Tag Archive: Tropical Depression Florence (AL06)


Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
06.08.2012 09:45:24 4.4 North America United States California Coalinga VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 09:40:34 4.2 Middle East Iran M?zandar?n Neka’ VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 09:35:24 4.1 Middle-East Iran M?zandar?n Neka’ VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 09:35:43 3.1 Asia Azerbaijan Hac?qabul Mughan VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 08:30:26 2.5 Asia Turkey Van Yuvacik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 08:30:48 4.6 Asia Japan Kagoshima Nishinoomote There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 08:25:26 4.6 Asia Japan Kagoshima Nishinoomote There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 08:31:07 4.9 Asia Japan Kagoshima Nishinoomote There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:55:27 5.0 Asia Japan Kagoshima Nishinoomote VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 08:31:27 2.8 Asia Turkey Van Toyga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:45:27 2.9 North America United States Oklahoma Boley VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 09:36:38 2.8 Caribbean U.S. Virgin Islands Saint Thomas Island Charlotte Amalie VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 07:30:25 2.1 Asia Turkey Manisa Soma VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:20:34 4.5 Asia Afghanistan Badakhshan Ashkasham VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 07:30:46 4.5 Asia Afghanistan Badakhshan Ashkasham VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:10:26 4.9 Pacific Ocean – West New Caledonia Tadine There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 07:31:07 5.1 Pacific Ocean – West New Caledonia Tadine There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:31:27 2.5 Asia Turkey ??rnak Uzungecit VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 09:37:03 2.4 Caribbean Puerto Rico Rincon Stella VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 06:40:34 2.9 North America United States Alaska Ugashik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 07:31:48 2.4 Europe Greece North Aegean Agios Ilias VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:32:10 2.3 Europe Greece North Aegean Agios Dimitrios VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 07:00:33 2.7 North America United States Nebraska Seneca VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 06:25:32 2.1 Europe Italy Abruzzo Fagnano Alto VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 09:36:04 4.4 Asia Japan Kagoshima Naze VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:25:51 2.5 Europe Greece Peloponnese Skala VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:26:11 5.2 Asia Japan Kagoshima Nishinoomote There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 05:40:49 5.3 Asia Japan Kagoshima Nishinoomote VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 05:16:34 4.4 Europe Sweden Skåne Torekov VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 05:20:27 4.4 Europe Sweden Skĺne Torekov VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. EMSC Details
06.08.2012 05:21:02 3.0 Europe Greece North Aegean Agios Ilias VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:26:58 2.5 Asia Turkey Karabük Gozyeri VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:27:18 4.7 Asia Japan Chiba Ohara VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 05:22:31 4.7 Asia Japan Chiba Ohara VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 04:10:26 2.4 North America United States Alaska Petersville VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 06:27:37 2.0 Asia Turkey Erzurum Narman There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:27:54 2.7 Asia Turkey Van Yuvacik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 05:21:23 3.1 Asia Turkey Van Yuvacik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 05:21:44 3.1 Asia Turkey ??rnak Bogazoren VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 02:00:34 2.2 North America United States Alaska Trapper Creek VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 02:00:57 2.7 North America United States Alaska Pope-Vannoy Landing There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 06:28:12 2.5 Asia Turkey ??rnak Uzungecit VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 05:22:06 3.1 Asia Turkey ??rnak Uzungecit VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:28:32 2.7 Asia Turkey Kütahya Pazarlar There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 01:30:31 3.3 North America United States Hawaii Puako There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 06:28:50 2.0 Asia Turkey Van Toyga VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:29:10 2.4 Asia Turkey Mu?la Datca There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 01:05:52 4.8 Pacific Ocean Tonga Vava`u Hihifo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.08.2012 01:15:19 4.8 Pacific Ocean – East Tonga Vava`u Hihifo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.08.2012 06:29:30 2.4 Asia Turkey Kütahya Saphane VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details

**********************************************************************************************************

Volcanic Activity

Steam plume visible at White Island crater

Source: ONE News

  • Steam plume visible at White Island crater  (Source: GeoNet)
    White Island crater, 5 August 2012 – Source: GeoNet

    Steam plume visible at White Island crater  (Source: Supplied by Rebecca Cowley)

    View of White Island from Papamoa Beach – Source: Supplied by Rebecca Cowley

A steam plume has been visible at the White Island crater today.

Earlier this week GNS Science issued a volcanic alert for White Island, which is off the coast of the Bay of Plenty, due to signs of increased activity.

According to GNS, although more volcanic activity has been recorded, “everything seems to be relatively stable”.

Volcanologists have recorded a rapid rise in White Island’s crater lake, a pulse of volcanic tremor and slightly higher gas levels in the plume.

“Although the volcanic tremor increased substantially during Saturday it has returned to levels similar to those during the early part of last week,” GNS said.

The white steam plume can sometimes be seen from areas of the Bay of Plenty coast.

On Thursday, GNS Science duty volcanologist Michael Rosenberg said its crater lake has started to re-fill and gases were now “vigorously streaming through it”.

“Airborne gas measurements show that the discharge of some sulphur gases has increased,” he said.

GNS volcanologists plan to visit White Island early next week to collect water and gas samples and make a ground level survey of the crater floor.

These measurements will help understand what changes are taking place beneath the volcano and whether these might lead to increased surface activity.

Advertisement

GNS advises people to take extra caution, especially if approaching the crater lake and other active thermal features.

***********************************************************************************************************

Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Excessive Heat Warning

PHOENIX AZ

Heat Advisory

FORT WORTH TX

Blame blistering heat waves on global warming, study says

Sue Ogrocki / AP

In this Sept. 30, 2011, file photo, sailboats and a floating dock lie on the dry, cracked dirt in a harbor at Lake Hefner in Oklahoma City as drought continues to be a problem across the state. The relentless type of heat that has blistered the U.S. and other parts of the world in recent years is due to man-made global warming, a new study from a top government scientist says.

By The Associated Press and NBC News staff

The relentless, weather-gone-crazy type of heat that has blistered the United States and other parts of the world in recent years is so rare that it can’t be anything but man-made global warming, says a new statistical analysis from a top government scientist.

The research by a man often called the “godfather of global warming” says that the likelihood of such temperatures occurring from the 1950s through the 1980s was rarer than 1 in 300. Now, the odds are closer to 1 in 10, according to the study by NASA scientist James Hansen. He says that statistically what’s happening is not random or normal, but pure and simple climate change.

“This is not some scientific theory. We are now experiencing scientific fact,” Hansen told The Associated Press in an interview.

Hansen is a scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York and a professor at Columbia University. He has called for government action to curb greenhouse gases for years. While his study was published online Saturday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, it is unlikely to sway opinion among the remaining climate change skeptics.

However, several climate scientists praised the new work.

In a departure from most climate research, Hansen’s study — based on statistics, not the more typical climate modeling — blames these three heat waves purely on global warming:

—Last year’s devastating Texas-Oklahoma drought.

—The 2010 heat waves in Russia and the Middle East, which led to thousands of deaths.

—The 2003 European heat wave blamed for tens of thousands of deaths, especially among the elderly in France.

The analysis was written before the current drought and record-breaking temperatures that have seared much of the United States this year. But Hansen believes this too is another prime example of global warming at its worst.

In an opinion column published Saturday in The Washington Post, Hansen said his predictions in the late 1980s of the dire consequences of steadily increasing temperatures have proven to be worse than he thought.

“Our analysis shows that it is no longer enough to say that global warming will increase the likelihood of extreme weather and to repeat the caveat that no individual weather event can be directly linked to climate change. To the contrary, our analysis shows that, for the extreme hot weather of the recent past, there is virtually no explanation other than climate change.

The deadly European heat wave of 2003, the fiery Russian heat wave of 2010 and catastrophic droughts in Texas and Oklahoma last year can each be attributed to climate change. And once the data are gathered in a few weeks’ time, it’s likely that the same will be true for the extremely hot summer the United States is suffering through right now.

These weather events are not simply an example of what climate change could bring. They are caused by climate change. The odds that natural variability created these extremes are minuscule, vanishingly small. To count on those odds would be like quitting your job and playing the lottery every morning to pay the bills.”

The new research makes the case for the severity of global warming in a different way than most scientific studies and uses simple math instead of relying on complex climate models or an understanding of atmospheric physics. It also doesn’t bother with the usual caveats about individual weather events having numerous causes.

The increase in the chance of extreme heat, drought and heavy downpours in certain regions is so huge that scientists should stop hemming and hawing, Hansen said. “This is happening often enough, over a big enough area that people can see it happening,” he said.

Scientists have generally responded that it’s impossible to say whether single events are caused by global warming, because of the influence of natural weather variability.

Watch the most-viewed videos on NBCNews.com

However, that position has been shifting in recent months, as other studies too have concluded climate change is happening right before our eyes.

Hansen hopes his new study will shift people’s thinking about climate change and goad governments into action. He wrote an op-ed piece that appeared online Friday in the Washington Post.

“There is still time to act and avoid a worsening climate, but we are wasting precious time,” he wrote.

The science in Hansen’s study is excellent “and reframes the question,” said Andrew Weaver, a climate scientist at the University of Victoria in British Columbia who was a member of the Nobel Prize-winning international panel of climate scientists that issued a series of reports on global warming.

“Rather than say, ‘Is this because of climate change?’ That’s the wrong question. What you can say is, ‘How likely is this to have occurred with the absence of global warming?’ It’s so extraordinarily unlikely that it has to be due to global warming,” Weaver said.

For years scientists have run complex computer models using combinations of various factors to see how likely a weather event would happen without global warming and with it. About 25 different aspects of climate change have been formally attributed to man-made greenhouse gases in dozens of formal studies. But these are generally broad and non-specific, such as more heat waves in some regions and heavy rainfall in others.

Another upcoming study by Kevin Trenberth, climate analysis chief at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, links the 2010 Russian heat wave to global warming by looking at the underlying weather that caused the heat wave. He called Hansen’s paper an important one that helps communicate the problem.

But there is bound to be continued disagreement. Previous studies had been unable to link the two, and one by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded that the Russian drought, which also led to devastating wildfires, was not related to global warming.

White House science adviser John Holdren praised the paper’s findings in a statement. But he also said it is true that scientists can’t blame single events on global warming: “This work, which finds that extremely hot summers are over 10 times more common than they used to be, reinforces many other lines of evidence showing that climate change is occurring and that it is harmful.”

Skeptical scientist John Christy of the University of Alabama at Huntsville said Hansen shouldn’t have compared recent years to the 1950s-1980s time period because he said that was a quiet time for extremes.

But Derek Arndt, director of climate monitoring for the federal government’s National Climatic Data Center, said that range is a fair one and often used because it is the “golden era” for good statistics.

Granger Morgan, head of engineering and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, called Hansen’s study “an important next step in what I expect will be a growing set of statistically-based arguments.”

In a landmark 1988 study, Hansen predicted that if greenhouse gas emissions continue, which they have, Washington, D.C., would have about nine days each year of 95 degrees or warmer in the decade of the 2010s. So far this year, with about four more weeks of summer, the city has had 23 days with 95 degrees or hotter temperatures.

Hansen says now he underestimated how bad things would get.

And while he hopes this will spur action including a tax on the burning of fossil fuels, which emit carbon dioxide, a key greenhouse gas, others doubt it.

Science policy expert Roger Pielke Jr. of the University of Colorado said Hansen clearly doesn’t understand social science, thinking a study like his could spur action. Just because people understand a fact that doesn’t mean people will act on it, he said.

In an email, he wrote: “Hansen is pursuing a deeply flawed model of policy change, one that will prove ineffectual and with its most lasting consequence a further politicization of climate science (if that is possible!).”

Tens of thousands evacuated as high winds threaten music Lollapalooza fest

Many of the fans were told to go to one of three underground parking garages designated as ‘emergency evacuation shelters’

Image: Fans evacuate Lollapalooza

Daniel Boczarski  /  Getty Images Contributor

Fans evacuate Lollapalooza music festival after a severe storm warning on Saturday in Chicago.
NBC News and news services

The Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago was suspended and tens of thousands of fans were evacuated to shelters on Saturday as the city braced for dangerous storms with high winds, organizers said.

Organizers stopped at about 3:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. ET), and many of the fans were told to go to one of three underground parking garages designated as “emergency evacuation shelters,” the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Our first priority is always the safety of our fans, staff and artists,” said Shelby Meade, communications director for C3 Presents, the promoter behind Lollapalooza. “We regret having to suspend any show but safety always comes first.”

All told, the festival was closed for about three hours, according to a statement by the organizers.

The National Weather Service office in Romeoville, Illinois, which covers Chicago, recorded wind gusts up to 55 miles per hour on Saturday and had reports of gusts up to 70 mph, some measured, some estimated, said meteorologist Ben Deubelbeiss.

“Heavy rains, wind and lightning are the main threats from these storms,” he said.

The worst of the severe weather powered through Chicago late Saturday afternoon and headed over Lake Michigan and northern Indiana.

The unsettled weather was set to continue in the Midwest and beyond throughout the weekend and into Monday, Weather.com reported. A cold front was set to march across the eastern states on Sunday and Monday, the website said.

This cold weather mingled with a warm, humid air mass will help trigger severe thunderstorms from the eastern Great Lakes and Northeast into the Mid-South, weather.com said.

Downpours were expected ahead of the front and flash flooding was possible, it added.

Festival-goers evacuated
Festival-goers were evacuated from Grant Park in downtown Chicago and directed by police and staffers to three shelter sites along Michigan Avenue in underground garages.

The festival draws nearly 200,000 people to the park each year, and this year is headlined by music acts including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Sabbath and Jack White.

A year ago, seven people died and 40 were injured when a huge temporary stage at the Indiana State Fair came crashing down amid high winds just before the country duo Sugarland was to begin performing.

Poor communication about predictions of stormy weather approaching the area ahead of the Sugarland concert was among the factors cited in the stage collapse by consultant studies commissioned by the state.

This year, organizers thanked city officials and fans for their reaction to the inclement weather.

“We want to thank the tens of thousands of festival goers, staff, and artists who calmly and safely exited from Grant Park today,” Charlie Jones, partner of C3 Presents, which promotes the festival. “We also applaud and thank the City of Chicago for their cooperation and commitment to making Lolla a safe and enjoyable experience for all. Once again Chicago has come through and we’re proud to call the city our partner.”

Lollapalooza, initially organized in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction singer Perry Farrell, began as a traveling music festival with several dates all summer. After a six-year hiatus starting in the late 90s, the popular alternative music festival began holding its annual concerts only in Chicago in 2005.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

MEDFORD OR
BOISE ID
PENDLETON OR
MISSOULA MT
SPOKANE WA

Fire Weather Watch

CHEYENNE WY
NORTH PLATTE NE
MISSOULA MT
BILLINGS MT
GREAT FALLS MT
RIVERTON WY
POCATELLO ID
05.08.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Utah, Layton Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Sunday, 05 August, 2012 at 09:57 (09:57 AM) UTC.

Description
About 30 homes in Layton were evacuated late Saturday after a brush fire broke out in the foothills. The residents in the Layton Ridge subdivision and along Hanney Canyon were ordered to evacuate as a precaution. Dubbed the Ridges Fire, firefighters were worried that if the winds shifted, the flames could threaten several homes in the area. Fire crews were prepared to spend the night defending those homes if necessary. “We have a hillside fire that’s actually involving a lot of federal and stand land property right now,” said Layton fire spokesman Doug Bitton. “We do have some concerns that we have downslope winds that have been projected.” The fire began about 6 p.m. east of Highway 89, burning brush and steep terrain. It had burned about 10 acres as of 11 p.m. How the blaze began, however, was unknown. The steep terrain made it difficult for firefighters to reach the area and fight it from the ground. Air attacks were stopped for the night, which contributed to the concerns. “This will be an overnight fire and will probably extend for many days to search for and seek containment,” Bitton said. Residents and drivers along Highway 89 flooded dispatchers with 911 calls. Smoke could be seen for miles. No homes were initially threatened, but dozens of families came to see where the smoke was coming from. “I drove home, got the wife and kids and came over to take a look. It’s probably tripled in size since I saw it first,” Layton resident Michael Ellgren said of the wildfire. “I see a helicopter going and trying to pour water onto the fire, which is spreading really fast,” said Scarlett Kluge, who also lives in Layton. More than 30 firefighters were battling the fire, which quickly became a danger to a nearby neighborhood. The Red Cross set up an evacuation shelter at Northridge High School, 2430 N. Hill Field Road. Fire officials also sent a Tweet warning commuters along Highway 89 to slow down because of the large amount of smoke in the area.

……………………………………………….

Towns’ residents flee Oklahoma wildfires that have destroyed dozens of homes

Firefighters are struggling to control more than a dozen blazes that have scorched thousands of acres. NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez reports.

By NBC News staff and wire services

Updated at 12:20 a.m ET: At least 121 structures, many of them homes, have been destroyed by wildfires in Oklahoma, officials said Saturday as temperatures topped 100 degrees for a 19th straight day.

New evacuations were under way Saturday as well: Authorities ordered evacuations in the towns of Glencoe, population of around 600, and Mannford, population about 3,000 in Creek County about 20 miles west of Tulsa.

Thousands were on the move as the fire in Creek County spread quickly, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

A Glencoe official said 15 to 20 homes had burned in that area on Saturday, KOCO of Oklahoma City reported.

A grass fire near Luther consumed 56 structures and hot spots there and at two other large fires kept crews busy Saturday. It has burned 2,600 acres by Saturday evening.

Gov. Mary Fallin toured the Luther area on Saturday, calling the devastation “heartbreaking.”

“A lot of people were at work and didn’t realize how quickly the fire was moving,” Fallin told Reuters in a telephone interview. “It’s emotional. For the children, it’s very emotional to lose their possessions.”

Authorities suspect that fire might be arson: The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Department said it received a 911 call from a man who reported seeing another man toss a lighted newspaper from a pickup truck window on Friday afternoon.

Residents returning to their homes Saturday found charred timbers poking from the debris and the burned out shells of refrigerators, washers and dryers.

“It’s all gone. All of our family pictures, everything was there,” said Victoria Landavazo, clutching a young child in her arms.

Tracy Streeper was working in Oklahoma City, about 40 miles southwest, when she learned the fire was approaching. Caught in traffic, it took her a long time to reach home and then, “once we got here, we had maybe 30 minutes.”

A wildfire has consumed over 2,000 acres in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, burning buildings and forcing evacuations. NBCNews.com’s Al Stirrett reports.

She grabbed a few clothes, medicine and her three dogs and left quickly.

Reuters

Remains of a home burnned to the ground are seen in Luther, Okla., on Saturday.

“Your adrenaline is running. You’re pumped up,” Streeper said. “You could just see a wall of flames coming this way. Everything was on fire.”

Casey Strahan said he went outside after power went out in the home he rents about 4:30 p.m. He looked south and saw smoke rising in the distance. He thought it was moving away from him until police ordered him to leave. He rushed through the house, grabbing clothing, photos and a computer as he went. When he returned Saturday, he found the house burned to the ground.

“I just never thought it was really going to get us,” said Strahan, a softball and girls basketball coach at Luther High School.

Fires near Mannford and Noble claimed another 65 structures.

Two new fires broke out on Saturday, and Oklahoma now is fighting 13 across the state, said Forestry Services spokeswoman Michelle  Finch-Walker.

A state-wide burn ban was issued by Fallin on Friday.

Oklahoma has contacted neighboring states for help but, with the exception of Texas, neighbors have had to focus on their own fire threats, Fallin said on Friday.

“There’s fires in Arkansas. There’s fires in Kansas and Texas. Everybody else is on high heat alert,” she said.

Sarah Phipps / AP

A home burns during a large wildfire Friday, Aug. 3, 2012 in Luther, Okla.

Oklahoma joins several states that have been plagued by wildfires this summer, including Colorado, Arkansas and Nebraska. Fires are being fed by a widespread drought. Nearly two-thirds of the contiguous United States was under some level of drought as of July 31.

Low humidity, strong southerly winds and drought conditions enabled the wildfires to spread quickly across treetops, said Michelann Ooten, deputy director of the state’s Office of Emergency Management.

“It’s just a very difficult situation we’re facing that’s all weather related,” Ooten said.

The heat in Oklahoma City, the state capital, has reached historic levels.

On Friday, Oklahoma City tied its all-time record for the highest temperature ever recorded when the thermometer reached 113 Fahrenheit, a mark last recorded in the Dust Bowl days in 1936.

It’s so hot that some volunteer fire departments have made a public plea for Gatorade donations to keep their crews hydrated in the scalding conditions.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

***********************************************************************************************************

Storms, Flooding

 Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Ernesto (AL05) Atlantic Ocean 02.08.2012 06.08.2012 Tropical Depression 270 ° 83 km/h 102 km/h 4.57 m NOAA NHC Details

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Ernesto (AL05)
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000
Start up: 02nd August 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 1,958.78 km
Top category.:
Report by: NHC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
02nd Aug 2012 04:08:45 N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000 30 56 74 Tropical Depression 285 16 1008 MB NHC
03rd Aug 2012 04:49:11 N 13° 24.000, W 58° 18.000 35 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 20 1005 MB NHC
04th Aug 2012 05:16:42 N 13° 54.000, W 65° 36.000 30 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 16 1003 MB NHC
05th Aug 2012 05:35:24 N 15° 24.000, W 72° 42.000 35 93 111 Tropical Storm 285 16 1007 MB NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
06th Aug 2012 05:25:12 N 15° 0.000, W 79° 42.000 24 83 102 Tropical Depression 270 ° 15 1003 MB NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 17° 6.000, W 85° 6.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NHC
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 6.000, W 83° 18.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NHC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 17° 54.000, W 87° 30.000 Hurricane I 120 148 NHC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 19° 0.000, W 91° 24.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 NHC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 0.000, W 95° 12.000 Tropical Depression 93 111 NHC
11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 30.000, W 98° 30.000 Hurricane I 102 120 NHC
Haikui (12W) Pacific Ocean 03.08.2012 06.08.2012 Typhoon I 270 ° 102 km/h 130 km/h 3.66 m JTWC Details

 Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Haikui (12W)
Area: Pacific Ocean
Start up location: N 24° 24.000, E 139° 48.000
Start up: 03rd August 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 879.50 km
Top category.:
Report by: JTWC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
03rd Aug 2012 09:08:44 N 24° 24.000, E 139° 48.000 24 56 74 Tropical Depression 295 20 JTWC
04th Aug 2012 05:17:37 N 24° 54.000, E 134° 12.000 35 65 83 Tropical Storm 275 20 JTWC
05th Aug 2012 05:42:49 N 26° 48.000, E 129° 12.000 17 83 102 Tropical Storm 290 16 JTWC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
06th Aug 2012 05:33:59 N 27° 12.000, E 126° 0.000 7 102 130 Typhoon I 270 ° 12 JTWC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 27° 42.000, E 123° 6.000 Typhoon I 120 148 JTWC
07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 28° 24.000, E 121° 48.000 Typhoon II 130 157 JTWC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 29° 0.000, E 120° 48.000 Typhoon I 102 130 JTWC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 29° 36.000, E 120° 12.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 30° 24.000, E 120° 0.000 Tropical Depression 46 65 JTWC
11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 31° 24.000, E 120° 42.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 JTWC
Florence (AL06) Atlantic Ocean 04.08.2012 06.08.2012 Tropical Depression 270 ° 65 km/h 83 km/h 3.96 m NOAA NHC Details

  Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Florence (AL06)
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 13° 48.000, W 27° 48.000
Start up: 04th August 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 693.88 km
Top category.:
Report by: NOAA NHC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
04th Aug 2012 05:23:26 N 13° 48.000, W 27° 48.000 26 56 74 Tropical Depression 290 20 1009 MB NOAA NHC
05th Aug 2012 05:34:42 N 16° 6.000, W 33° 0.000 24 93 111 Tropical Storm 295 20 1000 MB NOAA NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
06th Aug 2012 05:28:10 N 16° 12.000, W 37° 54.000 20 65 83 Tropical Depression 270 ° 13 1008 MB NOAA NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 17° 18.000, W 46° 24.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 42.000, W 43° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 18° 6.000, W 50° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 19° 54.000, W 57° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 22° 0.000, W 62° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC
11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 25° 0.000, W 67° 30.000 Tropical Depression 46 65 NOAA NHC
13W Pacific Ocean 05.08.2012 06.08.2012 Tropical Depression 240 ° 65 km/h 83 km/h 3.05 m JTWC Details

 Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: 13W
Area: Pacific Ocean
Start up location: N 23° 6.000, E 161° 36.000
Start up: 05th August 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 190.29 km
Top category.:
Report by: JTWC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
05th Aug 2012 05:44:20 N 23° 6.000, E 161° 36.000 13 46 65 Tropical Depression 195 10 JTWC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
06th Aug 2012 05:31:12 N 25° 48.000, E 162° 12.000 9 65 83 Tropical Depression 240 ° 10 JTWC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 30° 0.000, E 160° 18.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 28° 54.000, E 161° 12.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 JTWC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 31° 0.000, E 159° 24.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 32° 42.000, E 157° 18.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 JTWC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 34° 30.000, E 155° 0.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 JTWC
11th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 38° 12.000, E 152° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 JTWC

…………………………………………

06.08.2012 Flash Flood India MultiStates, [States of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir] Damage level Details

Flash Flood in India on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:06 (04:06 AM) UTC.

Description
Hundreds of people residing near Beas river have been evacuated to safe places after flash flood caused by torrential rain over Dhundi peaks at south portal of Rohtang tunnel flooded the Seri rivulet, a tributary to Beas river, on Friday at 8pm. People living close to river between Palchan and Kullu are being evacuated and traffic on national highway has been stopped. Till last report received from Palchan (near Dhundi) at 10.30pm, level of the river was rising continuously and police were evacuating the people from Bahang village, 6km from Manali. According to police, there is no report of any casualty. Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Bahang village, said people are trying to save the household accessories amid chaotic atmosphere and conditions have become even worse after power failure. “Everything was normal till late evening but the situation changed suddenly after 8pm when river water, mixed with sludge, started engulfing its banks. People are risking their lives to remove the household stuffs,” he said. An engineer working with a hydel project near Palchan said over phone that roaring sound of river is shaking the foundation of the houses. “Nobody is going to sleep tonight. Villagers have gathered at many places and are guarding the river banks with floodlights,” he said. According to villagers it is a cloudburst which might have caused devastation at its source on mountains. Kullu deputy commissioner Amitabh Awasthi said , police are patrolling the river banks and have directed people to move to safe places. “We have closed the traffic on national highway. We shall keep an eye on the situation throughout the night,” he said.
Today Flash Flood United Kingdom England and Wales, [Western, Southwestern and Northern region] Damage level Details

Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:11 (03:11 AM) UTC.

Description
Heavy rain over the weekend caused a landslip, and left homes knee-deep in floodwater. Firefighters worked with rescue teams to ensure no one was trapped after serious landslide in Portbury, near Bristol, brought soil, rocks and debris down on to a country lane. In North Somerset, Devon, North Cornwall and North Yorkshire fire brigade teams were called out to pump water from homes and to rescue people from cars trapped on inundated roads. Flash flooding closed the A69 Newcastle to Carlisle Road in Northumberland for a time. Six people were evacuated from properties in Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, roads were closed due to flash flooding and the town centre had to be pumped out. In Wales, the Environment Agency put a flood warning in place on the River Hydfron at Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire, and an alert on rivers on the eastern Cleddau, Pembrokeshire. The Met Office issued amber “be prepared” warnings of slow-moving heavy showers through the day for the East Midlands, North-east England, North-west England, South-west Scotland, Lothian borders, South-west England, Strathclyde, Wales, the West Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber.
05.08.2012 Flash Flood United Kingdom Scotland, [Scotland-England border region] Damage level Details

Flash Flood in United Kingdom on Sunday, 05 August, 2012 at 15:25 (03:25 PM) UTC.

Description
Overnight heavy rain has flooded scores of homes in the Scottish borders and the south-west of England. A flash flood ripped through the Scottish border town of Jedburgh on Saturday night. Around 30 homes had to be evacuated after they were submerged in 3ft of silted water when the river broke its banks. Displaced families are being put up in the local community hall. Flash flooding also hit towns in north Somerset, where the emergency services received around 80 calls for help. Firefighters spent the night pumping out homes in an operation that lasted for more than six hours. Crews also worked with specialist rescue teams at a landslip in Portbury, near Bristol, after the rain and run-off from surrounding fields brought down mud, rocks and trees. Fire brigades said no one had been trapped under the slip. A search and rescue 4×4 vehicle was used to clear debris to make the lane passable, with help from a local farmer and his tractor, and one family was helped to safety. An Avon Fire and Rescue spokesman said: “One family that were trapped in their property by the slides were able to get access to and from the lane. “Very fortunately, after extensive searching the area was declared clear.”David Westrup, 61, who runs the Elm Tree Cottage bed and breakfast in Nailsea, about eight miles from Bristol, said that his neighbours had been hit by the floods. “We’re on a hill above the river, so we’re absolutely fine … but there’s a cottage right on the roadside that was flooded out last night.” “I saw fire engines there that were pumping and there were houses that were in our view that were being pumped out by the fire brigade.” He said the home on the opposite side of the river which flows through Nailsea had been flooded a few times in recent years. “There were sandbags all over their drive and you could see water all over their driveway. But whether it got up to their front door I don’t know.” Westrup said the Environment Agency had shored up the river bank in the area in 2011, but it didn’t seem to make much difference. He added: “I can’t imagine the [extra defences] would have broken because they put extra shuttering which wasn’t there before. In other words, the agency had properly shored it up and raised the level of the bank, but it looks like it [the water] may have come over the top of it again.” Heavy showers have been forecast across much of the UK for the rest of Sunday, but Olympic events in London may escape the worst despite heavy downpours hitting the start of the women’s marathon race .

Flood Warning

MORRISTOWN TN

Flood Advisory

LOUISVILLE KY

************************************************************************************************************

Epidemic  Hazards /  Diseases

05.08.2012 Epidemic Hazard Tanzania Kagera Region, [Nyakahanga area] Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Tanzania on Sunday, 05 August, 2012 at 17:33 (05:33 PM) UTC.

Description
A team of medical experts from Dar es Salaam was yesterday dispatched to Kagera region to further examine the two patients believed to be suffering from the Ebola hemorrhagic fever. But as the team of medical experts was sent to Kagera region, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare subsequently confirmed the outbreak of the deadly fever in the western part of the country. Confirming the reports, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Seif Seleman Rashid, also said that a team of medical experts was still diagnosing a patient in efforts to establish the symptoms. In the meantime, reports from Nyakahanga designated hospital in Karagwe district, Kagera region indicate that there were two patients including a child, suspected to be suffering from the deadly fever that has rocked neighbouring Uganda. According to one of the doctors who diagnosed the patient at Karagwe’s Nyakahanga hospital, preliminary findings show that the victim might have contacted the Ebola virus. However, the doctor who requested anonymity told the Guardian on Sunday that ‘further medical examination’ would be conducted to gather more evidence about the possible outbreak of Ebola, adding that the patient had since been quarantined pending final results. According to the doctor, the ‘Ebola patient’ was brought to the hospital on Friday morning and, upon diagnosis, it was established that the patient had suffered from Ebola. The patient who is a six-year-old child was brought to the Mulongo hospital by his mother from a village close to the Uganda-Tanzania boarder after the child developed severe symptoms.“We are doing further medical examination on a patient … we will tell the general public once it is confirmed that we are dealing with Ebola virus infections,” the doctor said, adding that currently the patient alleged to have been infected was admitted in a separate room and now lives in isolation from other patients at the hospital. He said preliminary check-ups found out that the diagnosis had all signs showed clear symptoms of Ebola – after which he ordered the patient to be admitted for closer monitoring locally, and further medical examination by medical experts from the ministry headquarters. He added that the patient had since been placed in a special intensive care room which is out of bounds for all other people — apart from his mother who is taking care of the patient. However, he said, this was a medical rule aimed at avoiding quick spread of the deadly disease Another patient also believed to have crossed the boarder from Uganda was admitted at the hospital as well, but medical investigations of his deteriorating health conditions were still not completed by Saturday evening. As a precaution, the doctor said his hospital team and the district health workers had since started warning people in surrounding villages to take immediate measures whenever they come across such patients. He has also warned the people living closer to the border with Uganda to be careful not to come into contact with any person whom they see vomiting or bleeding – clear signs of someone suffering from Ebola.

On Wednesday this week, Dr. Mwinyi told visibly alarmed legislators in Dodoma that a team of medical experts had been dispatched to the border with Uganda, fully equipped with protective gear and medical supplies. The minister advised the general public especially those living in the northern regions of Kagera, Mara, Mwanza and Kigoma — some of which share the border crossings with Uganda — to take precautions because the disease was highly contagious. Earlier, the World Health Organization (WHO) had alerted Tanzania on the Ebola threat, prompting the ministry to issue a press statement elaborating that Ebola (Ebola HF) was a severe, often-fatal disease in humans and nonhuman primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) that has appeared sporadically since its initial recognition in 1976. The disease is caused by infection with Ebola virus, named after a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), where it was first recognized. The virus is one of two members of a family of RNA viruses called the Filoviridae; there are five identified subtypes of the Ebola virus — four of which have been known to cause disease in humans: Ebola-Zaire, Ebola-Sudan, Ebola-Ivory Coast and Ebola-Bundibugyo. The fifth, Ebola-Reston, has caused disease in nonhuman primates, but not in humans.

Biohazard name: Ebola (susp.)
Biohazard level: 4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.: Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status: suspected

05.08.2012 Epidemic Hazard Nepal Capital City, Kathmandu Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Nepal on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:51 (04:51 AM) UTC.

Description
At least 10 people admitted to the Sukraraj Tropical and Disease Control Hospital in Nepali capital Kathmandu have tested positive for cholera. The hospital laboratory said Vibrio Cholera belonging to 01 Ogawa stereotype was detected in all the patients. Doctors at hospital attributed the spread of cholera and diarrhea infection in Kathmandu to contaminated water, according to Saturday’s Republica daily. “Most of the patients who came to the hospital said that they had drunk water supplied by Kathmandu Upatyaka Kahanepani Limited without boiling or treatment,” Tulsha Adhikari, a nursing staff said. She said whole families had been infected and some were brought to the hospital by their neighbors as all family members were sick.
Biohazard name: Cholera
Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed
Today Epidemic Hazard Democratic Republic of the Congo Province of Nord Kivu, [Goma Refugee Camp] Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Democratic Republic of the Congo on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:45 (03:45 AM) UTC.

Description
Health workers in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo say an outbreak of cholera has claimed at least nine lives in a refugee camp. The first case of cholera – a contagious disease caused by filth and lack of hygiene – emerged three days ago among thousands of people in a makeshift refugee camp, Doctors Without Borders said. Thousands of people have fled fighting between M23 rebels and government forces backed by UN peacekeepers. Patrick Wieland, from Doctors Without Borders, said his organisation had set up an isolation clinic tent at Kanyaruchinya on the outskirts of Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. Wieland said humanitarian agencies were delivering water to the camp but people probably were collecting the water with dirty containers. He said there were not enough toilets for the people who fled fighting last week in Rutshuru and neighbouring Kiwanja, about 80km north of Goma. “We’re treating people with arms and legs blown-off by grenades and other heavy arms,” said Wieland. He also said that for the first time they treated many more civilians than combatants. In Goma, locals had told that 13,500 families had arrived in the past month, displaced by the fighting. “People have been forced to build their own makeshift shelters – shelters made of twigs, grass and so on and a few leaves,” he said.”Few people have been able to get hold of plastic sheeting from the United Nations refugee agency, but for the most part people are being forced to live out in the open. “They’re saying they have had no food for a month and have [had only] high-energy biscuits a week ago, but since then nothing.” M23 rebels, who take their name from a March 23 2009 agreement they signed with the Congolese government, last week attacked government troops and UN peacekeepers, firing mortars at the peacekeepers’ base at Kiwanja which was surrounded by more than 2,000 displaced people at the time. Wieland said the fighting was much heavier than any his team has seen in the three-month-old rebellion. He said that since April, Doctors Without Borders has treated more than 500 people hurt in the conflict. Congo’s army now controls only the city of Goma and the village of Kibumba, 10km outside Goma. Now the rebels hold all towns going north as far as Rutshuru and are threatening to besiege Goma. The UN Security Council demanded on Thursday that the M23 halt any advances towards Goma. In a statement delivered by council president Gerard Araud of France, the Security Council expressed deep concern at the worsening humanitarian situation, especially a surge in the number of refugees. Araud called on the international community to provide appropriate humanitarian support.
Biohazard name: Cholera Outbreak
Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed
Today Epidemic Hazard MultiCountries [Germany and Ireland] Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in MultiCountries on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:04 (03:04 AM) UTC.

Description
A 30-year-old tourist from Germany presented in the Mid West Regional Hospital earlier this year with renal failure and respiratory symptoms. He was managed with supportive therapy and made a good recovery. He was discharged and returned to Germany. Subsequently, he was found to be IgM positive for [a] hantavirus [infection] and this diagnosis was confirmed by Porton Down in early June [2012]. A human hantavirus infection has not previously been diagnosed in Ireland. However, there were an exceptional number of cases reported in Germany and in other countries in Europe during the winter of 2011 and spring of 2012. Given the amount of travel between the continent and Ireland, it is not surprising that we would eventually see a case of this infection here. This is the 1st ever case confirmation that has been reported in this country [Ireland] and, as an unusual event, it merits further consideration.
Biohazard name: Hantavirus
Biohazard level: 4/4 Hazardous
Biohazard desc.: Viruses and bacteria that cause severe to fatal disease in humans, and for which vaccines or other treatments are not available, such as Bolivian and Argentine hemorrhagic fevers, H5N1(bird flu), Dengue hemorrhagic fever, Marburg virus, Ebola virus, hantaviruses, Lassa fever, Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, and other hemorrhagic or unidentified diseases. When dealing with biological hazards at this level the use of a Hazmat suit and a self-contained oxygen supply is mandatory. The entrance and exit of a Level Four biolab will contain multiple showers, a vacuum room, an ultraviolet light room, autonomous detection system, and other safety precautions designed to destroy all traces of the biohazard. Multiple airlocks are employed and are electronically secured to prevent both doors opening at the same time. All air and water service going to and coming from a Biosafety Level 4 (P4) lab will undergo similar decontamination procedures to eliminate the possibility of an accidental release.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed

************************************************************************************************************

Solar Activity

2MIN News August 5, 2012: Gulf Coast Beware, Undead Filament & CME on the Way

Published on Aug 5, 2012 by

LINKS

Spaceweather: http://spaceweather.com/ [Look on the left at the X-ray Flux and Solar Wind Speed/Density]

HAARP: http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/data.html [Click online data, and have a little fun]

SDO: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/ [Place to find Solar Images and Videos - as seen from earth]

SOHO: http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater [SOHO; Lasco and EIT - as seen from earth]

Stereo: http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/images [Stereo; Cor, EUVI, HI - as seen from the side]

SunAEON:http://www.sunaeon.com/#/solarsystem/ [Just click it... trust me]

SOLARIMG: http://solarimg.org/artis/ [All purpose data viewing site]

iSWA: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov/iswa/iSWA.html [Free Application; for advanced sun watchers]

NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/cme-based/ [CME Evolution]

NOAA Bouys: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

RSOE: http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php [That cool alert map I use]

JAPAN Radiation Map: http://jciv.iidj.net/map/

LISS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/operations/heliplots_gsn.php

Gamma Ray Bursts: http://grb.sonoma.edu/ [Really? You can't figure out what this one is for?]

BARTOL Cosmic Rays: http://neutronm.bartol.udel.edu//spaceweather/welcome.html [Top left box, look for BIG blue circles]

TORCON: http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index [Tornado Forecast for the day]

GOES Weather: http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ [Clouds over America]

EL DORADO WORLD WEATHER MAP: http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com/satellite/ssec/world/world-composite-ir-…

PRESSURE MAP: http://www.woweather.com/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=us&MENU=0000000000&…

HURRICANE TRACKER: http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker

INTELLICAST: http://www.intellicast.com/ [Weather site used by many youtubers]

NASA News: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/

PHYSORG: http://phys.org/ [GREAT News Site!]

************************************************************************************************************

Space

  Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)

Object Name Apporach Date Left AU Distance LD Distance Estimated Diameter* Relative Velocity
(2006 EC) 06th August 2012 0 day(s) 0.0932 36.3 13 m – 28 m 6.13 km/s 22068 km/h
(2006 MV1) 07th August 2012 1 day(s) 0.0612 23.8 12 m – 28 m 4.79 km/s 17244 km/h
(2005 RK3) 08th August 2012 2 day(s) 0.1843 71.7 52 m – 120 m 8.27 km/s 29772 km/h
(2009 BW2) 09th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.0337 13.1 25 m – 56 m 5.27 km/s 18972 km/h
277475 (2005 WK4) 09th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.1283 49.9 260 m – 580 m 6.18 km/s 22248 km/h
(2004 SC56) 09th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.0811 31.6 74 m – 170 m 10.57 km/s 38052 km/h
(2008 AF4) 10th August 2012 4 day(s) 0.1936 75.3 310 m – 690 m 16.05 km/s 57780 km/h
37655 Illapa 12th August 2012 6 day(s) 0.0951 37.0 770 m – 1.7 km 28.73 km/s 103428 km/h
(2012 HS15) 14th August 2012 8 day(s) 0.1803 70.2 220 m – 490 m 11.54 km/s 41544 km/h
4581 Asclepius 16th August 2012 10 day(s) 0.1079 42.0 220 m – 490 m 13.48 km/s 48528 km/h
(2008 TC4) 18th August 2012 12 day(s) 0.1937 75.4 140 m – 300 m 17.34 km/s 62424 km/h
(2006 CV) 20th August 2012 14 day(s) 0.1744 67.9 290 m – 640 m 13.24 km/s 47664 km/h
(2012 EC) 20th August 2012 14 day(s) 0.0815 31.7 56 m – 130 m 5.57 km/s 20052 km/h
162421 (2000 ET70) 21st August 2012 15 day(s) 0.1503 58.5 640 m – 1.4 km 12.92 km/s 46512 km/h
(2007 WU3) 21st August 2012 15 day(s) 0.1954 76.0 56 m – 120 m 5.25 km/s 18900 km/h
(2012 BB14) 24th August 2012 18 day(s) 0.1234 48.0 27 m – 60 m 2.58 km/s 9288 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

*************************************************************************************************************

Sinkholes

For more than two months, officials from federal to local have been unable to pin down the source of a natural gas leak and tremors in assumption parish.

But on Thursday a 200 by 200 foot “slurry area” has appeared in bayou corne in northern assumption parish…

The formation of the slurry area was accompanied by a diesel-like odor that some residents said burned their eyes and noses but dissipated by midmorning Friday…

Assumption parish officials declared an emergency and called for an evacuation of residents living near the nearly 1-acre muddy site.

A potential failure of a cavern operated by Texas brine company may have caused the slurry area, or sinkhole, which swallowed full-grown trees and denuded a formerly forested patch of cypress swamp.

Final determination of a positive link between the failure of the cavern and either the natural gas bubbling or the slurry area has not been made.

In response, gov. bobby jindal declared an emergency Friday.

*************************************************************************************************************

Biological  Hazards / Wildlife

Today Biological Hazard USA State of Colorado, [Plaster Reservoir] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in USA on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:57 (03:57 AM) UTC.

Description
Broomfield Public Health and Environment advises people to steer clear of wild rodents, squirrels and rabbits near the Plaster Reservoir after confirming cases of tularemia. The disease was found Thursday in specimens of wild rabbits collected south and west of the reservoir located northeast of W. 136th Avenue and Lowell Boulevard. Broomfield residents had noticed several dead rabbits in the vicinity. Broomfield Public Health and Environment said in a health alert released Friday that there have not been any confirmed cases or noticeable outbreaks in other areas. People can contract tularemia from tick and deer fly bites or skin contact with infected animals. Symptoms include sudden fever, chills, headache, diarrhea, muscle aches, joint pain and dry cough. People can also develop pneumonia. Health officials said the threat to human health is minimal, so trails will remain opened and the area will be monitored over the next few weeks.
Biohazard name: Tularemia (rabbit)
Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed
Today Biological Hazard Reunion [Saint Leu coastal region] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in Reunion on Monday, 06 August, 2012 at 03:10 (03:10 AM) UTC.

Description
A Surfer on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion has been seriously injured in a shark attack, the second in two weeks, as local authorities called for swift preventative action. Xavier Brunetiere, general secretary at the Reunion town hall, said the surfer’s right foot and his hand were seriously injured, in the attack at Saint Leu, located in a marine reserve on the western side of the island. The man, whose identity was not released, is aged about 40 and is an experienced surfer, Mr Brunetiere said. Witnesses said the shark had severed a hand and a foot from the victim, but he made it back to the beach by himself. His life was not in danger, Mr Brunetiere said. Shark attacks here have been increasing in the last two years, with three surfers killed in the last 13 months. Sunday’s attack, the third this year, comes just over a fortnight after 22-year-old local Alexandre Rassica was killed by a shark who bit off his leg. A number of worried local mayors want to allow fishermen to catch sharks in the marine reserve. Last week, the mayor of Saint Leu, Thierry Robert, authorised fishing for sharks in the waters around Saint Leu — which contain part of the marine reserve. He later withdrew the decision after French Overseas minister Victorin Lurel said France would deal with the problem.
Biohazard name: Shark attack (Non-Fatal)
Biohazard level: 0/4 —
Biohazard desc.: This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:

………………………………………….

Thousands of fish die as US streams heat up

by GRANT SCHULTE (AP) — Thousands of fish are dying in the central U.S. as the hot, dry summer dries up rivers and causes water temperatures to climb in some spots to nearly 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius). Ads by Google Heating Contractor – Repair-Replacement-Maintenance Mention Ad 10% off Repair/ Install – http://www.g-smechanical.com/ About 40,000 shovelnose sturgeon were killed in Iowa last week as water temperatures reached 97 degrees Fahrenheit (36.1 Celsius). Nebraska fishery officials said they’ve seen thousands of dead sturgeon, catfish, carp, and other species in the Lower Platte River, including the endangered pallid sturgeon. And biologists in Illinois said the hot weather has killed tens of thousands of large- and smallmouth bass and channel catfish and is threatening the population of the greater redhorse fish, a state-endangered species. So many fish died in one Illinois lake that the carcasses clogged an intake screen near a power plant, lowering water levels to the point that the station had to shut down one of its generators. “It’s something I’ve never seen in my career, and I’ve been here for more than 17 years,” said Mark Flammang, a fisheries biologist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. “I think what we’re mainly dealing with here are the extremely low flows and this unparalleled heat.” The fish are victims of one of the driest and warmest summers in history. The federal U.S. Drought Monitor shows nearly two-thirds of the lower 48 states are experiencing some form of drought, and the Department of Agriculture has declared more than half of the nation’s counties — nearly 1,600 in 32 states — as natural disaster areas. More than 3,000 heat records were broken over the last month. Iowa DNR officials said the sturgeon found dead in the Des Moines River were worth nearly $10 million, a high value based in part on their highly sought eggs, which are used for caviar. The fish are valued at more than $110 a pound. Gavin Gibbons, a spokesman for the National Fisheries Institute, said the sturgeon kills don’t appear to have reduced the supply enough to hurt regional caviar suppliers. Flammang said weekend rain improved some of Iowa’s rivers and lakes, but temperatures were rising again and straining a sturgeon population that develops health problems when water temperatures climb into the 80s. “Those fish have been in these rivers for thousands of thousands of years, and they’re accustomed to all sorts of weather conditions,” he said. “But sometimes, you have conditions occur that are outside their realm of tolerance.” Ads by Google Fish & Wildlife Mgmt. – Online Environmental Science Degree at AMU. Flexible Courses. Enroll. – http://www.AMUOnline.com/Environment In Illinois, heat and lack of rain has dried up a large swath of Aux Sable Creek, the state’s largest habitat for the endangered greater redhorse, a large bottom-feeding fish, said Dan Stephenson, a biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. “We’re talking hundreds of thousands (killed), maybe millions by now,” Stephenson said. “If you’re only talking about game fish, it’s probably in the thousands. But for all fish, it’s probably in the millions if you look statewide.” Stephenson said fish kills happen most summers in small private ponds and streams, but the hot weather this year has made the situation much worse. “This year has been really, really bad — disproportionately bad, compared to our other years,” he said. Stephenson said a large number of dead fish were sucked into an intake screen near Powerton Lake in central Illinois, lowering water levels and forcing a temporary shutdown at a nearby power plant. A spokesman for Edison International, which runs the coal-fired plant, said workers shut down one of its two generators for several hours two weeks ago because of extreme heat and low water levels at the lake, which is used for cooling. In Nebraska, a stretch of the Platte River from Kearney in the central part of the state to Columbus in the east has gone dry and killed a “significant number” of sturgeon, catfish and minnows, said fisheries program manager Daryl Bauer. Bauer said the warm, shallow water has also killed an unknown number of endangered pallid sturgeon. “It’s a lot of miles of river, and a lot of fish,” Bauer said. “Most of those fish are barely identifiable. In this heat, they decay really fast.” Bauer said a single dry year usually isn’t enough to hurt the fish population. But he worries dry conditions in Nebraska could continue, repeating a stretch in the mid-2000s that weakened fish populations. Kansas also has seen declining water levels that pulled younger, smaller game fish away from the vegetation-rich shore lines and forced them to cluster, making them easier targets for predators, said fisheries chief Doug Nygren of the Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism. Nygren said he expects a drop in adult walleye populations in the state’s shallower, wind-swept lakes in southern Kansas. But he said other species, such as large-mouth bass, can tolerate the heat and may multiply faster without competition from walleye. “These last two years are the hottest we’ve ever seen,” Nygren said. “That really can play a role in changing populations, shifting it in favor of some species over others. The walleye won’t benefit from these high-water temperatures, but other species that are more tolerant may take advantage of their declining population.” Geno Adams, a fisheries program administrator in South Dakota, said there have been reports of isolated fish kills in its manmade lakes on the Missouri River and others in the eastern part of the state. But it’s unclear how much of a role the heat played in the deaths. One large batch of carp at Lewis and Clark Lake in the state’s southeast corner had lesions, a sign they were suffering from a bacterial infection. Adams said the fish are more prone to sickness with low water levels and extreme heat. But he added that other fish habitat have seen a record number this year thanks to the 2011 floods. “When we’re in a drought, there’s a struggle for water and it’s going in all different directions,” Adams said. “Keeping it in the reservoir for recreational fisheries is not at the top of the priority list.” Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

 

*************************************************************************************************************

[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit, for research and/or educational purposes. This constitutes 'FAIR USE' of any such copyrighted material.]

About these ads

Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
05.08.2012 04:25:29 2.0 North America United States Alaska Chase VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 04:20:30 4.5 Asia China Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu Korla VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 04:40:20 4.7 Asia China Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu Korla VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 04:40:50 2.6 Asia Turkey Manisa Golmarmara There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 03:35:21 2.4 North America United States Hawaii Waikoloa Village There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 03:25:24 3.3 North America United States Hawaii Waikoloa Village There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 03:40:25 4.9 Pacific Ocean – East Tonga Vava`u Hihifo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 02:50:30 4.9 Pacific Ocean Tonga Vava`u Hihifo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 04:41:07 2.6 Asia Turkey Van Yuvacik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 02:20:28 2.2 North America United States California Darwin There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 02:35:25 2.4 Europe Romania Paltin VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 01:25:32 3.2 North America United States Alaska Ugashik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 03:40:44 2.7 Middle-East Iraq Dah?k Sinah VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 03:41:04 3.3 Asia Turkey Van Kacit VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 01:35:24 3.0 Europe Greece South Aegean Lindos VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 02:55:30 4.6 Africa South Africa Eastern Cape Port Alfred VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 03:41:22 4.6 Africa South Africa Eastern Cape Port Alfred VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 01:35:48 3.0 Asia Turkey Elaz?? Baskil VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 03:41:41 2.6 Asia Turkey Van Toyga VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 23:45:36 2.2 North America United States Hawaii Fern Forest There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 03:41:58 2.0 Asia Turkey Mu?la Milas There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 22:45:28 3.3 North America United States Alaska Ugashik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 23:30:25 2.0 Europe Italy Emilia-Romagna Calerno VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 03:42:19 2.5 Asia Turkey Van Toyga VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 22:30:21 4.6 Indonesian Archipelago East Timor Gunung Dilarini There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 22:55:23 4.6 Indonesian archipelago East Timor Gunung Dilarini There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 22:30:44 5.0 South-America Argentina San Juan Zonda VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 21:30:31 5.0 Atlantic Ocean Argentina San Juan Zonda VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 21:15:20 2.4 Europe Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Paszowice VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.08.2012 03:42:39 2.5 Asia Turkey Tunceli Pulumer VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 20:10:35 2.5 Europe Greece Central Greece Pelasyia VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 19:10:25 2.5 Europe Poland Lower Silesian Voivodeship Biskupin VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 19:10:48 3.0 Asia Turkey Kütahya Simav There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 18:10:32 2.2 North America United States Alaska Pedro Bay There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 19:11:10 2.0 Europe Greece West Macedonia Armenokhorion VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 17:00:26 2.8 Europe Czech Republic Chotebuz VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 19:11:32 2.2 Asia Turkey Mu?la Yatagan VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 16:30:28 3.7 North America United States Alaska Pilot Point There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 16:25:30 4.0 North America United States Alaska Petersville VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 17:00:48 4.2 North-America United States Alaska Petersville VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 16:20:33 3.1 North America United States Alaska Pilot Point There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 16:15:31 3.4 North America United States Alaska Beluga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 17:01:10 4.5 North-America United States Alaska Ugashik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 15:50:33 4.1 North America United States Alaska Ugashik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 17:20:26 4.6 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Aceh Sinabang VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 15:55:23 5.0 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Aceh Sinabang VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 15:35:33 2.0 North America United States California Cobb There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.08.2012 00:30:21 4.5 South-America Argentina Mendoza San Martin VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
04.08.2012 23:35:31 4.5 Atlantic Ocean Argentina Mendoza San Martin VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
04.08.2012 15:55:44 5.0 Australia & New-Zealand New Zealand Gisborne Ruatoria VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details

***********************************************************************************************************

Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Heat Advisory

NORMAN OK
FORT WORTH TX
SEATTLE WA

Excessive Heat Watch

PHOENIX AZ
04.08.2012 Heat Wave Japan [Statewide] Damage level Details

Heat Wave in Japan on Wednesday, 25 July, 2012 at 03:36 (03:36 AM) UTC.

Description
The number of people taken to hospitals by ambulance due to heatstroke in the week through Sunday more than doubled from the preceding week to 5,467, preliminary data showed Tuesday. The figure, up from 2,622 in the week to July 15, hit the highest for a single week this summer, according to the data released by the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. Deaths caused by heatstroke increased to 13 from five in the preceding week. Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture had the most victims, with ambulances called for 388 people each. They were followed by 382 in Aichi Prefecture and 372 in Osaka Prefecture. People aged 65 or older accounted for 45.9 percent of the total. Since the agency started this year’s survey on May 28, 11,116 people were taken to hospitals as of Sunday. Twenty-three people have died. The rise in heatstroke cases reflects the smothering heat wave, with temperatures of 35 degrees or higher observed in many places for the four days from July 16, agency officials said. In Tatebayashi, Gunma Prefecture, the mercury shot up to 37.6 on July 16 and to 39.2 the following day, according to the Meteorological Agency.
04.08.2012 Extreme Weather India State of Uttarakhand , [Uttarakhand-wide] Damage level Details

Extreme Weather in India on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 12:16 (12:16 PM) UTC.

Description
Ten people were killed and 38 others went missing as incessant rains battered Uttarakhand today triggering landslides, cloud bursts and flash floods which flattened homes and stranded hundreds of pilgrims with the Chardham Yatra coming to a grinding halt. The Garhwal region bore the brunt of the natural calamity. The state government has sounded a high alert after the MET department’s warned of very heavy rains and sought the help of the army to mitigate the sufferings of the people. Nineteen labourers of the state-run UJVN Ltd’s Assi Ganga hydel project went missing following a cloud burst in the upper hills of Uttarkashi district. Similarly, 19 other people also went missing from Gangori, Dunda, Uttarkashi town and Barkot areas in the district. “We have launched a manhunt to trace the missing people,” said R Rajesh Kumar District Magistrate Uttarkashi. Elsewhere in the state, 10 people were killed in different incidents following heavy rains during the past 24 hours, said sources in the Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre (DMMC) here.

In the disaster-prone Uttarkashi district, flash floods hit several low-lying areas creating havoc there. At least three jawans of the fire brigade department and two others were killed at Gangori area even as Chardham yatra to Gangotri and Yamunotri remained suspended for the second day today. In Gangori area of Uttarkashi, Bhagirathi is flowing above the danger level with people being evacuated to safer areas. Nearly 30 homes were washed away in the floods with the Gangori bridge also collapsing. “We have now reports that three jawans of the fire brigade and two others were killed in Gangori,” said state disaster management minister Yashpal Arya. Two more people were killed in Dunda area of Uttarkashi district. While two children were killed in a house collapse at Kararnprayag area of Chamoli district early today, another child was washed away in flash floods at Pokhri area of the district where landslides continue to hit blocking highways leading to Badrinath.

Hundreds of Badrinath pilgrims were stranded at various places at Patalganga, Lambagar and Birahi due to fresh landslips. The yatra for Kedarnath shrine was also suspended, the sources said. The government has launched relief and rescue operations but heavy rains were hampering them, top officials said. Food packets are being sent to the affected people. Nearly 250 families have already been taken to safer areas in different areas of Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts. Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was monitoring the situation and has asked the concerned authorities to launch rescue and relief operation in the disaster-hit areas. He also asked concerned officers to reopen roads leading to pilgrim shrines so that the stranded pilgrims can go home. Bahuguna also asked the special Chardham cell set up at the secretariat to send him a daily report regarding the situation in the Garhwal region. The CM said his government would provide food and other essential items to the stranded pilgrims. Landslides are common in fragile hills of Garhwal region.

04.08.2012 Extreme Weather Kuwait [Statewide] Damage level Details

Extreme Weather in Kuwait on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 11:30 (11:30 AM) UTC.

Description
Serious sandstorm hit the entire country Friday with the wind speed measuring about 90km/hr and visibility falling below 500m. According to Director of Weather Forecast Mohammed Karam, the weather is the outcome of winds blowing from the East and high altitude concentration on the North Arabian Peninsula that closes the atmospheric pressure lines. Karam anticipates the weather will be stable by Saturday. He also said the northwesterly wind will continue in moderate speed measuring 40 km/hr and later transform to moderate light northeasterly winds measuring 25-40km/hr until the end of the week, and then the weather will become stable. He urged elderly people and those suffering from allergies and breathing difficulty to be extra cautious and wear masks while reducing their outings to avoid complications. Meanwhile, the Director of Operations at Kuwait International Airport Essam Al-Zamen disclosed that aviation events are continuing as expected, indicating the bad weather has no effect on activities there. He reiterated that landing and departure of planes take place as scheduled, even though the visibility is about 400m.

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

PENDLETON OR
SACRAMENTO CA
RENO NV
ELKO NV
EUREKA CA
BOISE ID
MEDFORD OR
04.08.2012 Forest / Wild Fire Russia [Asia] Siberia, [Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tomsk Region, Tuva, Khakassia and Irkutsk Region] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in Russia [Asia] on Saturday, 28 July, 2012 at 12:07 (12:07 PM) UTC.

Description
Firefighters in Russia’s Siberia had extinguished 45 forest fires covering 522 hectares of forest in the past 24 hours, but 131 wildfires were still burning on the area of almost 15,000 hectares, the regional forestry department said Friday. A total of 29 wildfires covering an area of more than 5,000 hectares were localized, and 14,948 hectares of forest continued to burn in the Krasnoyarsk Krai, Tomsk Region, Tuva, Khakassia and Irkutsk Region. Some 3,000 people, 412 units of fire-fighting equipment and 24 aircrafts have been mobilized to fight the blazes, which are believed to be caused by hot and dry weather in the region where the temperature reaches 35 degrees. Reports said the wildfires posed no threat to populated areas or industry.
04.08.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Oklahoma, [East of Norman] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 03:59 (03:59 AM) UTC.

Description
A wildfire whipped by gusty, southerly winds swept through rural woodlands north and south of Oklahoma City on Friday, burning several homes as firefighters struggled to contain it in 113-degree heat. Oklahoma’s emergency management officials said 25 structures had burned east of Noble, including a handful of homes, and several homes near Luther, north of Oklahoma City, were threatened. Hundreds of residents were told to leave their homes as flames spread through treetops. The state Highway Patrol closed part of the main highway between Oklahoma City and Tulsa because of the Luther-area fire, which may have been deliberately set. Local deputies were looking into reports about passengers in a pickup truck who were seen throwing out newspapers that had been set on fire. “I loaded the kids up, grabbed my dogs, and it didn’t even look like I had time to load the livestock, so I just got out of there,” said Bo Ireland, who lives a few miles from where the Noble-area fire started. “It looked to me that, if the wind shifted even a little bit, I would be in the path of that fire. It was just too close.” There were no immediate reports of injuries or livestock losses. Dayle Bishop stood in a convenience store parking lot about 2 miles away from his house, saying he was pessimistic about his home’s chances. “I know it’s gone,” said Bishop, who works nights as a nurse. “Didn’t even have time to get anything out.” But he noted “it’s just stuff,” and said he may not have made it out of his home had a woman not knocked on his door and woken him up.

Charles Wright was with his daughter, Christina, along with their cat, at a makeshift evacuation center doubling as a staging area for fire engines, ambulances and other emergency equipment. He said law enforcement ordered them to leave their home in Norman. “Praying for miracles. Praying for the best, that’s all we can do,” said Wright, who managed to pack some clothes, jewelry and legal papers before fleeing. Ruth Hood splashed water onto two Chihuahua puppies that she grabbed along with several other animals and her children, and left as flames burned in her neighbor’s yard. She said she couldn’t be sure her home would survive. “No guarantee,” Hood said. With the ongoing drought, high temperatures and gusty winds, it took little for fires to begin and spread — and there was little crews could do to fight them. “It’s difficult for the firefighters to get into the area because it’s heavily wooded on either side of the smaller roads. When the winds are blowing 25 mph it just blows the embers and fireballs across the roads as if they weren’t even there,” said Jerry Lojka with the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management. At mid-afternoon Friday, the temperature at nearby Norman was 113. Winds were from the south and southwest at 14 mph, gusting to 24 mph. “I can tell you the temperatures and the wind are not helping the situation at all. Some homes have been lost in the fire unfortunately, but we don’t know how many,” said Meghan McCormick, a spokeswoman for the Cleveland County Sheriff’s office.

Russell Moore, 53, who lives in the Noble area, said he was outside in his yard when a sheriff’s deputy drove down the road and told people to leave. He and his son went to a shelter set up at Noble City Hall, but planned to go to his daughter’s home in Norman. “About all we saw was smoke and a little bit of ash raining down from the sky,” Moore said. “Everybody was piling into their vehicles and leaving as we were.” Lojka said an Oklahoma National Guard helicopter has been dispatched to a fast-moving blaze in Luther, northeast of Oklahoma City. He also said helicopters were helping ground crews with a fire near Mannford and Drumright in Creek County. Helicopters from the National Guard and the Bureau of Indian Affairs were fighting a fire in Creek County. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office said it was investigating reports that someone in a black pickup truck near Luther was tossing out newspapers that had been set on fire. The blaze and smoke led the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to shut down part of the Turner Turnpike, which carries Interstate 44 between Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Traffic was rerouted onto old U.S. Route 66, the famed two-lane highway that crisscrosses Oklahoma. The state was monitoring 11 fires in all Friday afternoon. Gov. Mary Fallin announced a statewide burn ban as the fire danger heightened. She previously had announced a state of emergency for all 77 counties due to the extreme drought.

04.08.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Montana, Lame Deer Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 03:46 (03:46 AM) UTC.

Description
As a wildfire’s flames raced to the edge of Lame Deer’s town limits, police drove the streets with loudspeakers blaring orders for residents of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation community to grab their most important belongings and get out. Buses were waiting to carry people from danger area, which on Thursday night suddenly meant the entire town of 2,000. Desi Small-Rodriguez, a volunteer with the tribe’s disaster and emergency services department, recalled the chaotic scene as the Chalky Fire threatened to burn down the seat of the southeastern Montana reservation. “A lot of people were walking with their belongings, getting on buses, trying to find rides, getting out as told,” Small-Rodriguez said Friday. About 250 people stayed at a Red Cross shelter 25 miles away at the St. Labre Mission. Others took shelter with friends and relatives on other parts of the reservation. Those with no place to go camped out on lawns in nearby communities, or they just refused to leave. The fire had already burned two homes earlier in the day, then wind from a cold front whipped up the flames and drove the fire straight toward town. Things looked grim to Carol Raymond, Rosebud County’s head of disaster and emergency services, who had driven from Forsyth to see firsthand what was happening. “I figured the whole town of Lame Deer would go up in flames,” Raymond said. Firefighters worked overnight trying to keep the flames back. At one point early Friday, the fire jumped Highway 212, but firefighters contained it with a back burn of the surrounding area, and the wildfire skirted around town without destroying any buildings or causing any injuries, Small-Rodriguez said. On Friday, the smoke was choking the town, but rain was assisting firefighters. A red-flag warning was to be in effect until evening, and firefighters prepared for gusty winds and possible thunderstorms. The mandatory evacuation remained in effect.
04.08.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Washington, [Near Pateros and Brewster] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 03:45 (03:45 AM) UTC.

Description
The state is sending firefighters and managers to help battle a 1,000-acre wildfire in the southeast corner of Washington. Other firefighters also are trying to contain a 10,000-acre wildfire in central Washington. The new fire broke out Thursday afternoon five miles south of Asotin and is burning grass, brush and wheat. The state Emergency Operations Center at Camp Murray has been activated to coordinate state assistance. Overnight winds forced firefighters to retreat at the central Washington fire as it grew to 10,000 acres – more than 15 square miles. Spokesman Dan Garner at the incident management center at Brewster High School says no structures are threatened. The fire broke out Wednesday near Pateros and Brewster. It’s burning grass, brush, scattered timber and some wheat land.

……………………………………

Wildfires blaze across drought-plagued Oklahoma

 Steve Olafson | Reuters
OKLAHOMA CITY (Reuters) – Wildfires burned out of control on Friday in Oklahoma, destroying homes and shutting down highways in a state that has suffered 18 straight days of 100-plus degree temperatures and persistent drought.Emergency officials counted 11 different wildfires around the state, with at least 65 homes destroyed in parched areas north and south of Oklahoma City and south of Tulsa.

Oklahoma joins several states that have been plagued by wildfires this summer, including Colorado, Arkansas and Nebraska. Fires are being fed by a widespread drought.

Nearly two-thirds of the contiguous United States was under some level of drought as of July 31, according to the Drought Monitor, a weekly report compiled by U.S. climate experts.

Interstate 44, historic Route 66 and state highways were closed, but no deaths were reported in the Oklahoma fires.

Low humidity, strong southerly winds and drought conditions enabled the wildfires to spread quickly across treetops, said Michelann Ooten, deputy director of the state’s Office of Emergency Management.

“It’s just a very difficult situation we’re facing that’s all weather related,” Ooten said.

Governor Mary Fallin, who earlier in the day invoked a statewide ban on outdoor burning after declaring a state of emergency for the state’s 77 counties, told Reuters fire conditions may be worse on Saturday.

“The fire danger might be even higher,” she said.

Oklahoma has contacted neighboring states for help, but they are contending with their own wildfire threats and no out-of-state help is on its way, she said.

“There’s fires in Arkansas. There’s fires in Kansas and Texas. Everybody else is on high heat alert,” she said.

The heat in Oklahoma City, the state capital, has reached historic levels.

On Friday, Oklahoma City tied its all-time record for the highest temperature ever recorded when the thermometer reached 113 Fahrenheit (45 Celsius), a mark last recorded in the Dust Bowl days in 1936, according to the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.

Volunteer fire departments have made a public plea for Gatorade donations to keep their crews hydrated in the scalding conditions.

(Reporting by Steve Olafson; Editing by Mary Wisniewski and Lisa Shumaker)

***********************************************************************************************************

Storms, Flooding

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

SPRINGFIELD MO
Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Ernesto (AL05) Atlantic Ocean 02.08.2012 04.08.2012 Tropical Depression 285 ° 83 km/h 102 km/h 6.10 m NOAA NHC Details

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Ernesto (AL05)
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000
Start up: 02nd August 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 1,493.43 km
Top category.:
Report by: NHC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
02nd Aug 2012 04:08:45 N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000 30 56 74 Tropical Depression 285 16 1008 MB NHC
03rd Aug 2012 04:49:11 N 13° 24.000, W 58° 18.000 35 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 20 1005 MB NHC
04th Aug 2012 05:16:42 N 13° 54.000, W 65° 36.000 30 83 102 Tropical Storm 275 16 1003 MB NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
05th Aug 2012 05:35:24 N 15° 24.000, W 72° 42.000 35 93 111 Tropical Depression 285 ° 16 1007 MB NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
06th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 16° 18.000, W 81° 0.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NHC
06th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 6.000, W 78° 42.000 Tropical Depression 93 111 NHC
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 17° 0.000, W 82° 54.000 Hurricane I 120 148 NHC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 18° 30.000, W 86° 30.000 Hurricane II 139 167 NHC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 30.000, W 89° 30.000 Hurricane II 130 157 NHC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 22° 0.000, W 92° 30.000 Hurricane I 120 148 NHC
Haikui (12W) Pacific Ocean 03.08.2012 04.08.2012 Tropical Depression 295 ° 83 km/h 102 km/h 6.10 m JTWC Details

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Haikui (12W)
Area: Pacific Ocean
Start up location: N 24° 24.000, E 139° 48.000
Start up: 03rd August 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 680.69 km
Top category.:
Report by: JTWC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
04th Aug 2012 05:17:37 N 24° 54.000, E 134° 12.000 35 65 83 Tropical Storm 275 20 JTWC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
05th Aug 2012 05:42:49 N 26° 48.000, E 129° 12.000 17 83 102 Tropical Depression 290 ° 16 JTWC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
06th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 27° 48.000, E 124° 42.000 Typhoon I 111 139 JTWC
06th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 27° 36.000, E 125° 48.000 Typhoon I 102 130 JTWC
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 28° 0.000, E 123° 42.000 Typhoon I 120 148 JTWC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 28° 24.000, E 122° 0.000 Typhoon II 139 167 JTWC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 29° 6.000, E 120° 30.000 Typhoon I 111 139 JTWC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 30° 0.000, E 119° 24.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 JTWC
Florence (AL06) Atlantic Ocean 04.08.2012 04.08.2012 Tropical Depression 295 ° 74 km/h 93 km/h 5.79 m NOAA NHC Details

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Florence (AL06)
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 13° 48.000, W 27° 48.000
Start up: 04th August 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 381.63 km
Top category.:
Report by: NOAA NHC
Useful links:

Past track
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave Pressure Source
04th Aug 2012 05:23:26 N 13° 48.000, W 27° 48.000 26 56 74 Tropical Depression 290 20 1009 MB NOAA NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
05th Aug 2012 05:34:42 N 16° 6.000, W 33° 0.000 24 93 111 Tropical Depression 295 ° 20 1000 MB NOAA NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
06th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 17° 30.000, W 39° 42.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NOAA NHC
06th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 17° 0.000, W 37° 12.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NOAA NHC
07th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 18° 6.000, W 42° 36.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NOAA NHC
08th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 19° 18.000, W 49° 0.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 NOAA NHC
09th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 20° 54.000, W 55° 6.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 NOAA NHC
10th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 23° 30.000, W 60° 30.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NOAA NHC

……………………………………………….

Tropical Storm Florence joins Ernesto in Atlantic

Jamaica on alert as forecast calls for Ernesto becoming hurricane

Monitor Atlantic storm paths and weather conditions.

After a lull in the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Florence formed on Saturday, joining Ernesto as both moved west on paths that could eventually take them to the U.S. coast.

Florence has sustained winds up to 45 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported.

It was still in the deep Atlantic, but on a path towards the Caribbean.

Ernesto was packing sustained winds of 50 mph and should pass south of Jamaica on Sunday, the center stated. “Ernesto is forecast to become a hurricane … in a day or two,” it added.

After Jamaica, which issued a tropical storm warning, Ernesto will likely head toward Grand Cayman, arriving Monday, and then Cancun/Cozumel in Mexico on Wednesday, weather.com reported.

Weather.com added it was “unclear whether Ernesto poses a threat to the U.S. late next week.”

On Friday, the storm swept over the tiny island of St. Lucia.

Businesses and government offices were ordered closed until noon on St. Lucia as Ernesto passed over the island, churning up 12-foot waves a few miles off its north shore.

It moved so quickly that St. Lucia got less than an inch of rain and there were no reports of damage or injuries.

August and September are usually the most active months of the Atlantic-Caribbean hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.

Prior to Ernesto forming on Thursday, the last Atlantic tropical storm was Debby more than a month ago. It drenched Florida and eight deaths were tied to the storm.

U.S. government forecasters in May predicted a “normal” 2012 season, saying 9-15 named storms could be expected. Between 4-8 of those were predicted to become hurricanes.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Heavy rains, landslide kill 10 in Uttarakhand; Pilgrimage halted

Dehradun,

Continuous heavy rainfall, cloud burst, and landslides have killed 10 in various parts of Sub-Himalayan region of Uttarakhand. At least 53 persons have been reported missing so far in flash floods and swallon rivers.

The pilgrims of the Chardham were stranded in the midway at various places and government has implemented temporary closure on the annual Char Dham pilgrimage until the situation becomes under control, official said on Saturday.

Due to heavy rains, the rivers have swollen and land sliding have increasing causing havoc among the localities and pilgrims. The pilgrims were stranded on way to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath – the four points of pilgrimage.

According to official report, three fire fighters were killed in Gangotri due to heavy rains. A bridge was also washed away here and over 40 houses submerged in the overflowing Bhagirathi river.

Garhwal was the worst hit area, report said.

Two deaths were reported from Chamoli after two children died in a roof collpase. A child was swept away in Pokhri.

Uttarkashi has also been hit by flash floods.

Officials said following warnings of “more and severe rains” in the next two days, the Disaster Management and Mitigation Centre is on high alert and Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna was monitoring the situation.

Water level of Bhagirathi and Ganga rivers is also on the rise. The Uttarakhand government has issued red alert in areas along the river Ganga.

–With Agencies Inputs–

Flash Flood Watch

JACKSON KY
CHARLESTON WV
ALBUQUERQUE NM

Flood Advisory

ALBUQUERQUE NM
04.08.2012 Flash Flood India State of Jammu and Kashmir, [Ujh and Tawi rivers region] Damage level Details

Flash Flood in India on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 09:08 (09:08 AM) UTC.

Description
As many as 22 people were on Friday trapped in flash floods in Jammu region, prompting the authorities to sound an alert in the region. “A flash flood alert has been sounded in Jammu. Due to heavy overnight rains, various rivers in Jammu region are flooded…22 people and large number of cattle are trapped in the flash floods in Ujh and Tawi rivers,” an official said. Of the 22 people, 15 are trapped in Ujh river at Khadwal area in Kathua district and two each in Mayachak, Nagri, Sujanal (Satwari) and Muthi areas, he said. A rescue operation has been launched for those trapped in the flash floods, triggered by intermittent overnight rains in Jammu, Kathua and Udhampur districts, the official said. The water level in Chenab, Tawi, Ujh and Basantar rivers are nearing the danger mark, officials said, adding that people living in low-lying areas have been alerted and warned of flash floods. They have also been asked to keep away from banks of the flooded rivers.
04.08.2012 Flash Flood USA State of New Mexico, Santa Fe Damage level Details

Flash Flood in USA on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 06:36 (06:36 AM) UTC.

Description
Public Service Company of New Mexico said nearly 3,000 customers on Santa Fe’s south side were without electric power for more than two hours Friday evening after lightning struck the local power grid. Spokesman Frederick Bermudez said he couldn’t pinpoint where the lightning hit but said it knocked out power from 5:35 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. to 2,916 homes, businesses and institutions in an area bounded by St. Michael’s Drive on the north, Old Galisteo Road on the south, Old Pecos Trail on the east and Entrada de Santiago on the west. Much of Santa Fe was pounded by heavy rain with lightning and sudden high winds late Friday afternoon, suddenly swelling the Santa Fe River and other areas with swift flows of storm water. A driver on St. Michael’s Drive reported seeing thin funnel cloud on the horizon at about 5:45 p.m. “It was probably a dust devil, but we’ve been seeing that a lot this year,” said Brian Guyer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albuquerque. “We’ve had some strong winds in Santa Fe today.” Guyer said the peak wind speed recorded at Santa Fe on Friday was 41 mph. Between two-tenths and four-tenths of an inch of rain fell — not a lot by most standards but what Guyer said was the heaviest rain the city has seen so far this summer. “You had a ton of lightning, some around the Plaza and a lot of lighting strikes up in the foothills,” he said. “It’s still dry, so it wouldn’t surprise me if we might see some fires by tomorrow.”
04.08.2012 Flash Flood India State of Himachal Pradesh, Kullu Damage level Details

Flash Flood in India on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:06 (04:06 AM) UTC.

Description
Hundreds of people residing near Beas river have been evacuated to safe places after flash flood caused by torrential rain over Dhundi peaks at south portal of Rohtang tunnel flooded the Seri rivulet, a tributary to Beas river, on Friday at 8pm. People living close to river between Palchan and Kullu are being evacuated and traffic on national highway has been stopped. Till last report received from Palchan (near Dhundi) at 10.30pm, level of the river was rising continuously and police were evacuating the people from Bahang village, 6km from Manali. According to police, there is no report of any casualty. Sandeep Kumar, a resident of Bahang village, said people are trying to save the household accessories amid chaotic atmosphere and conditions have become even worse after power failure. “Everything was normal till late evening but the situation changed suddenly after 8pm when river water, mixed with sludge, started engulfing its banks. People are risking their lives to remove the household stuffs,” he said. An engineer working with a hydel project near Palchan said over phone that roaring sound of river is shaking the foundation of the houses. “Nobody is going to sleep tonight. Villagers have gathered at many places and are guarding the river banks with floodlights,” he said. According to villagers it is a cloudburst which might have caused devastation at its source on mountains. Kullu deputy commissioner Amitabh Awasthi said , police are patrolling the river banks and have directed people to move to safe places. “We have closed the traffic on national highway. We shall keep an eye on the situation throughout the night,” he said.

…………………………………………………………………..

N Korea floods kill 169, 400 missing

  • From: AAP

FLOODS which hit parts of North Korea in the past few weeks have killed 169 people and left 400 missing, the state news agency announced on Saturday, sharply updating earlier casualty figures.

The floods and torrential rain between late June and the end of July also made 212,200 people homeless and washed away or inundated 65,280 hectares of cropland, the agency said.

United Nations agencies have visited the worst-hit areas to assess aid needs and the World Food Program (WFP) is sending an initial shipment of emergency food aid.

North Korea suffered a famine in the 1990s that killed hundreds of thousands and still struggles to feed its people even in normal times.

It had been estimated by UN agencies, even before the current deluge, that three million people would need food aid this year.

More than 8600 houses were destroyed and another 43,770 swamped, and more than 1400 schools, hospitals and factories collapsed, the news agency said.

Official media had previously reported 119 deaths, with 84,000 people made homeless and 45,370ha of farmland damaged.

The WFP said its initial assistance would provide victims with an initial ration of 400 grams of maize a day for 14 days, after the UN assessment mission found considerable damage to maize, soybean and rice fields.

The mission has said immediate food aid is needed for residents of the worst-hit counties such as Anju and Songchon in South Pyongan province and Chonnae in Kangwon province.

It also stressed that tens of thousands of families urgently need clean drinking water to prevent disease.

Wells had been contaminated by overflowing latrines, creating a high risk of a diarrhoea outbreak, while floods had damaged water sources and pumping stations.

Citing North Korean government figures, the UN mission said about 50,000 families would need purification tablets or other help to secure clean water.

The UN children’s fund UNICEF has ordered 10 million tablets along with other materials. Drugs and IV fluids were also badly needed.

The assessment mission said on Thursday a hospital in Chonnae county had already seen a fourfold rise in diarrhoea cases.

“In general, unless … needs are addressed, rapid increase in diarrhoea, skin infection and respiratory infections could occur,” it said in a report.

Outdated and inefficient agricultural practices, along with a shortage of fertiliser and diversion of food to the military, have contributed to the annual food shortages.

Mountainous North Korea is also short of arable land. Widespread deforestation, partly to clear land for crops, has made the impoverished nation increasingly prone to serious flooding which ends up washing away the harvest.

In February, the US reached a deal to offer North Korea 240,000 tonnes of food in return for a freeze on nuclear and missile tests.

But the plan was scrapped after Pyongyang’s failed rocket launch in April, seen by the US and its allies as an attempted ballistic missile test.

AF

************************************************************************************************************

Epidemic Hazards / Diseases

04.08.2012 Epidemic Hazard Nepal Capital City, Kathmandu Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Nepal on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:51 (04:51 AM) UTC.

Description
At least 10 people admitted to the Sukraraj Tropical and Disease Control Hospital in Nepali capital Kathmandu have tested positive for cholera. The hospital laboratory said Vibrio Cholera belonging to 01 Ogawa stereotype was detected in all the patients. Doctors at hospital attributed the spread of cholera and diarrhea infection in Kathmandu to contaminated water, according to Saturday’s Republica daily. “Most of the patients who came to the hospital said that they had drunk water supplied by Kathmandu Upatyaka Kahanepani Limited without boiling or treatment,” Tulsha Adhikari, a nursing staff said. She said whole families had been infected and some were brought to the hospital by their neighbors as all family members were sick.
Biohazard name: Cholera
Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed
04.08.2012 Epidemic Hazard Pakistan Federally Administered Tribal Areas, [South Waziristan] Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Pakistan on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:04 (04:04 AM) UTC.

Description
Five children in South Waziristan have died from measles during the past week, an official said. “Non-availability of measles vaccines has become a big problem and if the desired vaccines were not made available, the situation could slip out of hand,” Dr. Azmat Hayat Khan, agency surgeon, told Central Asia Online August 3. Measles has affected about 400 children, of whom about 100 were hospitalised, he said. He warned of an outbreak throughout the agency if medics failed to immunise children immediately. Letters regarding the unavailability of measles vaccine have gone to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) directorate of health, he said, expressing hope the vaccine would become available in a few days. The Taliban have refused to allow polio vaccination in areas of South Waziristan they control, endangering more than 157,000 children below age 5, he said. The directorate has received the agency surgeon’s letter and is sending vaccines to South Waziristan, FATA Health Director Dr. Fawad Khan said. “We have also started vaccination in Mohmand, Bajaur and Khyber agencies, where measles had killed several children besides sending hundreds to hospitals,” he said.
Biohazard name: Measles (fatal)
Biohazard level: 3/4 Hight
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that can cause severe to fatal disease in humans, but for which vaccines or other treatments exist, such as anthrax, West Nile virus, Venezuelan equine encephalitis, SARS virus, variola virus (smallpox), tuberculosis, typhus, Rift Valley fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, yellow fever, and malaria. Among parasites Plasmodium falciparum, which causes Malaria, and Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes trypanosomiasis, also come under this level.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed

************************************************************************************************************

Solar Activity

2MIN News August 4, 2012: Weather, Plasma Filaments

Published on Aug 4, 2012 by

TODAY’S LINKS
Valence Issue: http://phys.org/news/2012-08-exposing-valence-bond-inadequacies.html
2012 Heat: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2012/03aug_summer2012/

REPEAT LINKS
Spaceweather: http://spaceweather.com/ [Look on the left at the X-ray Flux and Solar Wind Speed/Density]

HAARP: http://www.haarp.alaska.edu/haarp/data.html [Click online data, and have a little fun]

SDO: http://sdo.gsfc.nasa.gov/data/ [Place to find Solar Images and Videos - as seen from earth]

SOHO: http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/soho_movie_theater [SOHO; Lasco and EIT - as seen from earth]

Stereo: http://stereo.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/images [Stereo; Cor, EUVI, HI - as seen from the side]

SunAEON:http://www.sunaeon.com/#/solarsystem/ [Just click it... trust me]

SOLARIMG: http://solarimg.org/artis/ [All purpose data viewing site]

iSWA: http://iswa.gsfc.nasa.gov/iswa/iSWA.html [Free Application; for advanced sun watchers]

NOAA ENLIL SPIRAL: http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/wsa-enlil/cme-based/ [CME Evolution]

NOAA Bouys: http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/

RSOE: http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/index2.php [That cool alert map I use]

JAPAN Radiation Map: http://jciv.iidj.net/map/

LISS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/operations/heliplots_gsn.php

Gamma Ray Bursts: http://grb.sonoma.edu/ [Really? You can't figure out what this one is for?]

BARTOL Cosmic Rays: http://neutronm.bartol.udel.edu//spaceweather/welcome.html [Top left box, look for BIG blue circles]

TORCON: http://www.weather.com/news/tornado-torcon-index [Tornado Forecast for the day]

GOES Weather: http://rsd.gsfc.nasa.gov/goes/ [Clouds over America]

EL DORADO WORLD WEATHER MAP: http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com/satellite/ssec/world/world-composite-ir-…

PRESSURE MAP: http://www.woweather.com/cgi-bin/expertcharts?LANG=us&MENU=0000000000&…

HURRICANE TRACKER: http://www.weather.com/weather/hurricanecentral/tracker

INTELLICAST: http://www.intellicast.com/ [Weather site used by many youtubers]

NASA News: http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/

PHYSORG: http://phys.org/ [GREAT News Site!]

************************************************************************************************************

Space

 Earth approaching objects (objects that are known in the next 30 days)

Object Name Apporach Date Left AU Distance LD Distance Estimated Diameter* Relative Velocity
(2006 EC) 06th August 2012 1 day(s) 0.0932 36.3 13 m – 28 m 6.13 km/s 22068 km/h
(2006 MV1) 07th August 2012 2 day(s) 0.0612 23.8 12 m – 28 m 4.79 km/s 17244 km/h
(2005 RK3) 08th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.1843 71.7 52 m – 120 m 8.27 km/s 29772 km/h
(2009 BW2) 09th August 2012 4 day(s) 0.0337 13.1 25 m – 56 m 5.27 km/s 18972 km/h
277475 (2005 WK4) 09th August 2012 4 day(s) 0.1283 49.9 260 m – 580 m 6.18 km/s 22248 km/h
(2004 SC56) 09th August 2012 4 day(s) 0.0811 31.6 74 m – 170 m 10.57 km/s 38052 km/h
(2008 AF4) 10th August 2012 5 day(s) 0.1936 75.3 310 m – 690 m 16.05 km/s 57780 km/h
37655 Illapa 12th August 2012 7 day(s) 0.0951 37.0 770 m – 1.7 km 28.73 km/s 103428 km/h
(2012 HS15) 14th August 2012 9 day(s) 0.1803 70.2 220 m – 490 m 11.54 km/s 41544 km/h
4581 Asclepius 16th August 2012 11 day(s) 0.1079 42.0 220 m – 490 m 13.48 km/s 48528 km/h
(2008 TC4) 18th August 2012 13 day(s) 0.1937 75.4 140 m – 300 m 17.34 km/s 62424 km/h
(2006 CV) 20th August 2012 15 day(s) 0.1744 67.9 290 m – 640 m 13.24 km/s 47664 km/h
(2012 EC) 20th August 2012 15 day(s) 0.0815 31.7 56 m – 130 m 5.57 km/s 20052 km/h
162421 (2000 ET70) 21st August 2012 16 day(s) 0.1503 58.5 640 m – 1.4 km 12.92 km/s 46512 km/h
(2007 WU3) 21st August 2012 16 day(s) 0.1954 76.0 56 m – 120 m 5.25 km/s 18900 km/h
(2012 BB14) 24th August 2012 19 day(s) 0.1234 48.0 27 m – 60 m 2.58 km/s 9288 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

Two Veteran Voyager Spacecraft Will Cross Into Interstellar Space -
“It’s Just A Question Of When”
  

MessageToEagle.com – Two of three key signs of changes expected to occur at the boundary of interstellar space have changed faster than at any other time in the last seven years, according to new data from NASA’s Voyager 1 spacecraft.

For the last seven years, Voyager 1 has been exploring the outer layer of the bubble of charged particles the sun blows around itself.

In one day, on July 28, data from Voyager 1′s cosmic ray instrument showed the level of high-energy cosmic rays originating from outside our solar system jumped by five percent.

During the last half of that same day, the level of lower-energy particles originating from inside our solar system dropped by half.

However, in three days, the levels had recovered to near their previous levels.

A third key sign is the direction of the magnetic field, and scientists are eagerly analyzing the data to see whether that has, indeed, changed direction.

Scientists expect that all three of these signs will have changed when Voyager 1 has crossed into interstellar space.
A preliminary analysis of the latest magnetic field data is expected to be available in the next month.

“These are thrilling times for the Voyager team as we try to understand the quickening pace of changes as Voyager 1 approaches the edge of interstellar space,” said Edward Stone, the Voyager project scientist based at the California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, Calif.

“We are certainly in a new region at the edge of the solar system where things are changing rapidly. But we are not yet able to say that Voyager 1 has entered interstellar space.”


Click on image to enlargeVoyagers in the HeliosheathThis artist’s concept shows NASA’s two Voyager spacecraft exploring a turbulent region of space known as the heliosheath, the outer shell of the bubble of charged particles around our sun. After more than 33 years of travel, the two Voyager spacecraft will soon reach interstellar space, which is the space between stars.
Our sun gives off a stream of charged particles that form a bubble around our solar system known as the heliosphere. The solar wind travels at supersonic speeds until it crosses a shockwave called the termination shock. That part of our solar system is shown in dark blue. Voyager 1 crossed the termination shock in December 2004 and Voyager 2 did so in August 2007.
Beyond the termination shock is the heliosheath, shown in gray, where the solar wind dramatically slows down and heats up. Outside those two areas is territory dominated by the interstellar wind, which is blowing from the left in this image. As the interstellar wind approaches the heliosphere, a bow shock forms, indicated by the bright arc.
The Voyagers were built by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., which continues to operate both spacecraft. JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. The Voyager missions are a part of the NASA Heliophysics System Observatory, sponsored by the Heliophysics Division of the Science Mission Directorate. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech


Click on image to enlargeBubbles and Cosmic Rays at the Edge of the Solar SystemThe latest data from the Voyager spacecraft indicate the edge of our solar system is much different from what was previously imagined. This resulted in a new computer model that shows the edge of our solar system is not smooth, but filled with a turbulent sea of magnetic bubbles.
The heliospheric boundaries are very important in shielding the inner solar system from the galactic cosmic ray flux. The heliopause, the last region that separates us from the rest of the galaxy, acts more like a membrane that is permeable to galactic cosmic rays than a shield that deflects those energetic particles.
The galactic cosmic rays slowly wander into the heliosphere and can get trapped in the sea of magnetic bubbles. Eventually they access the solar magnetic field lines that connect back to the sun, and can move quickly towards the sun and Earth. Credit: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center/CI Lab

The levels of high-energy cosmic ray particles have been increasing for years, but more slowly than they are now.
The last jump — of five percent — took one week in May. The levels of lower-energy particles from inside our solar system have been slowly decreasing for the last two years. Scientists expect that the lower-energy particles will drop close to zero when Voyager 1 finally crosses into interstellar space.

“The increase and the decrease are sharper than we’ve seen before, but that’s also what we said about the May data,” Stone said.

“The data are changing in ways that we didn’t expect, but Voyager has always surprised us with new discoveries.”

Voyager 1, which launched on Sept. 5, 1977, is 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) from the sun.

Voyager 2, which launched on Aug. 20, 1977, is close behind, at 9.3 billion miles (15 billion kilometers) from the sun.

“Our two veteran Voyager spacecraft are hale and healthy as they near the 35th anniversary of their launch,” said Suzanne Dodd, Voyager project manager based at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena.

“We know they will cross into interstellar space. It’s just a question of when.”
MessageToEagle.com

See also:
Historical Moment: Voyager 1 Is Approaching The Solar System’s Frontier

*************************************************************************************************************

Biological Hazards / Wildlife

04.08.2012 Biological Hazard Nigeria State of Katsina, Katsina [Government Girls College] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in Nigeria on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 17:43 (05:43 PM) UTC.

Description
TEN secondary school teachers at the weekend died of food poisoning, and several others hospitalised in Katsina. Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) showed that the incident occurred at a workshop organised by the state Ministry of Education for some 650 teachers at Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Kofar Yan’daka, Katsina. It was gathered that soon after taking their lunch, supplied by a popular corporate caterer on the fateful day, some of the teachers were vomiting and afflicted by diarrhoea, as a result of which they were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina and the Police Clinic for medication. Ten of the affected teachers were said to have died as a result of the infection. When contacted, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Alhaji Khalil Musa, said: “I cannot comment on the issue now, because it is yet to be reported to the state government. I don’t want to pre-empt the government on the issue.” The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), ASP Abubakar Ibrahim, who confirmed the incident, said that only one teacher died, while 19 others were hospitalised. He said that 12 of the affected teachers had already been discharged from the hospitals, while seven others were still on admission at the Federal Medical Centre and Katsina Police Clinic. He said the police had already collected sample of the food supplied by the caterer for clinical analysis. All the victims are receiving treatment at various medical centres, while officials declined to comment on the number of casualties that were brought to the centres.
Biohazard name: Mass. Food Poisoning
Biohazard level: 2/4 Medium
Biohazard desc.: Bacteria and viruses that cause only mild disease to humans, or are difficult to contract via aerosol in a lab setting, such as hepatitis A, B, and C, influenza A, Lyme disease, salmonella, mumps, measles, scrapie, dengue fever, and HIV. “Routine diagnostic work with clinical specimens can be done safely at Biosafety Level 2, using Biosafety Level 2 practices and procedures. Research work (including co-cultivation, virus replication studies, or manipulations involving concentrated virus) can be done in a BSL-2 (P2) facility, using BSL-3 practices and procedures. Virus production activities, including virus concentrations, require a BSL-3 (P3) facility and use of BSL-3 practices and procedures”, see Recommended Biosafety Levels for Infectious Agents.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed
04.08.2012 Biological Hazard Kenya Rift Valley Province, [Turkana Region] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in Kenya on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 15:23 (03:23 PM) UTC.

Description
Agro-pastoralists farmers in Loima District in Turkana County have suffered huge losses on their farms from massive locust invasion in the region. The farmers at Kang’ilita Irrigation Schemes in Loima district have decried the invasion as a major setback to their economic sustainability despite their recent devoted engagements into farming. They said raised fear of low crop yields in the coming harvesting season as a result of the unprecedented invasion. Ms Pauline Nakali, a farmer, said that her farm has been extensively damaged by the locust pest and could hardly think of ways to regain the loss. “We are experiencing big loss of crops to locust invasion and that we expect low yield this season since our farms have been destroyed by the pest,” Ms Nakali said. She appealed to the government and donor partners to intervene and salvage the situation before it goes out of hand. But the Rift Valley Director of Agriculture Leonard Nyambuya told farmers that the Ministry of Agriculture and the development partner Food Agriculture Organizations (FAO) would send experts to tackle the pest. Mr Nyambuya said the ministry and the donor partner will provide insecticide to fight the pest. He said experts from the directorate of crop and pest in the ministry will supply appropriate chemicals and insecticides to get rid of the pests. “We are immediately sending the experts to assess the damage caused by the pest before we swing to action to eradicate it,” Nyambuya said. The director who addressed farmers’ field schools in Kangilita irrigation scheme directed the Field extension officers to assess the damage caused by the pest. The FAO officials Dr Paul Omanga said his organisation would assist the farmers to fight the prevailing pest problems in the area so that farmers achieve good yields.
Biohazard name: Locust Invasion
Biohazard level: 0/4 —
Biohazard desc.: This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status:
04.08.2012 Biological Hazard Japan Multiple areas, [Ise Bay (Ise-wan)] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in Japan on Saturday, 04 August, 2012 at 04:02 (04:02 AM) UTC.

Description
Large numbers of jellyfish have been swarming near nine thermal power plants on Ise Bay. Chubu Electric Power Co. estimates that there are close to 24,000 tons of the sea creatures swimming around the area, twice the usual level and the second-most recorded in the past decade. Measures are being taken to ensure the jellyfish don’t clog the power plants’ water intakes and disrupt their operations. Chubu Electric launched a research project in 1999 to predict the number of jellyfish in Ise Bay. They discovered that most jellyfish larvae transform into polyps in three major areas: near the port of Nagoya; along the coast of the Chita Peninsula from Tokoname to Morozaki, Minamichita, in Aichi Prefecture; and along the coast of the Shima Peninsula from Matsusaka to Toba in Mie Prefecture. Every winter, the research group collects samples of polyps and compares them with past results to predict how many larvae will develop into adult jellyfish in the following year. Last winter’s findings indicated the number this year would be 1.5 to 1.8 times higher than usual. “We don’t know the reason why the number is so high this year, but we need to monitor the situation closely,” said Minoru Hamada, 46, an assistant project manager in Chubu Electric’s technology development department.

If jellyfish block the water intake, a power plant can’t draw enough water from the sea to cool the steam used to turn the turbine, and the plant has to reduce its electricity output. Each plant has adopted various measures, including putting up nets, to stop the jellyfish from swimming too close, but this is only effective when dealing with small numbers. It is not enough to prevent large amounts of jellyfish from swimming in all at once. The number of jellyfish near the thermal power plants usually peaks in July, August and September. However, this year they started gathering around the plants in May, resulting in reduced electricity output at three of the plants for a total of nine days. They were the Hekinan plant in Hekinan, Aichi Prefecture, the Shin-Nagoya plant in Nagoya and the Kawagoe plant in Kawagoe, Mie Prefecture. It’s a pressing problem for Chubu Electric because it has become increasingly dependent on thermal energy since its Hamaoka nuclear plant has been shut down over quake and tsunami fears. “The effect of the jellyfish isn’t fully known yet, but it can have a serious impact on electricity output if they keep increasing, especially during this season when there is high electricity demand,” a Chubu Electric official said. “We need to monitor the jellyfish further and take actions swiftly if necessary.”

Biohazard name: Jellyfish invasion
Biohazard level: 0/4 —
Biohazard desc.: This does not included biological hazard category.
Symptoms:
Status: confirmed

*************************************************************************************************************

[In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit, for research and/or educational purposes. This constitutes 'FAIR USE' of any such copyrighted material.]

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 739 other followers