Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Another severe storm hits São Paulo, Brazil causing fatal floods

Rain sweeps cars down São Paulo avenue
Rain sweeps cars down a São Paulo avenue.
One confirmed death as intense rain leads to widespread flooding and power outages across the city.

A severe storm struck São Paulo on the night of February 18, 2025, resulting in tragic consequences and widespread chaos. Reports indicate at least one person drowned when her vehicle was submerged during the deluge, underscoring the storm's ferocity. The victim, whose identity has yet to be disclosed, was found trapped inside her car along Avenida General Edgar Facó, which became one of the hardest-hit areas.

The city's emergency services were inundated with calls, primarily for fallen trees and flooding incidents. The firefighting brigade responded to 59 reports of trees down, 22 calls related to flooding, and three for landslides during the day. By nightfall, the Center for Emergency Management (CGE) issued severe alerts warning residents of heavy rains and potential floods.


Comment: See also this other report from January: Flash flooding hits São Paulo, Brazil - Subway station flooded, car swept away - 3.2 inches of rain in just 1 hour, also 48.5% of January rainfall


Attention

157 false killer whales stranded on beach in Australia's Tasmania

False killer whales stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia, on February 19, 2025
© Department of Natural Resources and Environment TasmaniaFalse killer whales stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia, on February 19, 2025.
More than 150 false killer whales are stranded on a beach in the state of Tasmania, with rescue teams now scrambling to save those still alive, Australian environment officials have said.

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment said in a statement on Wednesday that marine experts are at the scene of the mass beaching near Arthur River on Tasmania's northwest coast, about 400km (250 miles) from the state capital, Hobart.

"They've been stranded now for, we estimate, 24 to 48 hours," said Brendon Clark, a liaison officer at the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service.

Speaking at a news conference, Clark said that of the 157 beached false killer whales, only 90 appeared to still be alive. Authorities have yet to determine if any of the whales can be re-floated, he added.

"To try to re-float the animals directly back into that surf would be challenging, and then, of course, that would also present some enormous safety risks for our staff and personnel," Clark said.

He explained that the inaccessibility of the beach, the ocean conditions and the challenges around getting specialist equipment to the remote beach were complicating the rescue response.


Boat

Severe flooding impacts South Sulawesi, Indonesia - floodwaters up to 67 inches deep

A boat with five people on board was overpowered by flood waters during a rescue attempt in Maros, Indonesia.
A boat with five people on board was overpowered by flood waters during a rescue attempt in Maros, Indonesia.
Numerous areas in South Sulawesi experienced extensive flooding since Tuesday following several days of heavy rainfall, which caused three rivers to overflow, prompting thousands to flee to safer locations.

The flood impacted the provincial capital of Makassar along with Maros and Gowa, leading officials to discharge water from Gowa's Bilibili Dam at an overflow rate of 1,000 cubic metres per second, according to official data.

Flooding also inundated more than 450 electricity substations in the province, resulting in approximately 23,600 households losing power.

In the severely impacted Maros regency, over 100,000 individuals in 14 districts were affected by flooding, with certain regions experiencing a maximum flood depth of 1 metre.


Arrow Down

Families evacuated as massive 'terrifying' sinkhole appears in Godstone, UK

Drone images show the extent of the damage caused by the sinkhole
© EDDIE MITCHELLDrone images show the extent of the damage caused by the sinkhole
Families have described a "terrifying" evacuation as a massive sinkhole appeared in their street, cutting off water supplies and swallowing at least one property's garden.

The hole first appeared in Godstone High Street, Surrey, late on Monday night, growing to at least 65ft (20m) by Tuesday lunchtime.

Shortly after 00:30 GMT on Tuesday, police told people living in William Way, Godstone, to "get out as quickly as possible" over fears of an explosion caused by exposed cables.

One resident, who moved in less than a week ago, said he was forced to sleep in his car, while another returned to find his back garden falling into the hole.


Attention

One more killed in wild elephant attack in Kerala, India - 4th in a week

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Amidst the mounting protests in Kerala over back-to-back deaths in wild animal attacks, one more youth was killed in a wild elephant attack in Wayanad on Tuesday night.

Balakrishnan alias Balan (27) from the tribal community of Attamala near Meppadi was found dead on Wednesday morning. It is suspected that he was trampled to death by a wild elephant on Tuesday night.

Congress-led United Democratic Front called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal in Wayanad on Thursday in protest against the back-to-back deaths. On Wednesday, agitated locals protested against the frequent deaths in wild animal attacks. Government authorities assured immediate assistance of Rs 5 lakh to pacify the protesters.

On Monday, three deaths in wild elephant attacks were reported in the state, including one in Wayanad.

Doberman

Nine-month-old girl mauled to death by dog near Naples, Italy

PIT BULL ATTACK
A nine-month-old girl is dead after being mauled to death by her family's dog in their home in Acerra, in the province of Naples, late on Saturday, sources said on Sunday.

The infant's father told police that he found the girl in her bed in a pool of blood.

She was rushed to an emergency room but the doctors were unable to save her.

The dog was reportedly a pit bull.

Attention

Giant sperm whale found dead off the island of Sylt, Germany

People are warned not to approach the animal due to the risk of explosion.
People are warned not to approach the animal due to the risk of explosion.
A dead sperm whale has been spotted off the island of Sylt. The carcass was towed by mussel fishermen to the port of Hörnum on Saturday and secured there, according to the Wadden Sea Protection Station.

The male animal, which is up to 16 meters long, has reportedly been dead for some time. Katharina Weinberg from the Wadden Sea Protection Station told dpa that it was not yet possible to say anything about the cause of death. The young animal is expected to be examined more closely by experts on Monday and then transported away. The media had previously reported.

The sanctuary warned against approaching the stinking carcass, even by boat. "Because of the decomposition gases, it is lying high in the water and has apparently already burst open on its back," it says. "Under the pressure of the gases, it could also explode in other places." In addition, according to the Wadden Sea Protection Station, carcasses generally pose a risk of infection.


Snowflake Cold

Montreal breaks snowfall record with 75 cm (29.5 inches) of snow in 4 days, residents asked to stay home

The City of Montreal advised residents to work from home on Monday, if possible, and leave their houses only for essential travel and use public transportation.
© Steve Rukavina/CBCThe City of Montreal advised residents to work from home on Monday, if possible, and leave their houses only for essential travel and use public transportation.
Montreal is digging out from unprecedented back-to-back storms, with more snow having fallen between last Thursday and Sunday than any four-day period on record.

A total of 75 centimetres of snow fell on the city when taking into account the two storms, according to Gina Ressler, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada. It's the most since at least 1941, when record-keeping began.

While the city did not break any single-day snowfall records, it's unusual to have major snowstorms a few days apart, she said. It's even rarer to have a blizzard across southern Quebec.

"Usually blizzards happen further up north in the Arctic," Ressler said. "To have that come a couple of days after a major winter storm is very exceptional."

Sunday's storm dropped about 40 centimetres on Montreal and Laval, 53 centimetres of snow on Mirabel and up to 35 centimetres in the Eastern Townships as of 11 a.m. Monday.

"Luckily we don't have any major winter storms on tap for the rest of the week so hopefully we do get into a bit of a break so we can dig ourselves out," Ressler added.


Doberman

America's dog bite crisis: Statistic reveal a big uptick

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Dog Bites Have Been Getting Worse for 15 Years and the Numbers Are Disturbing.

Dog attacks in the United States have reached alarming levels, with thousands of people suffering serious injuries every year. Over the past 15 years, fatal dog attacks and bite-related injuries have continued to rise, leaving victims with life-altering consequences. The financial burden of these incidents is staggering, and certain breeds are linked to a disproportionate number of attacks.

This ongoing crisis is affecting children, adults, and even entire communities. Some states consistently report higher numbers of attacks, and the cost of medical care, lawsuits, and insurance claims continues to climb. Understanding the full scope of this issue is essential for finding real solutions. These numbers tell a story that many people are not prepared to hear.

Comment: More on the increasing number of fatal and non-fatal but atypical attacks on humans by other species of the animal kingdom, can be found here.


Doberman

Baby boy dies after pet dog attack in home west of Edmonton, Canada

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A 14-day-old baby boy has died after a dog attack in a community west of Edmonton.

Evansburg RCMP were called to assist emergency medical services at around 7:30 a.m. Sunday, in the area of Entwistle, Alta., about 100 kilometres from Edmonton.

Police said a pet dog had bitten the newborn inside a residence.

The baby was airlifted to the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton with a serious, life-threatening injury.

Despite efforts of medical professionals, the baby was declared dead, police said in a news release on Monday afternoon.

RCMP Const. Julie-Ann Strilaiff said police are still investigating the death.