Some 270,000 homes and businesses remained without power for a second day on Friday after powerful winds toppled trees and power lines and left debris across a wide swath of Southern California.
The fierce gusts that tore across Western states Thursday created a path destruction that closed schools and prompted some communities to declare emergencies.
The storms, described as a once-in-a-decade event, were the result of a dramatic difference in pressure between a strong, high-pressure system and a cold, low-pressure system, meteorologists said. This funnels strong winds down mountain canyons and slopes.
The system brought high wind warnings and advisories for California, Utah, Nevada, Wyoming, Arizona and New Mexico. The blustery weather was expected to next hit Oklahoma, Missouri and Indiana.
Earth Changes
In all, the Utah Department of Transportation reported 11 semis overturned by the wind on the state's highways Thursday morning. Utah Highway Patrol Corporal Todd Johnson said that between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m., at least six semis were blown onto their sides on I-15 in Davis County in the area of the Lund Lane and Parrish Lane exits in Centerville as violent gusts - hitting 102 mph around 9 a.m. - thrashed the region.
Johnson said none of the drivers suffered more than minor injuries.
All traffic through the affected area was diverted for about two hours, Johnson said. By 7:30 a.m., traffic through the area had resumed, but was periodically suspended as new semi-related accidents occurred throughout the morning. Motorists still were advised to avoid the area, if possible. High-profile vehicles were ordered off the gusty stretch of freeway until at least 6 p.m. Thursday.
Johnson said none of the drivers suffered more than minor injuries.
All traffic through the affected area was diverted for about two hours, Johnson said. By 7:30 a.m., traffic through the area had resumed, but was periodically suspended as new semi-related accidents occurred throughout the morning. Motorists still were advised to avoid the area, if possible. High-profile vehicles were ordered off the gusty stretch of freeway until at least 6 p.m. Thursday.
© n/a
Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) said their latest calculations showed the fuel inside the No. 1 reactor at the tsunami-hit plant could have melted entirely, dropping through its inner casing and eroding a concrete base.
In the worst-case scenario, the molten fuel could have reached as far as 65 centimetres (2 feet) through the concrete, leaving it only 37 centimetres short of the outer steel casing, the report, released Wednesday, said.
Until now, TEPCO had said some fuel melted through the inner pressure vessel and dropped to the containment vessel, without saying how much and what it did to the concrete, citing a lack of data.
Severe gale force winds caused damage and disruption to national and local ferry services and flights today - and destroyed a caravan in the Skerries.
Shetland experienced the highest winds in the UK, with 81mph gusts recorded in Foula, 73mph in Lerwick and 69mph in Fair Isle.
NorthLink's sailings were delayed or cancelled and there were no inter-island ferries on some routes. There were no ferries on Bressay or Bluemull Sounds or to Whalsay in the morning, and the Yell Sound service was down to a single ferry. Normal service resumed on these routes in the afternoon, although the Skerries service was off all day.
The reduction followed the strike yesterday when there were no ferries at all.
Flights to and from Sumburgh were also disrupted, with the early morning flight from Aberdeen and the 12.15pm departure to the city both cancelled.
Shetland experienced the highest winds in the UK, with 81mph gusts recorded in Foula, 73mph in Lerwick and 69mph in Fair Isle.
© Unknown
Christopher Hay's flattened caravan in Skerries.
Christopher Hay's flattened caravan in Skerries.
The reduction followed the strike yesterday when there were no ferries at all.
Flights to and from Sumburgh were also disrupted, with the early morning flight from Aberdeen and the 12.15pm departure to the city both cancelled.
© KABC Photo/ Eddie Shamie
An uprooted tree on the campus of California State University, San Bernardino on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011.
An uprooted tree on the campus of California State University, San Bernardino on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011.
Trees and power lines were knocked down, and thousands of people were without power.
Southern California Edison said nearly 200,000 of its customers were without power Thursday morning. The company said the hardest hit area was in the San Gabriel Valley along the 210 Freeway.
Communities most affected were Altadena, Alhambra, Arcadia, La Canada, Monrovia, Pasadena, San Gabriel, Sierra Madre and Temple City. It's unknown when power was going to be restored.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power reported that at least 88,700 of its customers did not have power.
Pasadena declared a local emergency due to the severe conditions. Officials urged residents to stay home, if possible, in order to avoid downed trees and power lines.
Pasadena Unified School District and Arcadia Unified School District canceled classes for the day.
A quake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale occurred today in southeast Finland. It was the strongest quake of the year in Finland according to seismologists.
A loud bang was also heard by eyewitnesses and buildings shook.Quakes of this intensity are more common in the North of the country with the South being relatively calm.
© Seismologian instituutti
Järistyksen keskus sijaitsi Kuusaanlammen vieressä.
Järistyksen keskus sijaitsi Kuusaanlammen vieressä.
Power outages and downed trees were reported in several regions of Los Angeles County Wednesday night due to strong winds, NBC LA reported.
A major change in the weather pattern is expected to bring powerful gusts of up to 85 miles per hour and possible hurricane force winds into the Los Angeles region for two days.
The National Weather Service issued warnings that the high winds and low humidy could cause wildfires.
On Wednesday night, a wind gust of 97 mph was recorded at Whitaker Peak in Los Angeles County, according to the weather service.
A major change in the weather pattern is expected to bring powerful gusts of up to 85 miles per hour and possible hurricane force winds into the Los Angeles region for two days.
© Mark J. Terrill / AP
Los Angeles City firefighters look over a eucalyptus tree that fell on a house and knocked down power lines, Wednesday.
Los Angeles City firefighters look over a eucalyptus tree that fell on a house and knocked down power lines, Wednesday.
On Wednesday night, a wind gust of 97 mph was recorded at Whitaker Peak in Los Angeles County, according to the weather service.
A moderate earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale jolted Nicobar Islands early on Thursday.
The quake hit the islands at 1.12 a.m., Xinhua quoted the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as saying.
The quake's epicentre, with a depth of 1.00 km, was initially determined to be at 7.8365 degrees north latitude and 94.0158 degrees east longitude.
The quake hit the islands at 1.12 a.m., Xinhua quoted the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) as saying.
The quake's epicentre, with a depth of 1.00 km, was initially determined to be at 7.8365 degrees north latitude and 94.0158 degrees east longitude.
© The Mississippi Press/Kaija Wilkinson
Institute Director Moby Solangi watches a dolphin that was stranded on the beach in Fort Morgan, Alabama, make circles in its pool at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011.
Institute Director Moby Solangi watches a dolphin that was stranded on the beach in Fort Morgan, Alabama, make circles in its pool at the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2011.
Gulfport, Mississippi -- A stranded dolphin found alive in the marsh near Fort Morgan, Alabama continues to improve, said Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies at Gulfport.
Another dead dolphin, the fifth in the past week, was found at Waveland on Monday, he said.
"They are all about the same age, which is the group of animals that would have been born earlier this year in February and March," Solangi said. "They were less than a year old and still dependent on their mothers."
All the dead dolphins were about 5½-feet long, he said.
Sitting atop his taxi surrounded by flood waters, this man was one of hundreds caught out as Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland were hit by heavy rain yesterday.
This scene was captured in a car park in Greenock, Scotland as some parts of Scotland were battered by a fortnight's rain in just 24-hours.
The deluges forced roads to close and train cancellations, while several schools were forced to close due to the rising waters.
This scene was captured in a car park in Greenock, Scotland as some parts of Scotland were battered by a fortnight's rain in just 24-hours.
The deluges forced roads to close and train cancellations, while several schools were forced to close due to the rising waters.
© unknown
Stranded: A man sits atop his taxi in Greenock, Scotland after heavy rain caught him unawares
Stranded: A man sits atop his taxi in Greenock, Scotland after heavy rain caught him unawares
© PA
Fireman study the debris left by a fallen chimney that injured a pensioner after a cloud-burst and sudden strong winds hit the Heaton Moor at around 2.25pm today
Fireman study the debris left by a fallen chimney that injured a pensioner after a cloud-burst and sudden strong winds hit the Heaton Moor at around 2.25pm today
