losses:  $1 billion [FIRE-EARTH estimate]
  • Grand Total:  $16.9 billion
• In comparison, drought cost Texas agriculture $13.1 billion in the previous 13 years, an average of about $1 billion per year (peaking at a record annual loss of $4.1 billion in 2006 season.)

See also:

• Texas Drought Toll Continues Climbing Posted on March 18, 2012
• Worsening Texas Drought May Stay Many Years   Posted on September 30, 2011
• Drought-Related Losses Cost Texas $10billion Posted on August 21, 2011

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar: Collapse has already Begun

Disaster Declared in 11 W Virginia Counties after “Unspeakable Devastation”

Severe storms and torrential rains pound southern West Virginia causing “extreme devastation”

Torrential rains have caused creeks to spill over their banks, flooding homes, businesses and roads, said gov Tomblin. “Broken water lines on houses, remnants of roads and high water that continue to prevent safe travel are saddening reminders of the destruction Mother Nature is capable of and the magnitude of the cleanup that remains.”

Disaster Calendar 2012 – March 17

[March 17, 2012]  Mass die-offs resulting from human impact and the planetary response to the anthropogenic assault could occur by early 2016.  SYMBOLIC COUNTDOWN: 1,460 Days Left to the ‘Worst Day’ in Human History

• W. Virginia, USA.  Severe storms and torrential rains have pounded southern West Virginia causing what a senior official called “unspeakable devastation.”
  • The Disaster President has issued a disaster declaration in the following 11 W Virginia counties: Doddridge, Harrison, Lincoln, Logan, Marion, Mingo, Monongalia, Preston, Ritchie, Taylor and Wayne.
  • The declaration covers the recent devastating storms  that occurred Feb. 29-March 5 and now the flooding in several additional counties.
  • Earlier, Gov Tomblin had extended an emergency declaration to cover the 11 counties.
  • Severe flooding, caused by rivers and creeks leaving their banks, have washed out roads and bridges and triggered mudslides and rock falls, trapping dozens of  people in their homes and leaving hundreds of others stranded in Lincoln, Logan and Mingo counties.
  • In Griffithsville, floodwaters stranded parents preventing them from reaching Duval Middle School to pick up their kids.
  • More than 500 homes are reportedly destroyed or damaged in Logan County alone, as of posting.
  • “Those counts are just a rough estimate, and I fear the numbers may increase if we receive more rains and storms like the weather service is predicting,” said Commissioner Baisden.

See also: Tornadoes, Flooding Destroy or Damage 600+ Homes in MI and WV

Other Disasters

• Michigan. The tornado that struck Pinckney in Washtenaw County, MI., has been rated as an EF3 tornado with winds of about 140mph, SPC said.
  • The tornado reportedly damaged or destroyed 123 homes.
  • The  tornado stayed on the ground for about 30 minutes leaving behind a 10-mile path of destruction.
• Tennessee.  The Disaster President has declared Tennessee a disaster area following the tornadoes that swept through East Tennessee in February and March leaving at least 3 people dead.

Global Disasters: Links, Forecasts and Background

• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities
• Back to the Primordial Future
• Mass Die-offs

• 2010 Disasters [Links to 2010 Disaster Calendar]
• Mega Disasters
• 2011 Disaster Calendar
• 2012 Disaster Calendar