Earth Changes
There was no flooding in the Green Bay area, but National Weather Service officials said they were watching the situation carefully, particularly Duck Creek in Howard. A flood warning was issued for the Oconto River in Oconto County, where river levels were at 9.1 feet, slightly above the flood stage of 9 feet.
The National Weather Service in Albany, N.Y., issued a flood watch Friday for southern Vermont, in effect through this afternoon. A flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts. Forecasters are expecting between a half inch to an inch of rain Friday and today, which may cause some rivers minor flooding. Rain is also in the forecast for Sunday and Monday.
Mark Bosma, a spokesman for Vermont Emergency Management, said if there was flooding it is likely to be minor, but it is impossible to know for certain.
Six homes and two businesses were destroyed, 22 homes were significantly damaged, and 18 had minor damage, emergency management coordinator Gerald Mohr said.
The Wednesday-morning storm already had awakened members of the family with a "weird" high-pitched whistling wind.
"Each time this happens, the roads get more damage and bridges are undermined," said Mike Dixon, county Department of Emergency Management deputy director.
The only exception to the closure will be a selective recreational fishery for coho salmon in Oregon, according to Dan Wolford, PFMC member and Coastside Fishing Club science director. The fishery closure will extend from Cape Falcon in northern Oregon to the US-Mexico border.
This complete closure of fishing for chinook salmon will be the first since commercial fishing began in California in 1848. The decision was made because of the "unprecedented collapse" of Central Valley salmon stocks. The Sacramento River fall chinook population, until recently the most robust West Coast salmon run, was the driver of West Coast salmon fisheries.
As recently as 2002, 775,000 adults returned to spawn. This year, even with all ocean salmon fishing closures, the return of fall run chinook to the Sacramento is projected to be only 54,000 fish.
Divinely inspired colonists wrested lands occupied by native peoples and bestowed the mixed blessings of civilization on them. The rationalization for dispossession then -- and now -- was that these "primitive" peoples were not making productive use of their lands. What they did not know, and still do not, is that they took over lands that were largely shaped and maintained by indigenous peoples through extensive and intensive land care practices that enabled them to not only survive but also thrive.
Heavy rain and hail tore through most of the region, causing a minimal amount of damage.
Reports of golf-ball-sized hail came into our newsroom. The rain and thunder stormed through Mid-Michigan fast and furious, but left behind one colorful sky
The harrowing sound of a storm lurked in the shadows as Mid-Michigan bear down for the spring shower.
Comment: From the article: In other words: They don't know why the salmon stocks have collapsed. We should add salmon to the list of species mysteriously dying. So far we have bees, bats and frogs.