Tag Archive: Wallis and Futuna


Earthquakes

 

 

RSOE EDIS

 

 

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
03.08.2012 03:45:26 4.9 South-America Argentina Jujuy Abra Pampa There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 02:40:25 2.2 Middle-East Syria Tartus VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 02:40:43 4.1 Asia Afghanistan Badakhshan Ashkasham VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 02:25:24 4.3 Asia Pakistan North-West Frontier Province Uzhnu VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 02:41:02 2.1 Asia Turkey Kütahya Pazarlar There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 02:41:19 3.3 South-America Chile Valparaíso Hacienda La Calera VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 01:55:29 4.5 Pacific Ocean – West Wallis and Futuna Vele VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 02:41:37 4.5 Pacific Ocean – West Wallis and Futuna Vele VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 01:41:07 2.7 North America United States Alaska Petersville VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 01:41:27 2.9 North America United States California Bodfish There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 03:10:26 2.9 North America United States Alaska Nelson Lagoon There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 01:40:20 3.4 Europe Greece Attica Ydra There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 01:40:45 2.6 Asia Turkey Van Yuvacik VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 00:50:30 2.1 North America United States Washington Vashon VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 00:35:25 5.0 Middle-America Mexico Sinaloa San Miguel Zapotitlan VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 00:36:55 4.8 Middle America Mexico Sinaloa Topolobampo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 00:35:45 3.0 Europe Greece Peloponnese Nea Tirins There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 00:36:07 3.0 Europe Greece Peloponnese Messini VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
03.08.2012 00:36:31 3.1 Europe Greece West Greece Sardinia VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 23:50:24 3.4 North America United States Alaska Valdez VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 22:50:38 2.5 North America United States Hawaii Pa’auilo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 22:00:57 2.1 North America United States California Bodfish There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 22:30:22 2.8 Asia Turkey ?zmir Foca VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 21:35:35 3.0 Middle America Mexico Baja California Alberto Oviedo Mota There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 21:30:20 5.1 Asia India Arun?chal Pradesh Khonsa VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 21:31:07 5.0 Asia India Arun?chal Pradesh Khonsa VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 22:01:25 5.1 Asia India Arun?chal Pradesh Khonsa VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 20:55:27 2.5 North America United States California Bodfish There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 21:30:39 2.0 Asia Turkey Bal?kesir Sindirgi There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 22:30:51 4.7 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Aceh Meulaboh VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 20:30:20 2.7 Asia Turkey Yalova Kocadere VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 19:50:27 4.2 Caribbean British Virgin Islands Road Town VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 20:00:27 4.0 Caribbean British Virgin Islands Road Town VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
03.08.2012 02:25:51 2.3 North America Canada British Columbia Princeton VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 19:25:25 3.0 Europe Greece Peloponnese Koroni VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 19:10:26 2.0 North America United States Alaska Petersville VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 19:25:46 3.9 Middle-East Iraq Al Ba?rah Umm Qasr VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 19:26:07 2.0 Asia Turkey Mu?la Ula VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 18:05:27 2.1 North America United States California Phelan VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 18:45:36 4.6 Middle America Honduras Copán El Corpus There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 19:26:30 4.6 Middle-America Honduras Copán El Corpus There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 17:35:37 2.3 North America United States Alaska McCarthy There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 19:26:51 4.8 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Aceh Sinabang VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 18:50:37 4.8 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Aceh Sinabang VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 17:25:21 4.4 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Maluku Amahai VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 17:25:58 2.5 Asia Turkey Van Toyga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 20:30:41 4.8 Asia India Andaman and Nicobar Islands Bamboo Flat VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 17:26:23 4.9 South-America Falkland Islands Goose Green Settlement VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
02.08.2012 17:15:31 4.9 South America Falkland Islands Goose Green Settlement There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
02.08.2012 17:26:47 2.6 Asia Turkey Siirt Erenkaya VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details

 

 

 

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The western US state of Oregon has a 40 percent chance in the next half-century of suffering a massive earthquake on the scale of Japan’s 2011 disaster, a study said Wednesday.

The Pacific Northwest — from the Oregon-California border to Vancouver Island in Canada — has endured 19 huge earthquakes of around 8.7-9.2 magnitude over the past 10,000 years, Oregon State University researchers said.

An additional 22 major earthquakes have impacted only the southern part of the so-called Cascadia fault that runs from the Oregon areas of Coos Bay to Newport, the study said.

“The southern margin of Cascadia has a much higher recurrence level for major earthquakes than the northern end and, frankly, it is overdue for a rupture,” the study’s lead author Chris Goldfinger said in a statement.

The study, published online by the US Geological Survey, estimated a 40 percent chance of a major earthquake around Coos Bay, Oregon, over the next 50 years.

It said that the earthquake could be on the scale of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck in the Pacific Ocean near Japan on March 11, 2011. Some 19,000 people died as the tremor set off a devastating tsunami.

But Oregon has far fewer preparations in place than Japan, which is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone nations.

The Oregon State University study billed itself as the most comprehensive yet, which is based on 13 years of research including assessments of sediment to determine past seismic events.

Oregon already had an oral history of earthquakes, with Native Americans speaking of a giant tremor in around 1700.

Earthquake preparedness has triggered a major political debate in Oregon, with advocates warning that many schools and other buildings would be woefully inadequate in the event of a giant disaster.

Critics say that the massive cost of upgrading Oregon’s infrastructure could be devoted to more pressing priorities for residents such as building roads.

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Volcanic Activity

 

 

02.08.2012 Volcano Activity New Zealand North Island, [Volcano Whakaari, White Island] Damage level
Details

 

 

Volcano Activity in New Zealand on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 10:35 (10:35 AM) UTC.

Description
GNS Science has issued a volcanic alert for White Island because of increased activity in the crater lake and numerous earthquakes. GNS Science duty volcanologist Michael Rosenberg says the risk of eruption has increased. “Eruptions can occur at any time with little or no warning. The recent changes in activity suggest that the hydrothermal system has become unstable, and as a result the risk has increased.” The aviation colour code has been changed from green to yellow, meaning the volcano “is experiencing signs of elevated unrest above known background levels”. The volcanic alert level remains at 1 – “departure from typical background surface activity”. There have been a number of earthquakes in the vicinity of the island since the beginning of July. Mr Rosenberg says until very recently the crater lake was almost empty, but between Friday July 27 and Saturday July 28 the level rose by about 3m to 5m. A recent ground survey has also showed the main crater floor may be slowly rising. “These phenomena are typical for White Island’s activity, but are the first substantial changes to occur in the last few years,” Mr Rosenberg says. The amount of sulphur gas being emitted from the volcano has also increased. But Mr Rosenberg says the crater lake has not been accessible for some months and GNS Science has been unable to measure temperature or chemistry changes. Mr Rosenberg warns people that White Island is an active volcano and people visiting the island need to take extra care. He says the activity at the island has no connection to the recent earthquakes and changes in gas flux at Mt Tongariro. GNS Science isVol monitoring the situation and will release more information as it becomes available. White Island is located 48km off the east coast of the North Island in the Bay of Plenty.

 

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photo

New Zealand – White Island

New Zealand – White Island: main crater and crater lake.

For more info about New Zealand see: members.virtualtourist.com/m/7c27b/1cb3bb/

Taken with a Rollei Prego 90 > scan

New Zealand - White Island

White Island showing signs of unrest

MICHELLE COOKE

 

White Island volcano is showing signs of increased activity, GNS Science says.

The volcano, about 49 kilometres off the coast of Whakatane, is a popular tourist spot, but GNS volcanologist Michael Rosenberg says those visiting it should be cautious even though the alert level for the island had not changed.

“Eruptions can occur at any time with little or no warning. The recent changes in activity suggest that the hydrothermal system has become unstable, and as a result the risk has increased,” Rosenberg said.

GNS Science has changed the volcano’s code from a “normal, non eruptive state” to “experiencing signs of elevated unrest above known background levels”.

The volcano’s lake level quickly rose by about three to five metres sometime between Friday and Saturday last week, exposing a “vigorous” flow of gas and steam into the air, Rosenberg said.

It has risen in the past, but took much longer than the 24 hours it took to rise three to five metres on Friday and Saturday, he said.

During the past few weeks there had also been some minor volcanic tremor, including several hours on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

Last year and earlier this year the lake started to evaporate and exposed steam vents and two large muddy pools.

“These phenomena are typical for White Island’s activity, but are the first substantial changes to occur in the last few years,” Rosenberg said.

No-one lives on the privately-owned island but flights and boat-trips to the island are common.

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Excessive Heat Warning

 

SPRINGFIELD MO
TULSA OK
WICHITA KS



Excessive Heat Watch

 

PORTLAND OR




Heat Advisory

 

KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
SAN ANGELO TX
SPRINGFIELD MO
TULSA OK
ST LOUIS MO
NORMAN OK
LUBBOCK TX
FORT WORTH TX
MOUNT HOLLY NJ

8/2/2012 — Severe weather across North America = Hail, Damaging winds, Possible Tornadoes

Published on Aug 2, 2012 by

Use the links here to monitor severe weather nationally, and internationally:

http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/2012/02/12/2122012-weather-monitoring-links-s…

We are seeing two areas currently under tornado warnings issued by the NWS …. just west of North Platte Nebraska.. a tornado warning .. storm is heading east / southeast currently (600pm cdt 8/2/2012)…

Also north, a series of strong cells breaking out throughout the day… extending far north into Canada near Saskatoon.. and even tornado warnings issued by the Canadian weather service just northwest of Regina.. heading ENE currently.

Strong cell thunderstorms, hail, and damaging winds are in several states across the lower 48… Montana, Idaho, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and New Brunswick.

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

 

GREAT FALLS MT
GLASGOW MT
BILLINGS MT
SALT LAKE CITY UT
POCATELLO ID
RIVERTON WY



Fire Weather Watch

 

SACRAMENTO CA
RENO NV
ELKO NV
MEDFORD OR
NORMAN OK

01.08.2012 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.
02.08.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of California, Murrieta Damage level
Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 10:32 (10:32 AM) UTC.

Description
A large home was destroyed and three firefighters were injured battling a brush fire today in a rural area just west of Murrieta caused by mowing equipment operated by a Riverside County agency. “Riverside County has been notified by fire officials that it appears the … fire was accidentally caused by a county Transportation Department worker mowing alongside Tenaja Road,” county Executive Office Public Information Officer Ray Smith said. “The county is providing its full cooperation as fire department officials continue their investigation,” Smith said. “Each year, the county works to reduce the chance of fire by clearing brush and weeds along roadsides. The fire is a tragedy for the residents whose homes are threatened and whose lives and families are being disrupted. County officials will do everything in their power to assist them.” The fire, which started around 11:30 a.m. at Tenaja and Via Volcano roads in the unincorporated community of Deluz, has scorched more than 400 acres. Voluntary, or “soft,” evacuations were in place throughout the afternoon for residents who did not feel safe, but no mandatory evacuations were ordered. By 7 p.m., the fire was 50 percent contained.

A two-story house was destroyed by the flames, which threatened numerous other residences that firefighters were able to protect. Most of the side roads in the area are dirt, with homes built along hillsides. One firefighter suffered a broken ankle and was taken to a hospital. Two other crew members suffered unspecified minor injuries. An emergency staging area was set up at Avenida La Cresta and Valle Vista, from which more than 300 personnel from multiple agencies, including the Riverside County, Murrieta and Los Angeles County fire departments and the Pechanga tribal fire unit deployed. By 6 p.m., a few units were being deactivated and going home, according to reports from the scene, though full containment was not expected until Thursday morning. Thirty-nine engine crews, six water tender companies and 11 hand crews battled the flames, which had the potential to spread to 1,500 acres, officials said. At mid-afternoon, seven water-dropping helicopters and six air tankers were called into action to help contain the blaze, according to the fire department.

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More of Indiana in extreme drought

Published on Aug 2, 2012 by

New data released Thursday says that more of the state is now classified as an exceptional drought. Chopper 8 tours the conditions in Monroe County over Lake Monroe.

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Storms, Flooding

 

 

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

 

GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 
RAPID CITY SD



Severe Thunderstorm Watch

 

RAPID CITY SD

 

 Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of sto

rm system

Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Saola (10W) Pacific Ocean 28.07.2012 02.08.2012 Tropical Depression 330 ° 83 km/h 102 km/h 4.88 m JTWC Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Saola (10W)
Area: Pacific Ocean
Start up location: N 14° 24.000, E 127° 6.000
Start up: 28th July 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 865.71 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
30th Jul 2012 04:07:32 N 20° 0.000, E 124° 48.000 13 102 130 Tropical Storm 345 14 JTWC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
02nd Aug 2012 15:47:44 N 25° 42.000, E 121° 18.000 11 83 102 Tropical Depression 330 ° 16 JTWC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
04th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 28° 54.000, E 114° 42.000 Tropical Depression 37 56 JTWC

 

 

Damrey (11W) Pacific Ocean 29.07.2012 02.08.2012 Typhoon I 295 ° 120 km/h 148 km/h 5.49 m JTWC Details

 

 

 

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Damrey (11W)
Area: Pacific Ocean
Start up location: N 26° 0.000, E 145° 18.000
Start up: 29th July 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 1,605.37 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
30th Jul 2012 04:07:12 N 25° 30.000, E 145° 6.000 7 74 93 Tropical Storm 255 8 JTWC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
02nd Aug 2012 16:42:36 N 34° 36.000, E 120° 12.000 33 120 148 Typhoon I 295 ° 18 JTWC

 

 

AL05 Atlantic Ocean 02.08.2012 02.08.2012 Tropical Depression 280 ° 56 km/h 74 km/h 4.57 m NOAA NHC Details

 

 

 

Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: AL05
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 12° 36.000, W 50° 36.000
Start up: 02nd August 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 0.00 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
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
02nd Aug 2012 16:39:16 N 13° 0.000, W 54° 18.000 31 56 74 Tropical Depression 280 ° 15 1008 MB NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
04th Aug 2012 00:00:00 N 14° 6.000, W 63° 36.000 Tropical Depression 65 83 NHC
04th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 14° 42.000, W 66° 48.000 Tropical Depression 74 93 NHC
05th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 15° 42.000, W 73° 0.000 Tropical Depression 83 102 NHC
06th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 17° 0.000, W 78° 0.000 Tropical Depression 93 111 NHC
07th Aug 2012 12:00:00 N 18° 30.000, W 82° 0.000 Hurricane I 111 139 NHC

 

 

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02.08.2012 Tropical Storm Taiwan Multiple Regions, [Northern areas] Damage level
Details

 

 

Tropical Storm in Taiwan on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 05:14 (05:14 AM) UTC.

Description
A slow-moving typhoon spawning torrential rains slammed into eastern Taiwan early Thursday, flooding farmlands, disrupting transportation and turning the normally bustling capital of Taipei into a ghost town. The storm made landfall near the eastern coastal city of Hualien just before daybreak, before veering northward and hugging the coast. It was expected to pass near the northern port city of Keelung and skirt the Taipei suburbs by midday. Packing sustained winds of 118 km/h and gusts of 155 km/h, Saola’s slow speed — only 12 km/h — made it a virtual certainty that the heavy rains inundating northern Taiwan for the past 48 hours would continue through the weekend. That raised the prospect of potentially devastating flooding in areas that have already absorbed more than 1,000 millimeters of rain since Tuesday. Authorities ordered offices and businesses closed throughout northern Taiwan, including in Taipei. Normally busy streets in the capital were deserted during the morning rush hour, as cleanup crews laboured to clear them of hundreds of trees and branches felled during the night by Saola’s ferocious approach. Television footage showed hectare upon hectare of flooded farmland in low-lying coastal areas, punctuated by scenes of raging rivers and roads blocked by mudslides in the island’s mountainous centre. The Defence Ministry mobilized 48,000 soldiers to help mitigate the storm’s impact, dispatching many to help hard-pressed farmers try to save threatened fruit and vegetable harvests. Dozens of flights were cancelled at Taipei’s main international airport, and rail transport throughout the island was disrupted.

 

 

 

 

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24 dead in Philippines as ‘Gener’ moves to Taiwan

By Alexis Romero The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon “Gener” (international name: Saola) left at least 24 persons dead and almost 180,000 displaced as of Thursday afternoon, disaster management officials said.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said new fatalities were recorded in Ilocos Sur, Quezon, Bulacan, Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Negros Oriental and Misamis Oriental.

The latest fatality was identified as Venice Sinopen, a grade three pupil from San Ramon Sigay, Ilocos Sur, who died of drowning.

In Bataan, a certain Angelito Bicoy, 59, drowned and was recovered along the shoreline of barangay Sisiman in Mariveles last Tuesday.

Two new fatalities were also recorded in Bulacan namely Efren Salvacion, 41, of Obando and Patrick dela Rosa, 12, of Marilao. Both died of drowning.

Five persons from Visayas and Mindanao died after they were hit by fallen trees during the height of the typhoon.

They were Mary Jane Lima, 24, of Silay City, Negros Occidental; Madeline Caminade, 48, of Iloilo City; Emelia Pasugiron and Andrei Pasugiron, both from Bayawan City, Negros Oriental and Augusto Campo of Kinoguitan, Misamis Oriental.

The NDRRMC said 21 persons sustained injuries because of the typhoon. The injured persons are from Mimaropa, Cordillera and Western Visayas regions.

A total of 331,588 persons or 69,292 families in Ilocos, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Northern Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN and Metro Manila have been affected by the typhoon.

Of this, 37,225 families or 179,990 persons were displaced. While “Gener” has left the Philippine area of responsibility, 12,000 persons or 2,664 families are still inside 61 evacuation centers.

The amount of property damage caused by Gener remained at P2.13 million. The NDRRMC is still gathering reports from its field personnel on the extent of damage caused by the typhoon.

The number of houses damaged by the bad weather has risen to 2,785.

The NDRRMC said that as of Thursday afternoon, 802 passengers are still stranded in 25 vessels due to heavy rains.

The ferry boat Operations in Lallo, Cagayan, which has been disrupted by the bad weather, resumed on Wednesday afternoon.

As of Wednesday, 29 roads and three bridges in Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan, Central Luzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Metro Manila have been affected by the typhoon.

Classes from pre-school to high school levels were suspended Thursday in barangays Damapalit and Panghulo in Malabon City, and 15 schools in Valenzuela City.

In Bulacan, classes in all levels were suspended in Obando and San Ildefonso towns. On the other hand, pre-school and elementary classes were also suspended in Hagonoy West, Meycauayan, Hagonoy East and Paombong also in Bulacan and in Imus, Cavite.

 

02.08.2012 Hailstorm USA State of Indiana, Oakland City Damage level
Details

 

 

Hailstorm in USA on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 03:12 (03:12 AM) UTC.

Description
Residents of a southwestern Indiana county began cleaning up Wednesday following a severe storm that brought much-needed rain but also damaged homes, caused power outages and pummeled one community with hail during a parade. Gibson County Sheriff George Ballard said four people were slightly injured Tuesday in Oakland City when large hail swept through, sending attendees running for cover during the parade kicking off the community’s annual Sweet Corn Festival. Ballard said three of those were minor injuries treated on the scene while the fourth person, a woman, was taken to a hospital with a foot injury. Ballard told the Evansville Courier & Press the first storm warning came at 5:50 p.m., 10 minutes before the parade was scheduled to begin. He said the storm hit the town about 25 miles northeast of Evansville at around 6:20 p.m. with high winds and hail that National Weather Service observers reported in some cases were as large as baseballs. However, Oakland City Fire Chief Jim Deffendall said in a telephone interview that no storm warnings were in effect when the decision was made to let the parade start. Weather experts told parade organizers the storm would pass east of the community, but then it changed direction and hit the parade route, he said. The parade was halted less than halfway through the route, with participants running to nearby homes, Deffendall said. “By the time the sirens went off, it was on us,” Deffendall said. “We stopped it and made everyone get off the floats.” Deffendall said he and Oakland City Police Chief Alec Hinsley had the authority to cancel the parade.

 

 

 

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02.08.2012 Tornado Vietnam Bac Lieu Province, [The area was not defined.] Damage level
Details

 

 

Tornado in Vietnam on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 03:29 (03:29 AM) UTC.

Description
Freak tornadoes swept through three southern provinces early yesterday killing two people, injuring about 75 others and destroying nearly 700 homes. Thousands of people are reported to have been left homeless by the high-speed storms, which lasted for less than half an hour each. In Bac Lieu Province, a tornado took one life and injured another 12. Bac Lieu province have sent rescue forces to help the victims. Head of the Bac Lieu flood and storm control steering committee Lai Thanh An said that in two districts, Phuoc Long and Hong Dan, more than 200 houses were severely damaged by the wind. Earlier reports said that 50 homes in the province had also been totally destroyed. He said that in Phu Dong commune, 60 houses were damaged. The exact damage to farming in the province is still being assessed.

 

 

02.08.2012 Tornado Vietnam Soc Trang Province, [The area was not defined.] Damage level
Details

 

Tornado in Vietnam on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 03:27 (03:27 AM) UTC.

Description
Freak tornadoes swept through three southern provinces early yesterday killing two people, injuring about 75 others and destroying nearly 700 homes. Thousands of people are reported to have been left homeless by the high-speed storms, which lasted for less than half an hour each. In Soc Trang Province, residents reported that two tornadoes struck in one hour, killing one resident and injuring about 59 others. According to preliminary reports, Soc Trang suffered the worst damage. A total of 110 houses were completely destroyed and another 226 damaged, said a spokesman for the Soc Trang People’s Committee. One family in Soc Trang who lost a family member will receive VND4.5 million (US$210) from the Government, while those injured will receive VND3 million ($140).

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02.08.2012 Flash Flood USA State of Connecticut, Naugatuck Damage level
Details

 

 

Flash Flood in USA on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 03:24 (03:24 AM) UTC.

Description
A state of emergency was declared in Naugatuck Wednesday after flash flooding caused damage, street closures and evacuations. The flooding, which occurred after several inches of rain fell in a short period of time, prompted officials to open Naugatuck’s Emergency Operations Center at 4 p.m., according to Lt. Robert Harrison, Police Department spokesman. Hartford was notified, he said. Gov. Dannel P. Malloy toured flood damage Wednesday night, along with Naugatuck Mayor Robert Mezzo and other officials. Malloy offered Naugatuck some assistance in the form of state Department of Transportation vehicles and dump trucks to help with cleanup, Harrison said. Two apartment buildings, one on Prospect Street and the other on Trowbridge Place, were evacuated. He said flood waters “compromised the buildings,” in particular after water seeped into electrical systems. He said residents were not immediately allowed back into their apartments. A shelter was initially set up at the Naugatuck Senior Center with only one resident taking advantage of the shelter. That person was later relocated by the Red Cross to a local hotel, Harrison said. Other residents were able to find places to spend the night, he added. He didn’t have a count of how many people were displaced. Flood waters caused several roads to buckle as well as the collapse of a retaining wall on Rubber Avenue, he said. Mezzo, in his blog, said that as of 8 p.m. Wednesday several roads were “compromised.” He said Scott Street at Andrew Avenue was closed, as was Arch Street by the former Risdon property. Brook Street was partially closed, he said. Barricades were set up along Nettleton and Moore avenues and also along Wooster Street near Fairview Lane, restricting access to certain portions of the roads. “All other roads are open for travel,” Mezzo said. Exits 26, 27 and 28 off Route 8 were closed temporarily, but by 8 p.m. had been reopened, Harrison said. No injuries were reported.

 

 

02.08.2012 Flash Flood USA State of Arizona, [Phoenix - north] Damage level
Details

 

 

Flash Flood in USA on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 03:21 (03:21 AM) UTC.

Description
Flood waters in the Phoenix area were receding Wednesday, a day after firefighters rescued a baby and several other people who were trapped in their vehicles. A dust and monsoon storm late Tuesday carried pea-sized hail and forced the closure of a well-traveled highway, flooded homes, knocked out power to area residents and collapsed a backyard fence. Firefighters rescued nine people from four vehicles on a highway west of Interstate 17 near Phoenix. Drivers on that part of State Route 74 were rerouted Wednesday during morning rush-hour traffic onto an alternate east-west route that is used for trips to and from Las Vegas. The five-mile stretch of highway reopened Wednesday afternoon when storm runoff subsided. Phoenix Fire Capt. Scott McDonald said it took an hour to rescue the people from their vehicles Tuesday amid the fast-moving water that rose to 4 feet at one point, the Arizona Republic reported. Nearby, homes in Anthem quickly filled with water. Residents were cleaning up Wednesday from the storm that turned their streets into a muddy river, destroyed one home and felled trees. Vides’ neighbor was standing by a fence when it collapsed and the water knocked her over, sending her swimming. A slight chance of thunderstorms is forecast for the Phoenix area Friday and through the weekend. The National Weather Service says any storms that develop could produce lightning, gusty winds and heavy rainfall.

 

 

Flash Flood Warning

 

PEACHTREE CITY GA



Flood Advisory

 

INDIANAPOLIS IN
COLUMBIA SC
ALBUQUERQUE NM
MORRISTOWN TN



Coastal Flood Advisory

 

WILMINGTON NC

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State of Emergency in Naugatuck

Some roads in Naugatuck are flooded.

State of Emergency in Naugatuck

Jake Lounsbury

Water covers Main Street in Naugatuck.

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The mayor of Naugatuck has declared a state of emergency after a freak rain storm caused flash floods Wednesday afternoon.

Emergency officials have been taking call after call for flooding in Naugatuck as a storm dumped more than five inches of rain.

The Naugatuck River went from 1.6 feet as of 2:30 p.m. to 6.6 feet as of 4 p.m. because of rain coming downstream from Naugautuck, according to NBC meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan.

There is a 6-foot deep sinkhole at Trowbridge Place in Naugatuck caused by the storm.

Mayor Bob Mezzo declared a state of emergency as of 4 p.m. and said many areas of the Borough were impassible.  Mezzo was updating damage reports on his blog.

A three-story apartment building at 83 Prospect Street was evacuated due to flooding, according to police.  The Senior Center at 300 Meadow Street was being used as a shelter.

Gov. Dannel Malloy traveled to Naugatuck to see the damage first hand.

Several people have tweeted photos of flooded roads.

One of the most dramatic is of Hoadley Avenue, where rushing water is carrying chunks of roadway down the street.

The state Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection warns against driving in areas where the water covers the roadway.

The depth of water is not always obvious. The road bed may be washed out under the water, and you could be stranded or trapped, according to a flood information sheet from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

 

 

Taiwan flooded with almost 5 feet of typhoon rain

Associated Press

taiwan_typhoon.jpg

TAIPEI, Taiwan –  A tropical storm inched across northern Taiwan on Thursday after already dumping up to five feet of rain that has flooded farmland, swollen rivers and paralyzed life on much of the densely populated island of 23 million people.

Saola weakened from a typhoon to a tropical storm by late afternoon, but its slow movement and continuing heavy rains raised the prospect of devastating flooding in areas that have absorbed more than 58 inches of rain since Tuesday.

It has caused five deaths and left two people missing in Taiwan after killing 26 people in the Philippines.

In the day in the northeastern county of Ilan, rescuers used rubber boats and amphibious vehicles to help hundreds escape flooded homes.

Dozens of flights were canceled at Taipei’s main international airport, where heavy winds destroyed two jetways, and rail transport throughout the island was disrupted. All seven major reservoirs in Taiwan released large quantities of water to prevent flooding.

By nighttime, Saola was centered just off northern Taiwan, moving northwest toward China at 10 mph. It had sustained winds of 54 mph, gusting to 71 mph.

Offices and businesses were closed throughout northern Taiwan. In Taipei, normally busy streets were deserted except for cleanup crews clearing off fallen trees and branches. The Defense Ministry mobilized 48,000 soldiers to help mitigate the storm’s impact.

Television footage showed acre upon acre of flooded farmland in low-lying coastal areas, punctuated by scenes of raging rivers and roads blocked by mudslides in the island’s mountainous center.

The typhoon left at least 26 people dead in the Philippines and forced 180,000 to flee their homes. Coast guard and other disaster-response groups rescued 125 people from stricken sea vessels and flooded villages, according to Benito Ramos, who heads the government’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

China’s east coast was bracing for dual landfalls, Saola and Typhoon Damrey to its north. Coastal provinces were moving residents to safety in anticipation of flooding, the official Xinhua News Agency said.

 

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Epidemic Hazards / Diseases

 

02.08.2012 Epidemic Hazard Uganda Western Uganda, [Kibaale District, Mbarara and the Capital City (Kampala)] Damage level
Details

 

Epidemic Hazard in Uganda on Thursday, 26 July, 2012 at 15:57 (03:57 PM) UTC.

Back

Updated: Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 16:14 UTC
Description
The hospital at the center of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda is now dealing with 30 suspected cases, including five from Kibaale prison, Dr. Dan Kyamanywa said Thursday. Three patients at Kagadi hospital have been confirmed as having the virus, said Kyamanywa, a district health officer. Doctors are now testing the suspected cases urgently so they can separate confirmed cases from those who do not have the disease, Doctors Without Borders said. Suspected cases are still trickling into the hospital, Kyamanywa said. At least 16 people have died in the current outbreak. The five prisoners have been showing Ebola-like symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea and fever, the doctor said. “We do expect the number of suspected cases to increase,” he said. “It’s important to break transmission and reduce the number of contacts that suspected cases have.” There is a fear that the outbreak will spread to the capital, but it is unlikely, he said. Many patients fled Kagadi hospital when Ebola was confirmed, he said, and the hospital is struggling to respond to all the call-outs to suspected cases.

“Right now there is no treatment for Ebola, so the most effective measure we can take is to contain the spread of the disease,” said Olimpia de la Rosa, the Doctors Without Borders emergency coordinator for Uganda Ebola intervention. “That is why we need to start working immediately. Other cases need to be rapidly identified because containment is what can stop it,” said the expert from the aid group, which is also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres. The Ugandan government has asked people in western Uganda to travel by public transport only if it is necessary. The outbreak began in the Kibaale district in western Uganda. The deaths have stoked heightened fear about the spread of the virus, a highly infectious, often fatal agent spread through direct contact with bodily fluids. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache, a measles-like rash, red eyes and, at times, bleeding from body openings. Market day was canceled Wednesday after Uganda’s president warned people not to gather in large groups. Health officials urged the public to report any suspected cases, to avoid contact with anyone infected and to wear gloves and masks while disinfecting bedding and clothing of infected people. Officials also advised avoiding public gatherings in the affected district. Teams in Uganda are taking an aggressive approach, including trying to track down anyone who came into contact with patients infected with the virus and health workers have been gearing up for better protection of health workers and an influx of cases.

The workers include people from Uganda’s ministry of health, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. The outbreak initially went undetected because patients did not show typical symptoms, Ugandan Health Minister Dr. Christine Ondoa told CNN on Sunday. Patients had fevers and were vomiting, but did not show other typical symptoms, such as hemorrhaging. Diagnosis in an individual who has only recently been infected can be difficult since early symptoms, such as red eyes and skin rash, are seen more frequently in patients who have more common diseases, the CDC said. Uganda’s Ministry of Health declared the outbreak in Kibaale district Saturday after the Uganda Virus Research Institute identified the disease as the Sudan strain of Ebola hemorrhagic fever.

 

 

02.08.2012 Epidemic Hazard Kenya Province of Nyanza, Siaya Damage level
Details

 

 

Epidemic Hazard in Kenya on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 18:35 (06:35 PM) UTC.

Description
Anxiety has gripped Siaya residents after a 27-year-old man was admitted to hospital with symptoms of the deadly Ebola virus. The man, who was immediately put in a solitary ward in Siaya District Hospital, was admitted Wednesday [1 Aug 2012] morning with excessive blood oozing from his gums. “He is also passing bloody urine,” said Siaya Medical Superintendent Jacktone Omoto, who said that was a symptom associated with the haemorrhagic fever. Omoto said the patient’s blood sample was sent to the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Siaya for testing, and the results are expected on Friday [3 Aug 2012] at the earliest. Director of Public Health Shahnaaz Sharif has, in the meantime, called for calm as the country awaits the results of the tests. On Monday [30 Jul 2012], the government put on high alert Provincial Directors of Health and District Medical Officers in Western, Nyanza and the Rift valley, which border Uganda, over the outbreak of the deadly Ebola disease. Public Health Minister Beth Mugo is expected to give a ministerial statement on the specific measures the government has taken since the outbreak was reported in neighbouring Uganda about 3 weeks ago.
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

 

 

 

 

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Solar Activity

2MIN News August 2, 2012: Hurricane/Cyclone Season, Quakes, Space weather

Published on Aug 2, 2012 by

TODAY’S LINKS
Fish Skin Cancer: http://phys.org/news/2012-08-skin-cancer-wild-fish-populations.html
US Quake Prediction: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120801132717.htm

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!]

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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
(2000 RN77) 03rd August 2012 0 day(s) 0.1955 76.1 410 m – 920 m 9.87 km/s 35532 km/h
(2004 SB56) 04th August 2012 1 day(s) 0.1393 54.2 380 m – 840 m 13.72 km/s 49392 km/h
(2000 SD8) 04th August 2012 1 day(s) 0.1675 65.2 180 m – 400 m 5.82 km/s 20952 km/h
(2006 EC) 06th August 2012 3 day(s) 0.0932 36.3 13 m – 28 m 6.13 km/s 22068 km/h
(2006 MV1) 07th August 2012 4 day(s) 0.0612 23.8 12 m – 28 m 4.79 km/s 17244 km/h
(2005 RK3) 08th August 2012 5 day(s) 0.1843 71.7 52 m – 120 m 8.27 km/s 29772 km/h
(2009 BW2) 09th August 2012 6 day(s) 0.0337 13.1 25 m – 56 m 5.27 km/s 18972 km/h
277475 (2005 WK4) 09th August 2012 6 day(s) 0.1283 49.9 260 m – 580 m 6.18 km/s 22248 km/h
(2004 SC56) 09th August 2012 6 day(s) 0.0811 31.6 74 m – 170 m 10.57 km/s 38052 km/h
(2008 AF4) 10th August 2012 7 day(s) 0.1936 75.3 310 m – 690 m 16.05 km/s 57780 km/h
37655 Illapa 12th August 2012 9 day(s) 0.0951 37.0 770 m – 1.7 km 28.73 km/s 103428 km/h
(2012 HS15) 14th August 2012 11 day(s) 0.1803 70.2 220 m – 490 m 11.54 km/s 41544 km/h
4581 Asclepius 16th August 2012 13 day(s) 0.1079 42.0 220 m – 490 m 13.48 km/s 48528 km/h
(2008 TC4) 18th August 2012 15 day(s) 0.1937 75.4 140 m – 300 m 17.34 km/s 62424 km/h
(2006 CV) 20th August 2012 17 day(s) 0.1744 67.9 290 m – 640 m 13.24 km/s 47664 km/h
(2012 EC) 20th August 2012 17 day(s) 0.0815 31.7 56 m – 130 m 5.57 km/s 20052 km/h
162421 (2000 ET70) 21st August 2012 18 day(s) 0.1503 58.5 640 m – 1.4 km 12.92 km/s 46512 km/h
(2007 WU3) 21st August 2012 18 day(s) 0.1954 76.0 56 m – 120 m 5.25 km/s 18900 km/h
(2012 BB14) 24th August 2012 21 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

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Sinkholes

Road gives way as Deadly Sinkhole opens up & swallows man in Taiwan (Aug 2, 2012)


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Biological Hazards / Wildlife / Hazmat

 

 

Thousands of Fish found dead in Lake Canyada, Iowa (Aug 2, 2012)

Fish Kill in Lake Canyada

Posted on: 10:07 pm, July 31, 2012, by , updated on: 08:22am, August 1, 2012

 http://wqad.com/2012/07/31/fish-kill-in-lake-canyada/

Lakes all over the state of Iowa are dealing with dead fish floating to the surface thanks the excessive heat and lack of rain we have seen.  The most recent fish kill in our area is Lake Canyada in Davenport.  Residents woke up Monday morning to the rancid smell of rotten fish.

Approximately 2000 fish were killed in the lake due to high heat and lack of rain fall.  The weather conditions depleted the amount of oxygen in the lake, killing mainly blue gills, some catfish and grass carp.

An Iowa DNR officer has checked the water and confirmed that it was nature and not pollution that killed the thousands of fish.

“If it was a fish kill related to chemicals or some other foreign substance in the lake, it would be in the 10’s of thousands in that 11 acre lake,” DNR officer Jeff Harrison tells us.  “So, it’s a natural occurring event.”

Lake Canyada is not alone.  Harrison says there have been 3 fish kills at Lake Odessa this year.  DNR has also stated that similar fish kills are being reported across the state of Iowa.

Read more about how the heat is affecting fishing – click here.

 

 

02.08.2012 Biological Hazard USA State of Texas, [Irion County] Damage level
Details

 

 

Biological Hazard in USA on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 10:42 (10:42 AM) UTC.

Description
A yearling female sheep in West Texas has been diagnosed with anthrax. This is the second confirmed case of anthrax in a Texas animal for 2012 and the first in livestock this year. The infected sheep was located near Mertzon, TX (Irion County,) which is approximately 26 miles southwest of San Angelo. The Texas Animal Health Commission (TAHC) has quarantined the premises. TAHC regulations require vaccinations of exposed livestock and proper disposal of carcasses before a quarantine can be released. Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by Bacillus anthracis, whichis a naturally occurring organism with worldwide distribution, including Texas. It is not uncommon for anthrax to be diagnosed in livestock or wildlife in the southwestern part of the state. Basic sanitation precautions such as hand washing, wearing long sleeves and gloves can prevent accidental spread of the bacteria to people if handling affected livestock or carcasses. Acute fever followed by rapid death with bleeding from body openings are all common signs of anthrax in livestock. Carcasses may also appear bloated and appear to decompose quickly. Livestock or animals displaying symptoms consistent with anthrax should be reported to a private practitioner or TAHC official. “The TAHC will continue to closely monitor the situation for possible new cases across the state. Producers are encouraged to consult with their veterinary practitioner or local TAHC office about the disease and about preventative measures such as vaccination of livestock,” Dr. Dee Ellis, State Veterinarian, said.
Biohazard name: Anthrax
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

 

 

 

02.08.2012 HAZMAT China Hong Kong Special Administrative Regions, Hong Kong Damage level
Details

 

HAZMAT in China on Thursday, 02 August, 2012 at 10:23 (10:23 AM) UTC.

Description
Low-level radioactivity was discovered in a packaged oats product from Japan on sale at a retail outlet in Hong Kong, a spokesman for the Center for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department said Wednesday. After testing a sample from the package, the Hong Kong-based CFS said radioactivity levels were low enough that there is no health concern for anyone consuming the oatmeal. “The oats sample was collected from a local supermarket for radiation testing under the regular food surveillance program, the CFS spokesman said. “The test result showed that a low level of the radioactive substance, Caesium-137 (Cs-137), was detected at 7 Bq/kg.” The CFS spokesman said the radioactivity level is far below the 1,000 Bq/kg safety guideline established by the international Codex Alimentarius Commission. CFS did not order a recall of the product because the dietary exposure shows the internal dose of Cs-137 even at high consumption, figured at 90 grams per day, would not be enough to result in adverse health effects.

Hong Kong, one of two special administrative regions of the People’s Republic of China (the other being Macau), has been conducting daily tests for radioactivity of food from Japan since March 12, 2011. One day before that, a powerful 9.0 earthquake struck Japan, causing a devastating tidal wave and leading to the melt down of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. With the farmland environment around the Daiichi plant poisoned with radioactivity, Hong Kong CFS has conducted nearly 91,000 tests of food imported from Japan to weed out any that are radioactive. Just 171 Japanese food samples have been found to be radioactive by the Hong Kong testing program. With the packaged oats, high consumption would result in a radiation dose lower than one might receive during a chest X-ray. Hong Kong tests for Iodine-131, Caesium-134 and Caesium-137. It has detected these elements in fruits and vegetables, meat and aquatic products, and various beverages and cereals. In most cases, the findings do not exceed Codex levels or the importer for disposal surrendered the product. CFS said it will “review and adjust” the monitoring of food from Japan based on “recommendations from international authorities to safeguard food safety.”

 

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Articles of Interest

Strange “Fire Rainbow” Cloud Appears Over South Florida – July 31, 2012

Published on Aug 1, 2012 by

“So-called “fire rainbows” are neither on fire nor are they rainbows, but they sure are stunning.

They are technically known as iridescent clouds, a relatively rare phenomenon caused by clouds of water droplets of nearly uniform size, according to a release by NASA. These clouds diffract, or bend, light in a similar manner, which separates out light into different wavelengths, or colors.

That makes them similar to rainbow-colored glories, which are also formed by diffraction, and also produce an oscillating pattern of colors ranging from blue to green to red to purple and back to blue again.” read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48451773/ns/technology_and_science-science/#.UBnS…

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[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.]

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Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
06.07.2012 04:50:41 2.7 Europe Albania Vlorë Orikum VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 04:45:47 6.3 Pacific Ocean – West Vanuatu Sanma Port-Olry There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 04:51:04 5.9 Pacific Ocean – West Vanuatu Sanma Port-Olry There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 04:20:29 2.1 North America United States California Potter Valley There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 04:51:27 2.7 Asia Turkey Isparta Egirdir VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 04:10:34 2.5 North America United States California Cobb There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 04:51:50 3.4 Europe Greece North Aegean Kontaiika VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 03:55:23 2.4 North America United States Alaska Skwentna There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 04:52:17 2.0 Asia Turkey Eski?ehir Mihalgazi VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 03:50:30 5.0 North-America United States Alaska Anderson VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 03:30:29 4.4 North America United States Alaska Skwentna There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 03:25:27 2.5 North America United States Washington Morton There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 03:05:29 4.9 Pacific Ocean – West Wallis and Futuna Vele VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 03:50:50 4.9 Pacific Ocean – West Wallis and Futuna Vele VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 03:45:32 3.3 Caribbean Dominican Republic La Altagracia Otra Banda VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 02:50:24 3.4 South-America Chile Atacama Vallenar VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 02:50:43 4.0 South-America Chile Antofagasta San Pedro de Atacama VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 02:51:02 2.5 Europe Spain Canary Islands La Restinga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 02:51:21 2.6 Europe Spain Canary Islands La Restinga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:45:28 2.8 Europe Greece Central Greece Itea VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:45:49 3.1 Europe Portugal Faro Sagres VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:30:36 4.7 Asia Japan Kagoshima Naze There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
06.07.2012 01:46:11 4.8 Asia Japan Kagoshima Naze There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:46:32 3.3 South-America Peru Tacna Sobraya There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:46:52 2.5 Asia Turkey Mu?la Ula VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:47:12 2.8 Europe Spain Canary Islands La Restinga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 00:40:29 3.0 Asia Turkey Tokat Yesilyurt VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 04:52:52 2.4 Asia Turkey Tokat Yesilyurt VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 01:31:35 3.6 Pacific Ocean New Zealand West Coast Westport VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 GEONET Details
06.07.2012 00:40:50 2.6 Europe Spain Canary Islands La Restinga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 00:41:14 3.0 Asia Turkey Kütahya Saphane There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 00:00:38 2.2 North America Canada British Columbia Princeton VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.07.2012 23:35:25 2.4 Europe France Brittany Saint-Cast-le-Guildo VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 23:35:42 2.6 Europe Spain Canary Islands La Restinga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
06.07.2012 00:41:34 4.0 Asia China Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu Aksu VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 23:36:00 2.2 Europe Portugal Faro Sagres VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 22:30:27 2.0 Asia Turkey Kütahya Saphane VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 22:30:47 2.1 Asia Turkey Kütahya Saphane There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 22:31:06 2.3 Asia Turkey Edirne Enez VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 22:31:25 2.2 Asia Turkey Kütahya Simav There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 22:25:35 2.6 Caribbean Puerto Rico Aguadilla San Antonio VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.07.2012 20:56:00 2.1 North America United States California La Canada Flintridge VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.07.2012 20:56:25 2.2 North America United States California La Canada Flintridge VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.07.2012 20:50:42 2.6 North America United States California Big Bear City There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.07.2012 20:27:29 3.5 North America United States California Big Bear City There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
05.07.2012 21:25:26 2.6 Europe Spain Canary Islands La Restinga There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 21:25:46 2.4 Asia Turkey Elaz?? Agin VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 21:26:11 2.1 Asia Turkey Mu?la Marmaris VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 20:25:21 2.0 Europe Italy Tuscany Marciano There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
05.07.2012 21:26:34 2.5 Asia Turkey Erzurum Horasan There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details

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Volcanic Activity

Image Caption: A 2011 eruption of Eritrea’s Nabro volcano caused the largest stratospheric aerosol load ever recorded by OSIRIS on Sweden’s Odin satellite in its more than 10 years of flight. Credit: Image: Swedish Space Corporation

A University of Saskatchewan-led international research team has discovered that aerosols from relatively small volcanic eruptions can be boosted into the high atmosphere by weather systems such as monsoons, where they can affect global temperatures. The research appears in the July 6 issue of the journal Science.

Adam Bourassa, from the U of S Institute of Space and Atmospheric Studies, led the research. He explains that until now it was thought that a massively energetic eruption was needed to inject aerosols past the troposphere, the turbulent atmospheric layer closest to the earth, into the stable layers of the stratosphere higher up.

“If an aerosol is in the lower atmosphere, it’s affected by the weather and it precipitates back down right away,” Bourassa says. “Once it reaches the stratosphere, it can persist for years, and with that kind of a sustained lifetime, it can really have a lasting effect.” That effect is the scattering of incoming sunlight and the potential to cool the Earth’s surface.

For example, the massive eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991 temporarily dropped temperatures by half a degree Celsius world-wide.

The research team includes scientists from the U of S, Rutgers University in New Jersey, the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, and the University of Wyoming. They looked at the June 2011 eruption of the Nabro volcano in Eritrea in northeast Africa. Wind carried the volcanic gas and aerosol – minute droplets of sulfuric acid – into the path of the annual Asian summer monsoon.

The stratosphere’s calm layers are high – from 10 km up at the poles to 17 km altitude at the equator – and it was thought storms could not pierce it. For example, the distinctive flattened “anvil” shape at the top of large thunderstorms is created as the storm pushes against the stratosphere.

Dust from the Nabro volcano, being slightly heavier, settled out, but the monsoon lofted volcanic gas and the lighter liquid droplets into the stratosphere where they were detected by the Canadian Space Agency’s OSIRIS instrument aboard the Swedish satellite Odin. The Nabro volcano caused the largest stratospheric aerosol load ever recorded by OSIRIS in its more than 10 years of flight.

OSIRIS, designed in part at the U of S, is used to study the upper atmosphere, particularly the ozone layer and atmospheric aerosols. Originally intended for a two-year mission, the instrument has been functioning flawlessly since its launch in 2001. It circles the earth from pole to pole once every hour and a half, downloading fresh data to the analysis centre at the U of S campus.

“There are only a few instruments that can measure stratospheric aerosols, and OSIRIS is one of them,” Bourassa says. “It’s become extremely important for climate studies, because we’ve captured more than a full decade of data. The longer it’s up, the more valuable it becomes.”

The hope is these latest findings will provide another piece of the puzzle to allow more accurate models of climate behavior and change.

Source: redOrbit (http://s.tt/1gZMA)

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather/ Drought

Excessive Heat Warning

PITTSBURGH PA
LOUISVILLE KY
GRAND RAPIDS MI
NORTHERN INDIANA
CHICAGO IL
GREEN BAY WI
CLEVELAND OH
TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN
KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
LA CROSSE WI
WILMINGTON OH
MILWAUKEE/SULLIVAN WI
DES MOINES IA
QUAD CITIES IA IL
CHARLESTON WV
OMAHA/VALLEY NE
SIOUX FALLS SD
ST LOUIS MO
LINCOLN IL
PADUCAH KY
INDIANAPOLIS IN
MOUNT HOLLY NJ
DETROIT/PONTIAC MI

Excessive Heat Watch

PITTSBURGH PA
BALTIMORE MD/WASHINGTON DC
STATE COLLEGE PA
MOUNT HOLLY NJ

Heat Advisory

PITTSBURGH PA
LOUISVILLE KY
TOPEKA KS
GRAND RAPIDS MI
JACKSON KY
CLEVELAND OH
KANSAS CITY/PLEASANT HILL MO
WILMINGTON NC
HASTINGS NE
RALEIGH NC
MORRISTOWN TN
SPRINGFIELD MO
WICHITA KS
NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
CHARLESTON WV
OMAHA/VALLEY NE
SIOUX FALLS SD
ST LOUIS MO
MEMPHIS TN
NORTH PLATTE NE
NASHVILLE TN
DETROIT/PONTIAC MI
Today Extreme Weather Kuwait Multiple areas, [Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports] Damage level Details

Extreme Weather in Kuwait on Friday, 06 July, 2012 at 02:47 (02:47 AM) UTC.

Description
Ship movements ground to a complete halt both at Shuwaikh and Shuaiba ports following severe sandstorms that swept the country yesterday. According to information available, three ships at berth and three ships at the loading zone at Shuwaikh Port were waiting for improvement in visibility to sail off. Similarly, four ships anchored off Shuaiba Port and four ships moored inside Shuaiba Port are also waiting for improvement in weather conditions. An official at the operations department at Shuwaikh Port, Sulaiman Al- Yahya, said that visibility was limited to one kilometer in the port area while wind speed was 40 miles, forcing the port authorities to halt ship movements until the weather improves. Al-Yahya informed that Shuwaikh Port currently has three ships at the berth while another three ships were in the waiting area. Acting Operations Director at Shuaiba Port Captain Tawfeeq Shihab told KUNA that wind-speed reached 35 knots at port area yesterday causing high waves and disrupting navigation at the port. The visibility was less than 500 m in the area, he said. As a result of the bad weather, four ships had to wait at the anchorage area and will be allowed to enter Shuaiba Port only after the weather improves, Shihab said. At the same time, the other four ships inside the port will be allowed to sail once the weather improves.Head of the weather forecast department at Civil Aviation Osama Al-Muthan expected considerable improvement in the weather condition and visibility overnight in spite of the continuation of northwestern winds at a speed of 20-45 km per hour. Al-Muthan told KUNA that by sunrise today with the increase in earth’s temperature during the day, sandy weather condition will come back and visibility will drop on Friday and Saturday due to the Northwestern winds. The temperature is expected to drop to 44 – 45 degrees Celsius due to sandstorm that will block direct sunrays. Al-Muthan expects the high pressure to fall by Sunday and the Indian seasonal low pressure to drop. The weather will start to improve and wind speed will subside to around 40 kilometers per hour. As a result, the temperature will rise to 47 degree Celsius at Kuwait International Airport. Kuwait is currently under the impact of Indiaís seasonal low pressure from the East and high pressure from North West. These activities will be accompanied by Northwestern wind carrying sand along with it. Wind-speed is expected to exceed 70 kilometer per hour at Kuwait International Airport and visibility will be limited to only 500 meter. During the weekend, sea will be rough and waves will reach.
03.07.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Colorado, [Waldo Canyon] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Sunday, 24 June, 2012 at 05:03 (05:03 AM) UTC.

Back

Updated: Friday, 06 July, 2012 at 02:50 UTC
Description
Although the Waldo Canyon Fire is now 90 percent contained as of Thursday, officials are warning of a new possible disaster for the region: flash flooding. The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that thunderstorms over the foothills could cause flash flooding in areas now exposed due to the wildfire having consumed the natural vegetation. “Once the rain hits the areas that burned hotly, those soils will not be enough to absorb any of the moisture,” meteorologist Kathy Torgerson with the National Weather Service in Pueblo told the Gazette. “It will mix with the ash and cause these mud and ash flows. And they can be quite dramatic.” This could mean another round of evacuations for the fire-ravaged region which, at the peak of the Waldo Canyon Fire burn, faced evacuations of more than 32,000 residents on June 27. Rain and thunder may be headed to the Front Range as early as Thursday, according to 7News. The hottest June on record could be followed by a very wet July, a much-needed relief from the heat and dryness to be sure, but one that could have dire consequences for wildfire affected regions. The National Weather Service says that flash flooding is a concern for the Waldo Canyon fire burn scar, “Any heavy rainfall on the burn scar will produce rapid runoff along with dangerous debris flows.”Jeff Kramer with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office told 9News that emergency crews have set up a flash flood task force to be ready to help residents if a heavy downpour does arrive. On Thursday, officials also announced that they have determined the ignition point of the Waldo Canyon Fire. According to The Denver Post, the spot was not revealed and officials did not say whether or not the fire was human caused. The Waldo Canyon Fire, the most destructive wildfire in Colorado history destroyed 346 homes, left two people dead and burned 18,247 acres to date. Firefighters have had a series of successful days containing the fire despite temperatures remaining above 90 degrees since mid-June. The Gazette reports that utility crews are working to restore natural gas to more than 3,000 homes in the region and hope to have that done by mid-week. But crews must go house to house making sure there are no leaks first before the gas gets turned back on. Crews have begun working on replacing damaged or destroyed power lines in the region as well. Evacuation orders have been lifted for Eileen Court, Centauri Road, Boardwalk Drive and Corporate Plaza Drive as of Monday, according to 9News, and gas has been restored to homes in those areas as well. However, residents returning home remain on pre-evacuation notice as potential for fire growth remains high.

On Sunday, some residents were allowed to temporarily return to their homes for the first time since being evacuated. Many remarked at the chaos that their neighborhoods have been reduced to. “It’s crazy,” Bill Simmons said to The Associated Press regarding the conditions of his home which remains intact and his neighbors’ homes which were reduced to ashes. “The house across the street is burned to the foundation and the other side of the street is untouched.” The Associated Press also reports that a “bear invasion” has been challenging authorities in the region. Evacuees rushed away from their homes and didn’t have time to properly secure garbage — some bears, pushed out of their forest habitat from the fire, have picked up the scent and have come in search of a meal. The devastation from the fire and possible flooding isn’t the only thing residents need worry about — thieves are taking advantage of the evacuated areas and looting homes. At least 32 homes were burglarized and dozens of evacuees’ cars were broken into in the evacuation zones since the fire erupted about a week ago, according to Bloomberg. There have been three arrests so far. The string of burglaries has some wondering if Colorado Springs’ anti-tax movement is partially to blame for a lack of resources to protect the area effectively. Bloomberg reports that the city has 50 fewer police and 39 fewer firefighters than five years ago.

In 2010, Colorado Springs had a nearly $28 million budget shortfall so the city government sold police helicopters on the Internet, cut firefighter and police jobs — including burglary investigators, according to The Denver Post — asked residents to volunteer to mow public green spaces, and turned off more than thirty percent of the city’s streetlights. Karin White, a 54-year-old resident who returned home to a looted and vandalized home, thinks that the smaller force may have “impacted the response,” she said to Bloomberg. Mayor Steve Bach, an anti-tax advocate advocate, says that the lack of tax revenue has not affected the handling of the wildfire, but he offered a dire warning after a press briefing about the fire: “Forget the fire, at our current cost curve, we’ll be insolvent in eight years.” Rebuilding in the wake of the Waldo Canyon Fire will be expensive and unfortunately one of the region’s main sources of income — tourism to the Garden of the Gods, historic Manitou Springs, Pikes Peak Cog Railway — is deeply affected by the disaster. 7News reports that areas like Manitou are usually packed with tourists this time of year, but the streets remain only peppered with visitors. The railway which usually has around 2,000 visitors around the 4th of July holiday is hoping to just get close to 1,000 this year. The cause of the Waldo Canyon Fire is still under investigation and has cost $14.5 million to date.

05.07.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Oklahoma, Del City Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 17:43 (05:43 PM) UTC.

Description
Several families in Del City were evacuated overnight after a grassfire approached their homes. Oklahoma City television station KWTV reports that firefighters extinguished the flames and no homes were damaged. A fence and two sheds burned in the blaze, which also knocked out electricity to the area. The fire started shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday when a resident reported that an outbuilding was on fire. Authorities say the flames quickly spread and burned at least four backyards. Firefighters evacuated an entire block of homes as a precaution as they battled the fire. Authorities say they don’t know what caused the fire but neighbors reported hearing fireworks shortly before seeing flames.
Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Colorado, De Beque Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 07:57 (07:57 AM) UTC.

Description
On Wednesday afternoon, local and federal firefighters responded to a new wildfire reported about 20 miles north of De Beque on Roan Creek, County Road 204, Tanny McGinnis, spokeswoman for the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office, said. As of 5 p.m. the fire had reportedly burned about 15 acres and was threatening some structures. But firefighters were also reporting that the fire was “laying down,” which means that it was advancing slowly and staying close to the ground. McGinnis said fire crews with the Upper Colorado River Interagency Fire Management Unit responded and called in assistance from two air tankers, a helicopter and eight fire engines. She said the fire was sending a plume of smoke eastward into the Colorado River valley at least as far as New Castle.
05.07.2012 Forest / Wild Fire USA State of Idaho, [Lone Pine Gulch, Washington County] Damage level Details

Forest / Wild Fire in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 03:28 (03:28 AM) UTC.

Description
The Lone Pine Fire has burned about 1,200 acres on BLM and state of Idaho lands in Lone Pine Gulch, an area where the Payette National Forest has fire responsibilities. The fire started Tuesday, and quickly grew because of dry grasses in the area. Officials don’t know how it started. No homes are at risk, but the fire is threatening ranch buildings and rangeland. Hand crews, engine crews and helicopters assigned to the fire are making good progress toward containment. There are some forest road and trail closures in the area.
05.07.2012 Drought USA State of Arkansas , [Arkansas-wide] Damage level Details

Drought in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 17:30 (05:30 PM) UTC.

Description
The latest drought report says more than a third of Arkansas is in extreme drought conditions. The U.S. Drought Monitor report, updated Thursday, says all of Arkansas is undergoing drought conditions. A handful of counties are experiencing moderate drought conditions, but most of Arkansas is either in severe or extreme drought. Northern counties from Carroll to Clay and extending south to Jackson are in extreme drought, as is southwest Arkansas. A pocket of north central Arkansas counties from Franklin to Conway and Van Buren counties is also classified as extreme. The National Weather Service says rain is possible this weekend and early next week, but it will likely have little impact on the drought conditions.
05.07.2012 Drought USA State of Alabama, [Alabama-wide] Damage level Details

Drought in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 17:27 (05:27 PM) UTC.

Description
The abnormally dry conditions gripping Alabama now cover more than 90 percent of the state. An analysis released Thursday by the U.S. Drought Monitor shows southwest Alabama is the only section of the state that’s not experiencing a large rainfall deficit. The situation is worst in eastern Alabama, where all but a few counties are in a severe or extreme drought. Arid conditions are classified as exceptionally bad in parts of Barbour and Henry counties in the state’s southeastern corner. In all, about 91 percent of the state is either abnormally dry or in a full-blown drought. Forestry officials say there’s an increased threat of wildfires because of the dry conditions, and farmers are having on irrigation to sustain crops in many areas.

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Storms, Flooding, Landslides

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

BIRMINGHAM AL
JACKSON MS
MEMPHIS TN
  Active tropical storm system(s)
Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Daniel (04E) Pacific Ocean – East 04.07.2012 06.07.2012 Tropical Storm 280 ° 102 km/h 120 km/h 4.88 m NHC Details

  Tropical Storm data

Share:
Storm name: Daniel (04E)
Area: Pacific Ocean – East
Start up location: N 12° 18.000, W 105° 30.000
Start up: 04th July 2012
Status: 01st January 1970
Track long: 530.93 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
05th Jul 2012 04:07:06 N 13° 36.000, W 108° 54.000 19 56 74 Tropical Depression 290 15 1005 MB NHC
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
06th Jul 2012 04:07:49 N 14° 24.000, W 113° 6.000 20 102 120 Tropical Storm 280 ° 16 995 MB NHC
Forecast track
Date Time Position Category Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Source
07th Jul 2012 12:00:00 N 15° 6.000, W 119° 0.000 Hurricane I. 148 185 NHC
07th Jul 2012 00:00:00 N 14° 54.000, W 116° 48.000 Hurricane I. 139 167 NHC
08th Jul 2012 00:00:00 N 15° 24.000, W 121° 12.000 Hurricane I. 139 167 NHC
09th Jul 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 0.000, W 126° 0.000 Tropical Storm 102 120 NHC
10th Jul 2012 00:00:00 N 16° 30.000, W 132° 0.000 Tropical Storm 74 93 NHC
11th Jul 2012 00:00:00 N 17° 0.000, W 138° 0.000 Tropical Depression 56 74 NHC

Flash Flood Watch

ALBUQUERQUE NM

Flood Warning

TAMPA BAY AREA - RUSKIN FL
JACKSONVILLE FL
DULUTH MN
SPOKANE, WA
MISSOULA MT

…………………………………

05.07.2012 Flash Flood Turkey Samsun Province, Samsun Damage level Details

Flash Flood in Turkey on Wednesday, 04 July, 2012 at 09:31 (09:31 AM) UTC.

Description
Flash flooding caused by torrential rains has killed eight people, including at least four children in northern Turkey, authorities said Wednesday. The downpours caused a river to burst its banks late Tuesday, inundating homes and shops and stranding cars in the Black Sea port city of Samsun, the state-run Anadolu agency reported Wednesday. Two brothers, aged 1 and 5, as well as a father and his two sons, aged 9 and 16, were drowned when the flood hit their homes, it said. The country’s emergency management authority said at least eight people were killed and two others were missing in Samsun. It said 21 people were injured.
04.07.2012 Flood India State of Assam , [Assam-wide] Damage level Details

Flood in India on Friday, 29 June, 2012 at 09:54 (09:54 AM) UTC.

Updated: Friday, 06 July, 2012 at 02:45 UTC
Description
Altogether 538 animals, including 13 rhinos, of the Kaziranga National Park, have been killed in the devastating Assam floods and the death toll is mounting with the KNP authorities of this World Heritage Site recovering more floating carcasses everyday. The floods have also damaged roads and other infrastructure in the park, which is famous for the one-horned rhino. Even amidst the floods, two rhinos were killed by poachers. The floods have claimed 100 human lives, while 16 others died due to landslip in the State. Of these, 56 are children. Of the 31 lives lost in Barpeta district, 21 were children. KNP Director Sanjib Kumar Bora told The Hindu that till Thursday afternoon carcasses of 463 hog deer, 13 rhinos, 16 Sambar, 10 swamp deer, 28 wild boars, 5 porcupines, one wild buffalo and two hog badgers had been recovered.He said the death toll was likely to increase as more carcasses were recovered with the water level receding. About 20 of these hog deer were fatally hit by vehicles as the animals crossed National Highway 37, which passes through the park, to reach higher ground on the southern part. So far, 126 hog deer have been rescued and 94 of these released in the wild after treatment at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation (CWRC), located in the park. Two rhino calves and two elephant caves rescued from floodwaters are being treated at the centre. CWRC volunteers rescued four barking deer, three of which have been released in the wild after treatment. The park director said locals and NGOs also helped in the rescuing the marooned animals and taking them to the CWRC. Mr. Bora said floodwaters disrupted motorable communication, what with damage to roads, bridges and approaches to bridges. “The tourism season this time might be delayed as huge funds and time would be required to reconstruct and repair the infrastructure.” Frontline staff manning 16 of the total 152 anti-poaching camps had to be shifted due to flooding, while four old camps had been fully damaged. “The actual damage is still being assessed,” he said. The flood waters entered the park area on June 26 and by midnight on June 28, the flow peaked submerging 80 per cent of its area, and only the natural and artificial highlands inside were spared. The migration of herds of hog deer and elephants and some rhinos had been noticed by the park authorities since June 22.

Consequently, prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr.PC were promulgated along NH 37 and time cards introduced restricting speed limit to 40 km/hour to protect the migrating animals. Now “the water level has receded in most parts but some areas are still submerged,” said Mr. Bora.

05.07.2012 Landslide India State of Uttarakhand, [Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district] Damage level Details

Landslide in India on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 07:39 (07:39 AM) UTC.

Description
A woman was buried alive and 15 others were injured when landslides triggered by incessant rains hit Rishikesh-Badrinath National Highway in Chamoli district early Thursday. The landslides have also flattened a tourist resort and a camp of Directorate General of Border Roads (DGBR), police said. Police said a search operation has been launched to find out if any person might be trapped under the debris of the landslides. The area has been receiving rains since Wednesday and the search operation is also being hampered by the continuous rains. The injured have been rushed to a nearby hospital.

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Epidemic Hazards /Diseases

Cuba confirms deadly cholera outbreak

Map of Cuba

Three people have died and 53 more are infected in a rare outbreak of cholera in south-east Cuba, officials have confirmed.

Communist Party newspaper Granma said a number of wells suspected to be the source of the outbreak had been closed.

The health ministry has dismissed reports of a lack of medicine.

Health officials said they had “all the necessary resources to provide adequate attention to patients” and that the situation was “under control”.

They said they had taken a series of measures, including taking samples of water and adding chlorine to purify it, to combat the outbreak.

About 1,000 people have received medical attention so far. Most of them were from the coastal town of Manzanillo in the south-east of Cuba.

Analysis

Although cholera was all but eliminated in Cuba shortly after the Cuban revolution in 1959, doctors here are highly experienced in treating the disease.

Hundreds have worked, and continue to work, with cholera patients in Haiti, where tens of thousands of people were infected in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

Several hundred medical professionals from eastern Granma province, including 400 nurses, are among those who have been deployed to Haiti.

Officials said they believed those infected had drunk water contaminated after a period of heavy rains and high temperatures in the area.

They said the number of reported cases was now falling.

The health ministry has said this is the first reported cholera outbreak since soon after the 1959 revolution. The last cholera epidemic in Cuba ended in 1882.

The BBC’s Sarah Rainsford in Havana says locals have told her health officials had been visiting homes and checking food and water supplies to try and establish the source of the outbreak.

Our correspondent spoke to a guest-house owner who said local radio had been broadcasting information about the importance of personal hygiene and extra care in food preparation, but that the official announcements had only spoken of a diarrhoea outbreak, without mentioning cholera.

1st US case of mother-to-child Chagas disease reported

By MyHealthNewsDaily Staff

A boy born in Virginia two years ago became the known first person in the United States to have acquired Chagas disease from his mother, according to a new report that describes the case.

The case highlights the need for increased awareness of the disease  among health care providers in the United States, the researchers said. The disease occurs mainly in Latin America, but cases in the U.S. and elsewhere have been increasing, mostly due to migration, according to the World Health Organization.

Chagas disease is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which is typically transmitted to people by bites from insects commonly called kissing bugs. Although less common, the disease can also be transmitted congenitally, meaning from mother to child during pregnancy, as was the case with the Virginia boy.

While the boy’s case was the first to be formally documented, it has been estimated that between 65 and 638 cases of congenital Chagas disease occur in the United States each year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report said. That estimate is based on the typical birth rates of women from regions where Chagas disease is endemic, and the fact that in about 1 to 5 percent of pregnancies of infected mothers, the disease is transmitted to the child.

In August 2010, the mother, who had recently immigrated to the United States from Bolivia, gave birth by cesarean section when her child was 29 weeks old. The boy had signs of jaundice as well as excess fluid around his heart, abdomen and lungs. The child’s doctors, who did not know the boy had Chagas disease, administered antibiotics for what they believed to be a widespread bacterial infection called sepsis.

Two weeks after the birth, the mother revealed she had been told in Bolivia during a previous pregnancy that she had Chagas disease. After testing her baby boy, the doctors found he too had the parasite in his blood. The boy received a 60-day treatment of benznidazole, a drug for Chagas disease, and was cured.

The case “illustrates that congenital Chagas disease, even when severe, might not be recognized, or diagnosis might be delayed because of the lack of defining clinical features, or because the diagnosis is not considered,” today’s CDC report said.

Chagas disease is estimated to affect about 300,000 people in the United States, most of whom immigrated here.

Doctors in the United States should be aware of the condition so that pregnant women from at-risk areas for Chagas disease can undergo screening and be identified, the report says. Mothers diagnosed with Chagas disease should be treated for the condition, but not until after they finish breast-feeding, the report said.

Mystery disease kills 61 kids in Cambodia

By msnbc.com news services

PHNOM PENH, Cambodia — Health officials in Cambodia are searching for the cause of a mystery disease that has killed more than 60 children over the past three months, the World Health Organization said Thursday.

The “undiagnosed syndrome” has killed 61 children since April, but there’s no indication that is it spreading from person to person, said WHO spokeswoman Aphaluck Bhatiasevi.

She said health workers are trying to determine whether the cases were all the same disease or a collection of various illnesses.

The children were all under 10 years old and first fell ill with a high fever, followed by neurological symptoms and severe respiratory problems that quickly progressed. The cases have been reported in hospitals in 14 provinces, with most occurring in southern Cambodia.

The majority of the victims were aged younger than three, Reuters reported.

Health Minister Man Bung Heng was quoted as saying identification of the cause may take some time. Neighboring countries have also been alerted.

The United Nations agency said in a June 30 report that the clinical signs of those afflicted with the disease “appear unusual,” with patients suffering from fever and a rapid deterioration of respiratory functions, although platelet counts, liver and renal functions were found normal.

No other hospital patients or staff in Phnom Penh had fallen ill with similar symptoms, WHO said.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

04.07.2012 Epidemic Hazard Cambodia [Statewide] Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Cambodia on Tuesday, 03 July, 2012 at 16:41 (04:41 PM) UTC.

Description
An unidentified disease has killed 60 young children in Cambodia in three months, the World Health Organization said Tuesday as it raced to identify the cause. “The number of deaths reported to WHO is 60 cases and they have all been in young children,” said Dr Nima Asgari, a public health specialist for the UN body in Cambodia, adding that the first casualties were reported in April. The WHO is currently working with the Cambodian Ministry of Health “to identify the cause and the route of spread of this disease”, he said. With the investigation still at an early stage, Asgari said it was difficult to specify the symptoms, which “include high fever and severe chest disease symptoms, plus in some children there were signs of neurological involvement”. There have been 61 reported cases so far, Asgari said, with just one patient surviving. The victims, all aged seven and under, were admitted to hospitals in the capital Phnom Penh and the northwestern tourist hub of Siem Reap. In separate comments the WHO said there were no signs yet of contagion. “To date, there is no report of any staff or any neighbouring patients to the cases at the hospitals becoming sick with similar symptoms,” it said. Asgari confirmed there was “no cluster of the cases yet” but said the high mortality rate in such a short space of time was worrisome. “WHO is always concerned about a disease which causes death in such high numbers of children,” he said. Cambodian health ministry officials were not immediately available for comment.
Biohazard name: Unidentified fatal disease
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: The symptoms include high fever and severe chest disease symptoms, plus in some children there were signs of neurological involvement.
Status: suspected
Today Epidemic Hazard Indonesia Province of Jakarta, Jakarta Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Indonesia on Friday, 06 July, 2012 at 02:51 (02:51 AM) UTC.

Description
Indonesia’s health ministry today announced the death of an 8-year-old girl from an H5N1 avian influenza infection, according to a report from the Jakarta Globe. The girl, from West Java province, got sick on Jun 18 during a trip to Singapore. Six days later her symptoms worsened and she was admitted to a Jakarta hospital with signs of pneumonia. She was transferred two more times and required treatment with a ventilator. A health ministry official told the Globe that she tested positive for the virus on Jun 29 and died on Jul 3. The official said she had often walked past a live-bird market on her way to school, and 6 days before she got sick she had helped carry freshly killed birds home from the market with her father. If the World Health Organization (WHO) confirms the girl’s H5N1 illness and death, she will be listed as Indonesia’s 190th case-patient and its 158th fatality from the disease.
Biohazard name: A/H5N1
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
05.07.2012 Epidemic Hazard Ghana Brong Ahafo Region, Atebubu Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Ghana on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 16:52 (04:52 PM) UTC.

Description
At least nine people are confirmed dead in a cholera outbreak at Atebubu in Brong Ahafo Region in just a week with several others infected. According to the District Chief Executive, Sanja Nanja the first case was recorded in May but the situation became worse about a week ago. He told Joy News a District Security Council meeting was held with the various stakeholders to work out ways of curbing the outbreak to avert further deaths. Mr Nanja said about a 100 people had so far contracted the disease. He said task-force has been created to do cholera sensitisation to educate the people on how to avoid contracting the disease. He said some of the measures include suspension of funerals where people usually eat and drink contaminated foods and water.
Biohazard name: Cholera
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
05.07.2012 Epidemic Hazard Mali Gao Region, [Wabaria and City of Gao] Damage level Details

Epidemic Hazard in Mali on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 12:40 (12:40 PM) UTC.

Description
Two people have died and 26 others have been infected by an outbreak of cholera in the city of Gao, northern Mali, a region occupied by hardline Islamist groups, officials reprted on Wednesday. “Yesterday we counted 27 cases of cholera, including two deaths. This morning we had one case,” said Ibrahima Maiga, a health official from Gao hospital. The disease has broken out in Wabaria, a southwestern suburb of Gao on the Niger river. “We have sent someone to Wabaria today to see the cholera cases” and determine what help is needed, said Almahdi Cisse, the president of a local NGO which is helping to bring humanitarian aid to Malians in the area. According to one young Gao resident, the local ruling Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) has told people not to drink the river water or bathe in it in a bid to contain the outbreak. Fear of the disease spreading only adds to the problems currently facing Mali’s desert north, which has been controlled for the last three months by Islamist groups allied to Al-Qaeda after a March coup that toppled the country’s elected president. Chaos and unrest have ensued in the fabled city of Timbuktu where the Ansar Dine group has in recent days run rampage, smashing seven tombs of ancient Muslim saints. The destruction prompted widespread condemnation abroad and led UN cultural body UNESCO to class the city as an endangered world heritage site. Meanwhile in Gao, Ansar Dine’s Al-Qaeda allies have planted landmines around the city to prevent a counter-offensive by the Tuareg fighters they violently expelled last week.
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

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Climate Change

Sea levels ‘will continue rising’ regardless of greenhouse gas treaties, warn scientists

  • Heat mixed into deeper layers of ocean will cause continued rises
  • Measures to limit rise will not work until after 2100
  • Sea levels may continue to rise for ‘hundreds of years’

By Rob Waugh

The Daily Mail

Rising sea levels may not stop for several hundred years, even if global average temperatures drop, scientists have warned.

Rising sea levels threaten about a tenth of the world’s population who live in low-lying areas and islands which are at risk of flooding, including the Caribbean, Maldives and Asia-Pacific island groups.

Measures to limit sea rises have focused on lowering temperatures – but this may not be enough.

Even if global average temperatures fall and the surface layer of the sea cools, heat would still be mixed down into the deeper layers of the ocean, causing continued rises in sea levels.

Rising sea levels threaten about a tenth of the world's population who live in low-lying areas and islands which are at risk of flooding, including the Caribbean, Maldives and Asia-Pacific island groupsRising sea levels threaten about a tenth of the world’s population who live in low-lying areas and islands which are at risk of flooding, including the Caribbean, Maldives and Asia-Pacific island groups

This is because as warmer temperatures penetrate deep into the sea, the water warms and expands as the heat mixes through different ocean regions.

If global average temperatures continue to rise, the melting of ice sheets and glaciers would only add to the problem.

Global average surface temperatures have risen about 0.17 degrees Celsius a decade from 1980-2010.

Sea level rise of about 2.3mm a year from 2005-2010 as ice caps and glaciers melt.

How much of this has been caused by ‘greenhouse gases’ is still being debated by scientists.

‘Even with aggressive measures that limit global warming to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial values by 2100, sea level continues to rise after 2100,’say the scientists

More than 180 countries are negotiating a new global climate pact which will come into force by 2020 and force all nations to cut emissions to limit warming to below 2 degrees Celsius this century – a level scientists say is the minimum required to avert catastrophic effects.

But even if the most ambitious emissions cuts are made, it might not be enough to stop sea levels rising due to the thermal expansion of sea water, said scientists at the United States’ National Centre for Atmospheric Research, U.S. research organisation Climate Central and Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research in Melbourne.

‘Even with aggressive mitigation measures that limit global warming to less than 2 degrees above pre-industrial values by 2100, and with decreases of global temperature in the 22nd and 23rd centuries … sea level continues to rise after 2100,’ they said in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The scientists calculated that if the deepest emissions cuts were made and global temperatures cooled to 0.83 degrees in 2100 – forecast based on the 1986-2005 average – and 0.55 degrees by 2300, the sea level rise due to thermal expansion would continue to increase – from 14.2cm in 2100 to 24.2cm in 2300.

If the weakest emissions cuts were made, temperatures could rise to 3.91 degrees Celsius in 2100 and the sea level rise could increase to 32.3cm, increasing to 139.4cm by 2300.

‘Though sea-level rise cannot be stopped for at least the next several hundred years, with aggressive mitigation it can be slowed down, and this would buy time for adaptation measures to be adopted,’ the scientists added.

The study is available at http://www.nature.com/nclimate

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Solar Activity

2MIN News July 4, 2012: A beast approaches

Published on Jul 4, 2012 by

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]

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!]

2MIN News July 5, 2012: Here Comes the Sun & Caribbean Quake

Published on Jul 5, 2012 by

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]

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!]

 

 

THE SUN TODAY: 5 July 2012 — SPECTACULAR!

Published on Jul 5, 2012 by

WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE SUN TODAY? (BEST SEEN, FULL SCREEN!)

THE SUN TODAY: 5 July 2012 — SPECTACULAR!

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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
(2005 QQ30) 06th July 2012 0 day(s) 0.1765 68.7 280 m – 620 m 13.13 km/s 47268 km/h
(2011 YJ28) 06th July 2012 0 day(s) 0.1383 53.8 150 m – 330 m 14.19 km/s 51084 km/h
276392 (2002 XH4) 07th July 2012 1 day(s) 0.1851 72.0 370 m – 840 m 7.76 km/s 27936 km/h
(2003 MK4) 08th July 2012 2 day(s) 0.1673 65.1 180 m – 410 m 14.35 km/s 51660 km/h
(1999 NW2) 08th July 2012 2 day(s) 0.0853 33.2 62 m – 140 m 6.66 km/s 23976 km/h
189P/NEAT 09th July 2012 3 day(s) 0.1720 66.9 n/a 12.47 km/s 44892 km/h
(2000 JB6) 10th July 2012 4 day(s) 0.1780 69.3 490 m – 1.1 km 6.42 km/s 23112 km/h
(2010 MJ1) 10th July 2012 4 day(s) 0.1533 59.7 52 m – 120 m 10.35 km/s 37260 km/h
(2008 NP3) 12th July 2012 6 day(s) 0.1572 61.2 57 m – 130 m 6.08 km/s 21888 km/h
(2006 BV39) 12th July 2012 6 day(s) 0.1132 44.1 4.2 m – 9.5 m 11.11 km/s 39996 km/h
(2005 NE21) 15th July 2012 9 day(s) 0.1555 60.5 140 m – 320 m 10.77 km/s 38772 km/h
(2003 KU2) 15th July 2012 9 day(s) 0.1034 40.2 770 m – 1.7 km 17.12 km/s 61632 km/h
(2007 TN74) 16th July 2012 10 day(s) 0.1718 66.9 20 m – 45 m 7.36 km/s 26496 km/h
(2007 DD) 16th July 2012 10 day(s) 0.1101 42.8 19 m – 42 m 6.47 km/s 23292 km/h
(2006 BC8) 16th July 2012 10 day(s) 0.1584 61.6 25 m – 56 m 17.71 km/s 63756 km/h
144411 (2004 EW9) 16th July 2012 10 day(s) 0.1202 46.8 1.3 km – 2.9 km 10.90 km/s 39240 km/h
(2012 BV26) 18th July 2012 12 day(s) 0.1759 68.4 94 m – 210 m 10.88 km/s 39168 km/h
(2010 OB101) 19th July 2012 13 day(s) 0.1196 46.6 200 m – 450 m 13.34 km/s 48024 km/h
(2008 OX1) 20th July 2012 14 day(s) 0.1873 72.9 130 m – 300 m 15.35 km/s 55260 km/h
(2010 GK65) 21st July 2012 15 day(s) 0.1696 66.0 34 m – 75 m 17.80 km/s 64080 km/h
(2011 OJ45) 21st July 2012 15 day(s) 0.1367 53.2 18 m – 39 m 3.79 km/s 13644 km/h
153958 (2002 AM31) 22nd July 2012 16 day(s) 0.0351 13.7 630 m – 1.4 km 9.55 km/s 34380 km/h
(2011 CA7) 23rd July 2012 17 day(s) 0.1492 58.1 2.3 m – 5.1 m 5.43 km/s 19548 km/h
(2012 BB124) 24th July 2012 18 day(s) 0.1610 62.7 170 m – 380 m 8.78 km/s 31608 km/h
(2009 PC) 28th July 2012 22 day(s) 0.1772 68.9 61 m – 140 m 7.34 km/s 26424 km/h
217013 (2001 AA50) 31st July 2012 25 day(s) 0.1355 52.7 580 m – 1.3 km 22.15 km/s 79740 km/h
(2012 DS30) 02nd August 2012 27 day(s) 0.1224 47.6 18 m – 39 m 5.39 km/s 19404 km/h
(2000 RN77) 03rd August 2012 28 day(s) 0.1955 76.1 410 m – 920 m 9.87 km/s 35532 km/h
(2004 SB56) 04th August 2012 29 day(s) 0.1393 54.2 380 m – 840 m 13.72 km/s 49392 km/h
(2000 SD8) 04th August 2012 29 day(s) 0.1675 65.2 180 m – 400 m 5.82 km/s 20952 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

Very Unusual Comet 96P/Machholz Visible
On SOHO’s LASCO C3 Between July 12 – 17, 2012
 

MessageToEagle.com – Between July 12-17, 2012, comet 96P/Machholz will be visible in the SOHO LASCO/C3 field of view and will brighten to about magnitude +2.

It’s a great possibility for scientific study because the comet will not make another close approach to the Earth until 2028, when it will pass at a distance of 0.319 AU (47,700,000km; 29,700,000 miles).

96P/Machholz (or 96P/Machholz 1) is a short-period comet with an estimated radius of around 3.2km, and a high inclination with respect to the plane of the solar system.

It should be visible from both STEREO A and B between July 13-15 and it comes to perihelion on July 14, 2012.It was discovered by amateur astronomer Donald Machholz on Loma Pieta peak, in central California using 130 millimetres (5.1 in) binoculars, on May 12, 1986.

On June 6, 1986, comet 96P/Machholz passed 0.40373 AU (60,397,000 km; 37,529,000 miles) from our planet.

It entered the field of view of the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) in 1996, 2002, and 2007, where it was seen by the corona-observing LASCO instrument in its C2 and C3 coronagraphs.

Comet Machholz is not as like other comets.

It must have had a very unusual origin and might even have formed in another solar system probably very different from our own.

GALEX Sees Comet Machholz

The figure shows a GALEX NUV grism observation of comet Machholz, recorded on March 1, 2005. The different colors in the image represent different intensities, with black being the lowest, purple a little higher, and yellow the highest. The large, round, “purple haze” is emission from the hydroxyl molecule (chemical symbol, “OH”), and is centered on the large yellowish dot towards the upper left. The smaller yellow dot, just below and to the right of that, is emission from the molecule “CS.” Emission between the two dots is from other material. The stars in the field appear as streaks because their light is spread out by the grism as well. The long, curved dust tail is completely invisible because the comet’s UV emissions totally outshine it. Emission from atomic carbon was also detected in the GALEX FUV grism data. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/U. Washington/J. Morgenthaler
During the comet’s last perihelion passage in 2007, it appeared in SOHO’s LASCO C3?s field of view from April 2 to April 6, peaking in brightness on April 4, 2007, around magnitude +2. In these observations, its coma was substantially smaller than the Sun in volume, but the forward scattering of light made the comet appear significantly brighter.

During the 2002 passage the comet brightened to magnitude -2,and was very impressive as seen by SOHO.
According to David Schleicher of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, researching the physical properties, chemical composition, and behavior of comets, the comet’s level of the chemical cyanogen (CN) is less than 1.5% of the normal level, which is very unusual comparing with 150 other comets having similar levels of CN.

The exact cause of this chemical anomaly remains unknown.


Click on image to enlargeFinding chart (Seiichi Yoshida/StellaNavigator Ver.8 (AstroArts)


Click on image to enlargeFinding chart (Seiichi Yoshida/StellaNavigator Ver.8 (AstroArts)

It’s highly eccentric 5.2 year orbit has the smallest perihelion distance known among numbered/regular short-period comets, bringing it considerably closer to the Sun than the orbit of Mercury.

Comet 96P/Machholz/Apr. 20, 2012. Photo Credits: M. Masek, J. Cerny, J. Ebr, M. Prouza, P. Kubanek, M. Jelinek

It is also the only known short-period comet with both high orbital inclination and high eccentricity. In 2007, Machholz 1 was found to be both carbon-depleted and cyanogen-depleted, a chemical composition nearly unique among comets with known compositions. The chemical composition implies a different and possible extrasolar origin.

There are currently three hypotheses to explain the chemical composition of Machholz 1. One hypothesis for the difference is that Machholz 1 was an interstellar comet from outside the Solar System and was captured by the Sun. Other possibilities are that it formed in an extremely cold region of the solar system (such that most carbon gets trapped in other molecules) – Oort cloud.

The high inclination of Machholz 1′s orbit, 59°, suggests that it could came from the Oort Cloud rather than the Kuiper Belt, which is the source of most short-period comets.
Exclusive Views of Comet 96P/Machholz

Transits of Objects through the LASCO/C3 field of view (FOV) in 2012

MessageToEagle.com via SOHO, Aerith.net, http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov

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Mysterious Booms / Rumblings

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Biological Hazards / Wildlife / Hazmat

03.07.2012 Biological Hazard China Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, [The area was not defined.] Damage level Details

Biological Hazard in China on Monday, 02 July, 2012 at 14:18 (02:18 PM) UTC.

Description
China’s northwestern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region has reported an outbreak of H5N1 in poultry, the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA) announced Monday. The disease has killed 1,600 chickens raised by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), a unique economic and semi-military government organization of about 2.5 million people. A total of 5,500 XPCC-farmed chickens showed symptoms of suspected avian flu on June 20, according to the MOA. The National Avian Influenza Reference Laboratory Monday confirmed the epidemic was H5N1 bird flu after testing samples collected at the farm, the MOA said. Local authorities have sealed off and sterilized the infected area, where a total of 156,439 chickens have been culled and safely disposed of to prevent the disease from spreading, according to the MOA. Bird flu, or avian influenza, is a contagious disease of animal origin caused by viruses that normally infect only birds and, less commonly, pigs. It can be fatal to humans.
Biohazard name: H5N1 – Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus
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
05.07.2012 HAZMAT USA State of Virginia, Radford [Radford Army Ammunition Plant, Constitution Road] Damage level Details

HAZMAT in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 09:40 (09:40 AM) UTC.

Description
A key production line remains shut down at the Radford Army Ammunition plant after a chemical leak. The Army and plant operator BAE Systems had said after Sunday’s incident that they expected operations to return to normal Tuesday, but it didn’t happen. Army spokeswoman Joy Case told the Roanoke Times that officials are still reviewing the incident, and it could take several days. BAE spokesman Neil Franz said that by “normal,” officials had meant that the plant would be fully ready to meet customers’ needs on Tuesday, and that was achieved. The Army previously said it has an inventory it can draw from in times of need. One employee was taken to a hospital for observation after exposure to fumes. Officials say he was released Monday morning.
05.07.2012 HAZMAT USA State of Arizona, Tucson Damage level Details

HAZMAT in USA on Thursday, 05 July, 2012 at 03:27 (03:27 AM) UTC.

Description
Four Tucson firefighters have been taken to the hospital as a precaution this afternoon, after complaining of nausea after responding to a fire alarm. At around 10:30 a.m., Tucson Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at a building downtown, at 32 N Stone. Upon arrival, fire personnel were able to confirm smoke in the basement of the building, according to a TFD spokesperson. After further investigation, the firefighters began to exhibit some symptoms related to possible hazardous material exposure. The building was then evacuated, and Hazarous Materials was called. Right now Tucson Fire is trying to determine the cause of the problem.

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Articles of Interest

In US, half a million still in the dark

Press TV

Trees lie in the middle of Lake Ave. in Baltimore, Maryland on Monday July 2, 2012.

Trees lie in the middle of Lake Ave. in Baltimore, Maryland on Monday July 2, 2012.
Thu Jul 5, 2012 11:16PM GMT
3
Amid rising temperatures, more than half a million people still remain without power in the United States following last week’s strong storms.

US utility companies were trying to return lights and air conditions to more than 500,000 customers, including nearly 230,000 in West Virginia, The Associated Press reported on Thursday.

Residents frustrated by the sweltering heat criticized the companies for acting slowly in fixing power lines.

Violent storms, which began on Friday, have hit the eastern United States with high winds, toppling trees onto power lines and knocking out transmission towers and electrical substations.

The storms have claimed 24 lives in seven states and the District of Columbia.

The power outages forced many Fourth of July celebrations across the region to be canceled as local governments deal with damage from the strong winds and with the heat wave and drought conditions that make firework shows hazardous.

KA/MN/HN

Fire in the sky: Burning meteorite trail lights up Australian sky for 20 minutes after rock plunges into the sea

By Rob Waugh

The Daily Mail

A burning trail lit up the sky over Western Australia for 20 minutes after an object suspected to be a meteorite plunged into the sea, leaving a burning orange trail that mesmerised local residents.

Beachgoers in Perth debated what could have caused the strange burning line in the sky, which persisted for 20 minutes. Most meteorite trails are only seen briefly – and seeing an object plunge into the sea is rare.

The burning trail persisted in the sky for 20 minutes afterwards, say Perth residents, who assume that a meteorite left the flaming streak across the sky The burning trail persisted in the sky for 20 minutes afterwards, say Perth residents, who assume that a meteorite left the flaming streak across the sky

A burning trail lit up the sky over Australia for 20 minutes after an object suspected to be a meteorite plunged into the sea, leaving a burning orange trail that mesmerised local residents

Local resident Gavin Trought captured a picture of the ‘burning streak’, saying, ‘The weird streak in the sky seen from Cottesloe last night. I noticed it just before sunset.’

Meteorites are fragments of rock that land on Earth’s surface. Those that burn up – ‘ablate’ – in Earth’s atmosphere are referred to as meteors.

The meteorite was reported by Perth Now.

Seeing such clear, fiery trails is rare.

Perth journalist Pip Moir posted a photo she took at Cottesloe Beach to Twitter shortly after 6pm as puzzled onlookers debated what caused the colourful phenomena.

Daniel Jongue, manager at Perth’s The Naked Fig Cafe, said he saw ‘something on the horizon” just before sunset.

Jonque said that the fiery trail lasted for around 20 minutes.

‘It looked like vapour. It was red, orange and yellow and quite beautiful,’ he said.

Meteorites are fragments of rock and sometimes metal that survive the fall to Earth from space. Most are fragments left over from the collision of two asteroids.

Captured by Earth’s gravitational force, they are accelerated to speeds of over 11.2 kilometres per second.

They can vary in size from a fraction of a millimetre to larger than a football pitch. It is believed a meteorite six miles across wiped out the dinosaurs 65million years ago.

Hundreds of meteorites fall to Earth each year but only a handful are recovered.

Sudden Red Rain Shower Causes Panic In Kannur  MessageToEagle.com – We have previously seen that many strange things have fallen from sky over the years.

There have been many bizarre instances recorded when things have fallen from the skies that simply do not belong there.

Among them is the rare phenomenon of red rain which has been reported in some parts of the world.

On July 5, at around 6:50 a brief red rain shower create some panic and curiosity among the residents in Kannur, a city in the Indian state of Kerala.

The rain lasted only 15 minutes.

People in the 1km area in and around Edachery in Puzhati panchayat panicked as their courtyards turned blood red after rain.

According to Times of India: “Kannur block panchayat president Shaija M, who collected the sample of the rainwater, said the water was as dark as black coffee and had the smell of raw beetroot.“I thought someone killed some animal and its blood got mixed with water on the courtyard,” she said. Akshay Sajeevan, another resident in the locality, said in his compound the colour of rainwater was a bit lighter.According to meteorological department, though red rain is a rare phenomenon, but it is no way harmful.

“I assume this is due to atmospheric pollution.

The pollutants in the air get dissolved in rainwater resulting in red rain,” said M Santhosh, director of meteorological department, Thiruvananthapuram.”

This is not the first time red rain has been seen in the state of Kerala.

Godfrey Louis and A. Santhosh Kumar wrote in their research paper that “a red rain phenomenon occurred in Kerala, India starting from 25th July 2001, in which the rainwater appeared coloured in various localized places that are spread over a few hundred kilometers in Kerala. Maximum cases were reported during the first 10 days and isolated cases were found to occur for about 2 months.

Red rain is a rare phenomenon.

In majority of the cases the colour of the rain was red. There were a few cases of yellow coloured rain and rare unconfirmed cases of other colours like black, green, gray etc. Coloured hailstones were also reported.”

The scientists discussed the possibility that the red rain phenomenon could be of extraterrestrial origin as it appeared shortly after a meteor sighting.

“The nature of the red particles rules out the possibility that these are dust particles from a distant desert source. These red particles do not have any similarity with the usual desert dust. This is clearly shown by microscopic study of the particles.

Particles of this type are not found in Kerala or nearby place. The origin of these particles is unknown.

It is convenient to assume that these particles are something, which got airlifted from a distant source on Earth by some wind system.

Several questions remain unanswered even under such an assumption.

An examination of the several characteristics of this red rain phenomenon shows that it is possible to explain this by assuming the meteoric origin of the red particles.

Is a meteor responsible for the red rain shower on July 5th?

The red rain phenomenon first started in Kerala after a meteor airburst event, which occurred on 25th July 2001 near Changanacherry in Kottayam district.

This meteor airburst is evidenced by the sonic boom experienced by several people during early morning of that day.

The first case of red rain occurred in this area few hours after the airburst event. This points to a possible link between the meteor and red rain,” Kumar and Louis wrote in their paper.

What caused the red rain fall in the city of Kunnar this Thursday? Was a meteor responsible for the red rain shower or is there another explanation?

Have you taken any interesting images or filmed something unusual? Remember you can always send the images to us so we can publish them.

@ MessageToEagle.com

See also:
Spectacular Unknown Object Seen In The Skies Over New Zealand

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[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.]

Earthquakes

RSOE EDIS

Date/Time (UTC) Magnitude Area Country State/Prov./Gov. Location Risk Source Details
21.05.2012 09:30:26 2.9 Europe Greece Tyrgia VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 09:25:45 4.5 Asia Japan Miyagi-ken Futawatashihama VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 09:30:52 4.6 Asia Japan Futawatashihama VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 08:31:33 3.4 North America United States California Ribbonwood VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 08:25:44 3.5 North America United States California Ribbonwood VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 09:31:13 2.3 Europe Greece Tyrgia VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 09:31:35 4.4 South-America Argentina La Laja VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 08:36:00 4.4 Atlantic Ocean Argentina Provincia de San Juan La Laja VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 07:10:37 2.3 North America United States Alaska Chelatna Lodge VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 07:25:29 3.0 Asia Armenia Saragyugh There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 07:25:47 3.1 Asia Armenia Saragyugh There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 06:05:31 2.8 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California San Salvador VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 07:26:09 4.7 Indian Ocean Maldives Thinadhoo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 06:30:43 4.9 Indian Ocean Maldives Maale Thinadhoo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 07:00:50 4.7 Pacific Ocean Samoa Aganoa VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 07:26:35 4.8 Pacific Ocean – West Samoa Aganoa VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 05:41:05 5.3 Asia Japan Okinawa-ken Nishibaru VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 06:20:25 5.3 Asia Japan Nishibaru VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 04:57:16 2.4 North America United States California Valle Vista VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. There are nuclear facilities nearby the epicenter. USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 05:20:26 3.0 Europe Italy Gavello VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 05:20:48 2.9 Asia Turkey Suzbeyli VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 03:30:29 2.3 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California Canon de Guadalupe There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 03:30:50 2.3 North America United States Alaska Ninilchik VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 04:40:28 4.5 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 05:23:09 4.5 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 04:50:30 4.5 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 05:23:30 4.5 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 03:15:57 3.4 Europe Italy Gavello VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 03:00:37 2.4 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California Canon de Guadalupe There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 03:16:18 2.7 Europe Italy Ravalle VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 03:10:26 4.8 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 03:16:40 4.9 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 06:20:44 3.0 Asia Turkey Kepir VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 02:15:35 2.7 Europe Italy San Martino in Spino VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 01:20:55 2.2 North America United States California Solyo VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 01:20:57 2.2 North America United States California Solyo VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 02:15:57 3.2 Asia Armenia Musayelyan There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 01:16:13 3.8 Europe Italy Cantaboa VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 01:00:36 2.5 North America United States California Shamrock (historical) VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 01:16:41 2.8 Europe Italy Lillianes VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 01:06:21 4.4 Pacific Ocean Fiji Matokana VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 01:17:51 4.4 Pacific Ocean – East Fiji Matokana VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 01:18:14 3.6 Europe Italy Sant’Agostino VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 00:40:35 5.2 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 01:18:35 5.2 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 01:20:13 5.1 Indonesian Archipelago Papua New Guinea Yavik There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 00:35:35 5.1 Indonesian archipelago Papua New Guinea Yavik VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 00:41:00 4.6 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 01:20:34 4.6 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 00:15:23 2.8 Europe Italy Ghisellina VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 00:00:34 2.0 North America United States Alaska Port Wakefield There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 23:35:32 2.3 North America United States Alaska Port Graham There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 02:10:36 2.1 North America Canada British Columbia Princeton VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 23:45:33 5.0 Pacific Ocean – West Vanuatu Tafea Province Ifo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
21.05.2012 00:15:44 5.0 Pacific Ocean – West Vanuatu Ifo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
21.05.2012 04:15:29 3.0 Asia Turkey Cukurgol Yaylasi There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 23:00:35 4.3 South America Chile Region de Antofagasta Topain There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 23:10:34 4.3 South-America Chile Topain There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 22:30:42 2.8 North America United States California Centerville (historical) VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 22:10:44 2.0 North America United States Alaska Anderson There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 22:05:37 3.0 Europe Italy Gavello VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 21:01:45 2.7 North America United States Texas Timpson VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 21:00:47 3.5 Europe Italy Dosso VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 21:01:08 3.0 Europe Italy Vallacquosa VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 21:10:32 4.7 Europe Italy La Fruttarola VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 20:00:44 4.4 Europe Italy Villa Magri VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 20:01:02 3.2 Europe Italy Vigarano Mainarda VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 19:10:37 2.8 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California Canon de Guadalupe There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 20:01:24 2.9 Europe Italy Ponte di San Pellegrino VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 18:35:39 2.0 North America United States California Dunmovin There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 19:15:44 4.8 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Ujungbungo VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 20:01:43 4.8 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Padangunoih VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 22:11:06 2.0 North America United States Alaska Ferry There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 22:11:49 2.9 North America United States Alaska Golden VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 17:55:30 3.0 Europe Greece Anthousa VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 22:12:10 2.2 North America United States Alaska Valdez VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 17:55:56 3.4 Europe Italy La Fruttarola VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 17:41:04 4.1 Pacific Ocean – West Wallis and Futuna Wallis and Futuna Mua VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 17:56:19 4.1 Pacific Ocean – West Wallis and Futuna Mua VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:36:34 2.1 North America United States California Piru VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:26:40 2.1 North America United States Nevada Argo There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:45:34 5.1 Europe Italy San Prospero VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:45:35 5.1 Europe Italy San Prospero VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:51:04 5.1 Europe Italy Possessionazza VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:51:23 3.4 Europe Italy Villa Magri VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:10:46 2.6 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California San Salvador VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:20:33 4.6 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:51:48 4.6 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:52:11 3.8 Europe Italy Scortichino VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:52:30 2.6 Europe Albania Kosovec VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:54:51 4.8 Indonesian Archipelago Indonesia Cipatujah VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:11:07 4.8 Indonesian archipelago Indonesia Karanganyar VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:55:53 4.6 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Camote There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 15:05:50 4.7 Pacific Ocean – West Philippines Province of Samar Legaspi There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:06:12 2.9 Caribbean Dominican Republic Provincia de La Altagracia Cabeza de Toro VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 14:21:27 3.2 Pacific Ocean New Zealand Sumner VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 GEONET Details
20.05.2012 13:51:59 2.0 North America United States Hawaii ‘Äpua (historical) There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 14:15:40 4.5 Pacific Ocean Fiji Nukunuku VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 14:50:37 4.5 Pacific Ocean – East Fiji Nukunuku VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 13:40:31 2.8 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California Munoz There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 23:36:00 2.5 North America United States Alaska Happy Valley There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 14:21:47 3.4 Pacific Ocean New Zealand Sumner VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 GEONET Details
20.05.2012 13:50:29 3.0 Europe Italy La Terzana VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 13:20:47 2.9 North America United States California Honeydew VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 13:05:44 2.7 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California Campo Buenos Tiempos There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 13:50:53 3.6 Europe Italy Le Cremosine VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 13:51:14 3.3 Europe Italy L’Orlanda VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 13:51:33 2.5 Europe Romania Poiana Trestiei VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 12:25:48 3.5 Middle America Mexico Estado de Baja California El Misterioso There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 12:50:30 3.9 Europe Italy Quarantoli VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 13:06:04 4.5 Europe Italy Ponte di San Pellegrino VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 15:57:38 3.8 Europe Italy Stiatico VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:45:37 3.7 Europe Greece Polion VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:46:01 3.6 Europe Greece Agioi Apostoloi VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:40:28 4.7 Europe Italy Dogaro VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 11:46:31 4.5 Europe Italy San Carlo VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:05:38 2.1 North America United States Alaska Valdez VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 11:00:43 3.7 North America United States Alaska Akhiok VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 11:46:52 3.7 Europe Italy Scortichino VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:01:58 3.3 Pacific Ocean New Zealand Kuratau There are volcano(s) nearby the epicenter. There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 GEONET Details
20.05.2012 11:20:41 5.0 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 11:47:14 5.1 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:06:04 5.1 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 10:40:33 5.5 Asia Japan Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 10:45:28 5.3 Asia Japan Iwate-ken Aneyoshi VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 10:40:55 3.7 Europe Italy Poggio Rusco VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 10:41:17 2.9 Europe Italy Casa Pezza VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 10:41:38 3.6 Europe Italy Monta VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 10:30:53 3.0 Caribbean Dominican Republic Provincia de La Altagracia Cabo Engano VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details
20.05.2012 10:41:57 3.2 Europe Italy Portiolo VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 12:50:50 3.2 Europe Italy Redena VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 12:51:11 3.2 Europe Italy Possessionazza VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 11:47:34 2.7 Europe Albania Koxheraj VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 EMSC Details
20.05.2012 17:41:28 2.0 North America United States Missouri Acorn Corner VulkĂĄn 0 There are airport(s) nearby the epicenter. VulkĂĄn 0 USGS-RSOE Details

……….

Strong Italy quake kills at least six

by Staff Writers
Ferrara, Italy (AFP)

Strong Italy quake kills at least six
by Staff Writers
Ferrara, Italy (AFP) May 20, 2012


Dazed and angry residents count losses of Italy quake
San Carlo, Italy (AFP) May 20, 2012 – Thousands of residents in towns around the northeast Italian city of Ferrara wandered in a daze Sunday amid the stench of gas leaks as aftershocks hit the region after a deadly quake.”I felt the house dancing around. It was chaos. We ran in all directions,” said Claudio Bignami, 68, a retired electrician in the town of San Carlo.”The furniture all fell over. There was broken glass everywhere,” said Bignami, as he stared out of his store at a collapsing restaurant in front.”We’re all trying to help each other out now,” he said.Small aftershocks continued to sow panic in the sparsely populated farmlands, industrial parks and small towns around the historic city of Ferrara even after the main 6.0-magnitude shock in the early hours of the morning that left at least six dead.

Cracks were visible in the roads and chimneys and roof tiles littered the streets. At a nearby ceramic factory where two employees died, the crashing sounds of falling crates of tiles could still be heard long after the quake.

Alda Bregoli, 73, was still in her nightshirt with a woollen jumper thrown on top standing under an umbrella in the rain.

“I had to run out as quickly as possible. I didn’t have time to put anything on. The firemen told me I can’t go back in. I’m scared,” she said.

Out of habit, many residents crowded around shuttered bars where they would usually go on a Sunday and looked for emergency workers, asking them to inspect the damage in their homes and worried about where they could stay the night.

Local business owners began calculating the extent of the damage.

One angry man in a baseball cap living in an isolated home in the countryside, still under shock, shouted: “Why are there no emergency workers here helping me? The roof of my house has fallen in! Why are they ignoring me?”

The earthquake left many of the region’s modern two-storey homes intact but older buildings, ancient churches and belltowers which dot the flatlands were badly hit — some collapsed, others had gaping cracks.

The centre of Ferrara is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A local chapel in San Carlo, the 16th-century Ghisilieri Oratorium, which had just been re-opened after an eight-year restoration, lay in ruins.

“We’ll never be able to rebuild it,” sighed Claudio Fabbri, 37, an architect from Modena who has been working on the project and who rushed to the scene in the early hours after a local resident told him what had happened.

Statues of angels in the chapel’s apse stared into the open sky after the roof and most of the walls caved in. Fabbri said his only hope was to save a precious painting above the altar now exposed to the elements.

“We even had an Internet campaign to raise funds to restore the terracotta flooring. A lot of local residents contributed,” said Fabbri, shaking his head.

“It was a very rich church. During the restoration we uncovered a 16th-century fresco in the ceiling. It even has the relics of a pope.”

 

A powerful earthquake shook Italy’s densely populated industrial northeast early Sunday, killing at least six people and reducing homes, factories and historic buildings to rubble.

Emergency services said dozens had been injured in the magnitude 6.0 quake, which struck in the middle of the night, sending thousands of people running into the streets in towns and cities across the Emilia Romagna region.

Prime Minister Mario Monti was to return early from the United States, where he was attending a NATO summit, as Italy reeled from the double shock of the quake and a deadly school attack that took place on Saturday.

Emergency workers were sifting through the rubble of collapsed buildings for victims hours after the quake and several aftershocks struck at 0200 GMT.

European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso expressed his “profound sadness” and said Brussels was “ready to provide swiftly any assistance that may be requested.”

Four of the dead were night-shift workers in factories which collapsed, including two who were crushed when the roof of a ceramics factory caved in in the town of Sant’Agostino.

A 37-year-old German woman and another woman aged over 100 reportedly died from shock.

The quake caused “significant” damage to historic buildings as it rattled the cities of Bologna, Ferrara, Verona and Mantua, Italy’s culture ministry said.

“According to first reports, damage to the cultural heritage is significant,” the ministry said, adding that it was carrying out “more detailed verifications with firemen and the civil defence service.”

Italian television showed many historic buildings, including churches, reduced to rubble. Cars were crushed under falling masonry, and the Civil Protection Agency evacuated hundreds of elderly and vulnerable people to makeshift communal shelters in Finale Emilia and towns near the epicentre.

Hospitals were evacuated as a precautionary measure and about 3,000 people have been evacuated from their homes.

Warehouses storing more than 300,000 wheels of Parmesan and Grana Padano, a similar cheese, with an estimated value of more than 250 million euros ($320 million), also collapsed, an industry official said.

The roof of a recently renovated sixth-century chapel in San Carlo, near Ferrara, caved in, exposing statues of angels to the elements.

Claudio Fabbri, a 37-year-old architect, told AFP the restoration had taken eight years. “Now there’s nothing left to do,” he said despondently.

People were out in the street, fearful of going indoors, as the odour of gas hung in the air.

Retired electrician Claudio Bignami, 68, said: “I went out because I felt the house moving. Furniture was falling over. It was chaos. Everyone was running in every direction.”

Aldra Bregoli, 73, who had pulled on a sweater over her nightgown, said: “I had to get out quickly. I can’t go back home. I’m afraid.”

Authorities said the quake’s epicentre was the commune of Finale Emilia, 36 kilometres (22 miles) north of Bologna, at a depth of only 5.1 kilometres.

One of the men killed in the ceramics factory collapse, Nicola Cavicchi, 35, “wanted to go to the seaside but because of the bad weather forecast he decided to go to work to replace a colleague who was sick,” a family member told local media.

A 29-year-old Moroccan man was killed by a falling girder when a factory building collapsed in the small town of Ponte Rodoni di Bondeno.

The body of a fourth night-shift worker was found in the early afternoon under fallen masonry at a factory in a nearby village.

In Finale Emilia, firefighters rescued a five-year-old girl who was trapped in the rubble of her house after a rapid series of phone calls between a local woman, a family friend who was in New York and emergency services.

The region shaken by the quake is Italy’s industrial heartland but also home to priceless architectural and art treasures. The historic centre of Ferrara is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

A 5.1 magnitude aftershock struck Sunday afternoon, forcing the collapse of several structures already weakened, with a firefighter left seriously injured after falling from a wall.

Yet in a show of calm nerves, officials opened polls as planned for the second round of local elections in the cities of Piacenza, Parma, Budrio and Comacchio.

“Italy is a very quake-prone country,” said seismologist Enzo Boschi.

In March 2009, a 6.3 magnitude quake devastated the central city of l’Aquila, killing some 300 people and leaving tens of thousands homeless.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Deadly & Destructive: More video of quake-hit Italy

Published on May 20, 2012 by

A strong earthquake shook northern Italy early on Sunday, killing at least four people, toppling buildings and sending residents running into the streets, emergency services and news reports said. The magnitude-6.0 temblor struck at 4:04 a.m. (2:04 GMT) on Sunday between Modena and Mantova, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) north-northwest of Bologna at a relatively shallow depth of 5 kilometers (3.2 miles), the US Geological Survey said. It was one of the strongest quakes to shake the region.

2 21.05.2012 Earthquake Italy [Modena and Mantova] Damage level Details

Earthquake in Italy on Sunday, 20 May, 2012 at 08:13 (08:13 AM) UTC.

Description
A magnitude-6.0 earthquake shook northern Italy early Sunday, killing at least three people and toppling some buildings, emergency services and news reports said.The quake struck at 4:04 a.m. Sunday between Modena and Mantova, about 22 miles north-northwest of Bologna at a relatively shallow depth of 6 miles, the U.S. Geological Survey said.It was one of the strongest quakes to shake the region, seismologists said, and initial television footage indicated that older buildings had suffered damage: roofs collapsed, church towers showed cracks and the bricks of some stone walls tumbled into the street. As dawn broke over the region, residents milled about the streets inspecting the damage.Italian news agency ANSA, citing emergency services, said two people were killed in Sant’Agostino di Ferrara when a ceramics factory collapsed. Another person was killed in Ponte Rodoni do Bondeno, ANSA said.The epicenter was between the towns of Finale Emilia, San Felice sul Panaro and Sermide but was felt as far away as Tuscany and northern Alto Adige.The initial quake was followed about an hour later by a 5.1-magnitude temblor, USGS said.IItaly’s Sky TG24 showed images of the collapsed ceramics factory where the two workers were reportedly killed; the structure, which appeared to be a hangar of sorts, had twisted metal supports jutting out at odd angles amid the mangled collapsed roof.In late January, a 5.4-magnitude quake shook northern Italy. Some office buildings in Milan were evacuated as a precaution and there were scattered reports of falling masonry and cracks in buildings.In 2009, a devastating temblor killed more than 300 people in the central city of L’Aquila.

…..

Twin quakes rock Japan

Japan was hit by two shallow earthquakes in the space of just eight minutes on Sunday, one of them measuring a strong 6.2-magnitude, but there were no reports of damage and no tsunami alert.

The 6.2-magnitude quake struck at 4:20pm (0720 GMT) off Japan’s northeast Pacific coast, the national meteorological agency said, followed by a tremor with a reading of 5.7 at 4:28pm.

The US Geological Survey estimated the magnitude of the first quake at 6.0.

The depth of both quakes was about 10 kilometres, the agency said.

“Sea levels may change slightly due to the (first) earthquake but there is no fear of damage resulting from it,” the agency said in a statement.

A 9.0-magnitude undersea earthquake off the same coast triggered a monster tsunami on March 11 last year, leaving about 19,000 people dead or missing and crippling the Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Magnitude 4.8 quake hits Christchurch

Christchurch has been rocked by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake on Sunday evening.

It follows a 4.1 magnitude quake four point one quake at 9.35am on Sunday.

The 4.8 quake was centred 20 kilometres east of Christchurch at a depth of eight kilometres and struck at 5.06pm.

The shaking lasted several seconds but so far there have been no reports of damage or injuries.

The chief executive of the electricity lines company, Orion, says there have been no reports of power outages.

Sunday morning’s quake measured 4.1 and was centred 20 kilometres west of Christchurch at a depth of 10km.

The regularity and strength of earthquakes has continued to subside since the quakes felt just before Christmas which produced power outages and fresh liquefaction.

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Volcanic Activity

Minor Glacial Burst in South Iceland Volcano Katla

A small glacial burst occurred in the volcano Katla, which lies underneath the Mýrdalsjökull icecap in south Iceland, on April 28 and lasted a few days. The activity was registered by seismic monitors and increased conduction was measured in the river Múlakvísl until May 7.

myrdalsjokull-katla_ps

Mýrdalsjökull. Photo by Páll Stefánsson.

Last summer a large glacial burst, probably caused by a minor eruption in Katla, caused the river to swell and tear a hole in the Ring Road, right at the height of the tourism season in early July.

Oddur Sigurðsson, a geologist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told visir.is that the glacial burst in late April was so insignificant that it couldn’t be detected by the naked eye.

Oddur explained that it was caused by geothermal activity in one of Katla’s craters.

Volcano enthusiast and blogger Jón Frímann Jónsson reported on two events in Katla, on April 28 and May 6 or 7, and considers them to be warning signals: something is happening in the volcano, he predicts.

He also commented on the recent series of earthquakes which hit Herðubreið in the northeastern highlands early this week.

   By Clayton R. Norman
Significant activity at the volcano east of San José has caught the attention of local volcanologists.

Turrialba Volcano

National Seismological Network volcanologists are keeping an eye on Turruialba Volcano, which they say could erupt soon. Courtesy of RSN

Costa Rica’s National Seismological Network has upgraded the color threat level to yellow of Turrialba Volcano, in the province of Cartago east of the capital.

A statement issued by Raúl Mora-Amador, coordinator of Seismology, Volcanology and Geophysical Exploration at the University of Costa Rica, indicates a threat level of yellow means that the National Seismological Network believes an eruption is “probable” in a matter of days, weeks or a few months.

The upgrade in the threat level is due to “important changes in seismic activity of Volcano Turrialba associated with the movement of fluids, gas and magma beneath the surface, different from that observed in past years,” Mora-Amador’s statement says.

Temperatures around some fumaroles on the volcano have risen to as much as 800° Celsius, accompanied by eruptions of ash. High-temperature emissions of volcanic gases including sulfur dioxide have increased, causing incandescence in some of the fumaroles, Mora-Amador said, adding that the internal wall of the active crater is very weak due to hydrothermal changes in the volcano. Mora-Amador indicated this could mean a major eruption could jettison material into the atmosphere.

Turrialba is the only volcano in the country currently with a yellow threat-level indicator. An upgrade to red would mean an eruptions is imminent.

Spectacular eruption of Guatemala’s Fuego volcano

Published on May 20, 2012 by

Guatemala’s Fuego volcano has begun belching lava and ash into the sky in a spectacular eruption. Report by Sam Datta-Paulin

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Extreme Temperatures/ Weather

Excessive Heat Warning

PHOENIX AZ

Heat Advisory

TUCSON AZ

Red Flag Warning

FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE

ELKO NV
TALLAHASSEE FL
FAIRBANKS AK
SALT LAKE CITY UT
RENO NV

Fire Weather Watch

CHEYENNE WY
GRAND JUNCTION CO
FLAGSTAFF AZ
EL PASO TX/SANTA TERESA NM
RENO NV

Extreme Fire Danger

RAPID CITY SD

Gale Warning

MEDFORD, OR
LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
PORTLAND OR

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Storms, Flooding

Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
Alberto Atlantic Ocean 20.05.2012 21.05.2012 Tropical Storm 180 ° 65 km/h 78 km/h 3.66 m NHC Details

 Tropical Storm data

Storm name: Alberto
Area: Atlantic Ocean
Start up location: N 32° 10.537, W 79° 11.367
Start up: 20th May 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 374.77 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
Current position
Date Time Position Speed
km/h
Wind
km/h
Gust
km/h
Category Course Wave
feet
Pressure Source
21st May 2012 08:05:05 N 30° 30.000, W 80° 6.000 7 65 78 Tropical Storm 180 ° 12 1007 MB NHC
Name of storm system Location Formed Last update Last category Course Wind Speed Gust Wave Source Details
TWO-E Pacific Ocean – East 21.05.2012 01.01.1970 ER ° 0 km/h 0 km/h 0.00 m Details

Tropical Storm data

Storm name: TWO-E
Area: Pacific Ocean – East
Start up location: N 9° 18.000, W 99° 36.000
Start up: 21st May 2012
Status: Active
Track long: 0.00 km
Top category.:
Report by: NHC
Useful links:

……….

 

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

ALBUQUERQUE NM

Tropical Storm Warning

CAPE FEAR TO 31N OUT TO 32N 73W TO 31N 74W
CHARLESTON SC
ATLANTIC FROM 27N TO 31N W OF 77W-

20.05.2012 Flood Afghanistan [Sar-e-Pul] Damage level Details

Flood in Afghanistan on Sunday, 20 May, 2012 at 11:20 (11:20 AM) UTC.

Description
Flood waters ravaged a provincial capital in northern Afghanistan, killing at least 19 people and destroying hundreds of homes, officials said Sunday.About 60 other people were missing and rescuers were looking for them across Sar-e-Pul, the capital of a province with the same name, said Sayed Faizullah Sadat, the national disaster director in the area.Northern Afghanistan gets hit nearly every spring by flash flooding from heavy rains and snow melting off the mountains.
Sadat said 1,000 houses were destroyed and 10,000 people were forced to find shelter in mosques, schools and a teacher-training center.”Most of these families have lost their houses — all their property, their livelihoods,” he said.
According to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, the water rose to 1.5 meters on Saturday during the peak of the flooding.The office said four humanitarian assessment teams tried to get to the city on Saturday, but could not access the area.”Most of the roads are blocked by the flooding,” said Sayed Jahangir, deputy provincial police chief. “Hundreds of houses have been destroyed. We were able to move people to different places that we think will be safe.”The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority reported that several hundred people were rescued from rooftops.Flash flooding also has been reported in northern Takhar province.Mustafa Rasouli, a spokesman for the province, said heavy rains continued Sunday in the area where flash flooding killed two people. He said 3,000 animals, including sheep and cows also were killed, and about 1,000 hectares of farm land had been destroyed in the provincial capital of Taloqan and six other districts.”Two thousand houses have been partially or completely destroyed,” he said.

Flood Warning

AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO TX
WILMINGTON NC

Flood Advisory/Flood Watch

FAIRBANKS AK

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Radiation

Extreme Radioactive Black Substance Discovered 5 Kilometers From Tokyo

By

Black substance five times more radioactive than Chernobyl-Belarus mandatory exculsion zone


[Photo-Image: Radioactive mystery black substance discovered in different locations in Tokyo, photo source, Fukushima Diary]

A mysterious black substance five times more radioactive than the Chernobyl-Belarus mandatory evacuation zone was discovered 4 kilometers from the center of Tokyo, the Hirai Station. The mystery radioactive black substance discovered close to Tokyo on the heels of the discovery of Cesium in Fukushima Prefecture 122 times higher than in Belarus evacuation zone.
[Image: Google Earth map location of Japan's Hirai Station]

The Belarus exclusion zone, a 30-mile now wilderness area around the Chernobyl plant. Tokyo is located more than 241 kilometers from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant with four nuclear reactors in “dire” condition according to physicist Dr. Michio Kaku.

Flashpoint interview with Dr. Kaku:

………“People don’t realize that the Fukushima reactor is on a knife’s edge; it’s near the tipping point. A small earthquake, another pipe break, another explosion could tip it over and we could have a disaster much worse, many times worse than Chernobyl. It’s like a sleeping dragon………

Read Full Article  And Listen to Interview  Here

Fukushima Radioactive Contamination Will Spread to Kamchatka, Hawaii, U.S. Soon

By


[Photo-Image: Kid's radiation protective suits ad in Fukushima newspaper, Photo source, Fukushima-Diary.com]

Now that we know plutonium has been detected in the mysterious black dust discovered in different locations in Japan and the mists seen swirling around the damaged nuclear reactors is radioactive water vapor, the news TEPCO may be covering up the true amount of highly radioactive contamination leaking into the sea.

According to a new article posted by the Asia-Pacific Journal, Japan Focus, After The Media Has Gone: Fukushima, Suicide and the Legacy of 3.11, there has been a continuous leakage of radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean, radioactive waste water that includes strontium-90, and, the dire claim Fukushima’s radioactive waste water “contamination will spread all over the world, reaching to Kamchatka, Hawaii and the U.S. soon”.

Possibly angry at this situation, on April 21st a 62-year-old nuclear worker broke the silence on the continued leakage of contaminated water from Fukushima Daiichi. Speaking to me, he requested anonymity for fear of losing his job. He supervises a construction site aimed at building a new facility to extract radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium from the contaminated water used to cool the plant’s crippled reactors. He revealed that the current facility removes only cesium and that other radioactive materials such as strontium cannot be cleaned up.

He expressed astonishment at the scale of the cleanup operation. “You know how much contaminated water is stored at the Fukushima Daiichi site? It is 200,000 tons. It is an enormous amount!” “In reality,” he said, raising his voice, “it is impossible to store that much water on site. So, it is obvious that some of the contaminated water has been leaked into the ocean.”

TEPCO announced on March 26th, 2012 that approximately 120 tons of water had leaked from a treatment pipe, forcing them to halt operating the treatment facility. Thi was the second time in two weeks that contaminated water leaked from the nuclear power plant.3

Read Full Article Here

Radioactive Water Vapor at Fukushima Nuke Plant Video, Mysterious Black Dust Contains Plutonium

By

Concern mounts over Fukushima nuclear reactor number four


[Photo-Image: Water vapor containing radiation swirls around damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors, May 2, 2012. Photo image source: Fukushima live stream web cam video]

“Nearly all of the 10,893 spent fuel assemblies at the Fukushima Daiichi plant sit in pools vulnerable to future earthquakes, with roughly 85 times more long-lived radioactivity than released at Chernobyl.”
-April 30, 2012, Urgent letter to UN General Secretary

In post-March 11, 2011 (311) Japan a small, makeshift wall constructed of ‘bags of rock’ is the sole protection from a future tsunami at the Fuksuhima Nuclear Power Plant Number One; bags of rock to protect four severely damaged nuclear reactors including reactor number four still in disrepair after the 311 magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami. Located in nuclear reactor number four, spent nuclear fuel–Cesium-137 (Cs-137)–equivalent to 10 times the amount that was released at the time of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Post 311, a surreal world of mysterious black ‘dust’ discovered in different locations in Japan and fog-like clouds swirling around the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Number One. Detected in the mysterious black dust, plutonium. The fog-like clouds, radioactive water vapor. Hidden from eyesight in the radioactive water vapor fog, mixed Plutonium Uranium fuel scattered around Fukushima nuclear reactor number three.

The report on the radioactive water vapor from the Japan website Fukushima Diary:

Oshidori Mako talked at Osaka Bar Association when she asked Tepco , “We see gas coming out from Fukushima plants at night. It looks like smoke. What is that ? ” Tepco replied it’s water vapor. She asked them again, if it’s radioactive. They answered it is radioactive, and it comes out in day time and night time.

2012.05.02 01:00-02:00 (Live Fukushima Nuclear Plant Cam) Video

Read Full Article Here

The Pacific Ocean Is Dying

A Special Report On the Fukushima Nuclear Catastrophe

Radioactive Seawater Impact Map (March 2012), US Dept of State Geographer Image

The upshot of each of the preceding articles is that the Pacific Ocean is extremely vulnerable to the radioactive waste being dumped into her waters at Fukushima. Should another catastrophic earthquake occur, it could create a new and more complicated nuclear disaster scenario that is truly irreparable. Even without any seismic activity affecting the nuclear sites, the current state of affairs has taken for granted that the Pacific Ocean will become a nuclear dumping ground for decades to come. It has not been lost on us that such an inevitability appears to be the only practical expedient available.

We are truly saddened by the great loss of marine life and harm to myriad aquatic and shoreline ecosystems. As the nuclear radiation is exported around the Asian Ring of Fire, genetic mutation will begin to affect every form of life — from phytoplankton to whales, from seabirds to mangroves, from dolphins to krill. Everything that lives near the Pacific will be at risk to some degree. Anyone who lives, works or plays in or around the Pacific will be compelled to evaluate their relationship to this great ocean.

What have we done to Mother Earth by siting nuclear power plants in the most seismically active region of the world?!

What in God’s Creation can possibly be done to fix it?

Never in the history of humankind has the planet been confronted with such a grave set of circumstances. Fukushima represents all that can go wrong when scientific applications and technological advancement within a crude industrial context have gone awry. Unfortunately, given the many trajectories that numerous fields of technological innovation are currently on, Fukushima and the BP Gulf oil spill of 2012 may only be the beginning of a period of  accelerating technospheric breakdown which will sweep across the planet.
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Related Article Here

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Solar Activity

2MIN News May20: ECLIPSE, NASA Spaceweather, Planetary Positions & News

Published on May 20, 2012 by

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Space

An illustration of ''Quaoar,'' a Kuiper belt object.

Artist’s conception of a small icy object beyond Pluto (file picture).

Illustration courtesy G. Bacon, STScI/NASA

Richard A. Lovett in Timberline Lodge, Oregon

for National Geographic News

Published May 11, 2012

An as yet undiscovered planet might be orbiting at the dark fringes of the solar system, according to new research.

Too far out to be easily spotted by telescopes, the potential unseen planet appears to be making its presence felt by disturbing the orbits of so-called Kuiper belt objects, said Rodney Gomes, an astronomer at the National Observatory of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.

Kuiper belt objects are small icy bodies—including some dwarf planets—that lie beyond the orbit of Neptune.

Once considered the ninth planet in our system, the dwarf planet Pluto, for example, is one of the largest Kuiper belt objects, at about 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers) wide. Dozens of the other objects are hundreds of miles across, and more are being discovered every year.

(See “Three New ‘Plutos’? Possible Dwarf Planets Found.”)

What’s intriguing, Gomes said, is that, according to his new calculations, about a half dozen Kuiper belt objects—including the remote body known as Sedna—are in strange orbits compared to where they should be, based on existing solar system models. (Related: “Pluto Neighbor Gets Downsized.”)

The objects’ unexpected orbits have a few possible explanations, said Gomes, who presented his findings Tuesday at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Timberline Lodge, Oregon.

“But I think the easiest one is a planetary-mass solar companion”—a planet that orbits very far out from the sun but that’s massive enough to be having gravitational effects on Kuiper belt objects.

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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 KY67) 23rd May 2012 2 day(s) 0.1499 58.3 68 m – 150 m 13.88 km/s 49968 km/h
(2011 KG4) 24th May 2012 3 day(s) 0.1216 47.3 67 m – 150 m 11.50 km/s 41400 km/h
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers,1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers Source: NASA-NEO

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[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.]

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