Italy Declares State of Emergency in EQ Zone

Aftershocks continue to rattle NE Italy; govt declares a 60-day state of emergency

About 5,000 people spent the night outdoors in parked cars or tent cities erected by the authorities, as the Italian government declared a 60-day state of emergency in NE region of the country covering areas around Bologna, Ferrara and Modena, where hundreds of businesses and thousands of workers have been affected.

• The quake killed at least 7 people and left dozens injured.
• At least 5,000 people were made homeless.
• Many homes as well as hundreds of businesses, small factories, warehouses, medieval churches, towers and castles have been damaged or destroyed.
• Many cows and other farm animals were killed in collapsed stables.
• Damage to the agriculture sector is estimated at more than 300 million euros [$380 million.]

Other Global Disasters, Significant Events

• Melbourne, Australia. Warming in Australia worst in 1,000 years.

• Nevada, USA.A fast-moving wildfire which was threatening up to 200 homes in an area near the Nevada-California border has consumed at least a dozen homes.
  • The fire has consumed about 4,000 acres in Douglas County, reports said.
  • Wildfires in Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico have  consumed at least 120km² so far this year, and forced the residents of several small towns to evacuate.

• Azerbaijan. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake which struck southwestern Azerbaijan areas of  Zaqatala and Gakh on May 7, 2012, has injured scores of people, damaged or destroyed more than 7,000 building and left about  7,000 families homeless,  reports said.

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