Lightning is the cause of a chemical fire at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Amarillo tonight. Officials say the lighting struck tanks filled with methane gas, sulfur, H2 and furic chloride around 7:00 this evening.
Hazmat Crews did respond to the scene as well as the Amarillo Fire Department and Potter County Fire and Rescue. St. Francis at the intersection of FM1912 all the way to the plant is still blocked off at this time.
There were talks of evacuating the plant but officials say that did not happen. No injuries were reported.
Earth Changes
PSYCHIATRISTS have detected the first case of "climate change delusion" - and they haven't even yet got to Kevin Rudd and his global warming guru.
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| © Chris Doolittle |
| Northeastern San Bernardino, California, as the wildfires light up the night sky. |
Last Thursday, in the late afternoon, I stared up at the blood red sun, brown and soot gray clouds enveloping it, and watched ash fall in flurries. I suddenly flashed on the rejiggered city limits sign in "High Plains Drifter." It read: "Welcome to Hell."
Hell had come to California, once again, and, once again, it was in my backyard.
Perhaps our Guvunator Arnold Schwarzenegger summed up the past few weeks the best over the weekend. "I've been driving up and down the state of California going to all the various different fires, and you can imagine, this state is very prepared for fire, but when you wake up one morning and have 500 fires across the state, it was a real shock to me...only to find the next morning there were 1,000 fires, and the next morning 1,400 fires, and then 1,700 fires igniting over 14 days."
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| ©University of Exeter |
| New research has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. |
Four weeks since the shocking incident that led to the death of 26 dolphins near Falmouth, research sheds new light on the extent of the problems facing Cornwall's marine mammals.
A study by the University of Exeter and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation (July 7, 2008) has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. The frequency of these mammals, collectively known as cetaceans, found stranded on beaches in Cornwall has increased with a sharp rise in the last eight years. After analysing nearly 100 years of data, the researchers believe this could, in part, be due to more intensive fishing.
There has been further scientific interest in a pod of Antarctic killer whales that were sighted recently off the New South Wales far south coast.
An Eden couple took photographs of the mammals while on a pleasure cruise off Eden's Twofold Bay.
Researchers identified the pod as a species that exclusively inhabits the cold, southern waters.
David Donnelly from the Dolphin Research Centre says the sighting remains a mystery.
An Eden couple took photographs of the mammals while on a pleasure cruise off Eden's Twofold Bay.
Researchers identified the pod as a species that exclusively inhabits the cold, southern waters.
David Donnelly from the Dolphin Research Centre says the sighting remains a mystery.
Global warming is shrinking glaciers all over the world, but the seven tongues of ice creeping down Mount Shasta's flanks are a rare exception: They are the only long-established glaciers in the lower 48 states that are growing.
Shortly after noon today, dispatch received a cell phone call reporting three people had been struck by lightning near Mills Lake in the Glacier Gorge area of Rocky Mountain National Park.
Mills Lake is approximately 2.8 miles from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Park rangers responded and contacted three people who were reportedly struck by lighting. Initial reports indicate three males and one female were struck. After investigating, park officials confirmed there was not a fourth victim, according to e-mails from Kyle Patterson, Public Information Officer for Rocky Mountain National Park.
Two males and one female were walking down the trail when they were contacted.
Eight people were standing near Mills Lake when the lightning strike occurred, Patterson wrote.
Three out of this group were apparently struck by lightning. The Park Service hopes to have ages and hometowns confirmed later today.
Mills Lake is approximately 2.8 miles from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Park rangers responded and contacted three people who were reportedly struck by lighting. Initial reports indicate three males and one female were struck. After investigating, park officials confirmed there was not a fourth victim, according to e-mails from Kyle Patterson, Public Information Officer for Rocky Mountain National Park.
Two males and one female were walking down the trail when they were contacted.
Eight people were standing near Mills Lake when the lightning strike occurred, Patterson wrote.
Three out of this group were apparently struck by lightning. The Park Service hopes to have ages and hometowns confirmed later today.
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| ©Chronicle photo by Dee Camp |
| Fire erupts near Okanogan after lightning storm passes through at 7 p.m. |
A brief, fierce lightning storm touched off a fast-moving fire that is threatening structures, the Okanogan County Sheriff's Office's communications system and crops in the Cameron Lake Road area near Okanogan.
The fire began around 7 p.m. July 1 as a lightning storm moved through the valley. It brought scattered rain showers to the mid-valley area and hail to the south end of the county.
"This is the worst crisis since records started being kept 80 years ago," Water Authority head Uri Shani declared Tuesday morning at a special press conference in Tel Aviv. "Like most countries, Israel is dependent on rainfall and the amount of rainfall is decreasing. There is a drop of 100 million cubic meters per year."
Shani described a situation of increasing damage to Israel's main natural water sources. The Coastal Aquifer "has dropped below its black line," which means that it will suffer rapid damage, possibly irreversible damage, Shani said.
Shani described a situation of increasing damage to Israel's main natural water sources. The Coastal Aquifer "has dropped below its black line," which means that it will suffer rapid damage, possibly irreversible damage, Shani said.
An earthquake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale shook southeastern Peru early Tuesday apparently causing no injuries, officials said.
Police confirmed reports a bridge some 450 miles from Lima collapsed during the tremor, El Comercio newspaper reported online.
Police confirmed reports a bridge some 450 miles from Lima collapsed during the tremor, El Comercio newspaper reported online.
