Earth Changes

Woman dies after being mauled by pack of 7 pit bulls in Taylorsville, Utah

Martha McHardy
Independent (UK)
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 13:51 UTC

A Utah woman has died one week after she was mauled by seven pit bulls in her own backyard.

The 63-year-old woman, who has not been identified, died after the pack of dogs - a male, a female and their five puppies - caused critical injuries to her face, hands and leg.

The pit bulls belonged to the woman's 38-year-old son, officials said.

Officers from the Taylorsville Police Department were called to the woman's home on 31 October where they found the pack of dogs on top of the victim in her backyard.

Responders were forced to use pepper spray on the dogs to push them back and rescue the woman.

Comment: Another such fatality was reported from Springfield, Illinois on November 7:

The pit bull attack deaths of Jonathan Mendenhall, 34, in Springfield, Illinois, and Sandra Miller, 63, in Taylorsville, Utah, on November 6 and November 7, 2023, ran the year's total of pit bull attack fatalities in the U.S. and Canada to 47, and in the U.S. alone to 46.

Both numbers are new single-year records, with eight weeks left in the year.

Altogether, 57 Americans and Canadians have died in dog attacks thus far in 2023, only five behind the 2022 record total of 62.

Springfield pit bull attacked passers-by who tried to give victim CPR

Mendenhall, reported the Sangamon County Coroner's Office, was found "outside of a residence and unresponsive. While resuscitative efforts were underway, he was bitten several times."

Summarized WICS Newschannel 20, an ABC affiliate, "According to the Springfield Police Department, officers arrived on the scene and found a pit bull attacking a man lying on the ground.

"We're told the officer shot and killed the dog.

"We're told two people found Mendenhall unresponsive and tried to give him cardiopulmonary resuscitation before officials arrived.

"The pit bull then became aggravated and attacked all three of them. The two people trying to help Mendenhall sustained minor injuries.

Flash flood from heavy rain swamps Davao City, Philippines

Ivy Tejano
Manila Bulletin
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 13:30 UTC

The Special Rescue Force of the Bureau of Fire Protection-Region 11 rescued flooded residents in Bago Gallera, Davao City on Wednesday night, November 8 until early morning of Thursday, November 9.

A heavy downpour resulted in flash flood affecting barangays here from Wednesday night to Thursday morning.

Flood swept away vehicles and caused significant damage, particularly at Samantha Homes in Barangay Bago Gallera and Susana Homes in Barangay Baliok, Talomo District.

Other barangays affected according to the city government, Davao City Police Office (DCPO), and Baliok Police Station were Bago Aplaya, Talomo Poblacion, Matina Aplaya, Catalunan Pequeño, Ma-a, and Santo Niño.

Residents sought safety on the rooftop of their homes and some affected families evacuated to higher ground and temporary shelters as per instruction of rescuers before the waters went up.

Huge waves flood town during storm in Italy on November 5

MSN
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 13:15 UTC

This is the moment massive waves hit the coastal town of Vernazza in Italy during a storm on November 5, causing sea water to partially flood the town.

Arctic granted a reprieve

Tony Heller
Real Climate Science
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 04:06 UTC

"Now, climate scientists say the Arctic could be completely ice free in the summer by 2012."

- Center for Biological Diversity 2009

5.3 magnitude earthquake recorded in sparsely populated West Texas county

Fox Weather
Wed, 08 Nov 2023 19:05 UTC

The magnitude 5.2 quake hit at 3:27 a.m. MST and was centered in a rural area about halfway between Midland and El Paso. It's the fourth-strongest quake measured in Texas since records began in 1900.

One of the strongest earthquakes to hit Texas since the turn of the 20th century jolted residents out of bed early Wednesday morning, providing an early awakening to kick off the middle of the week.

The moderate magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit at 3:27 a.m. MST and was centered in a rural area about halfway between Midland and El Paso, or about 58 miles south-southeast of Carlsbad, New Mexico, at a depth of about 5 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The USGS originally reported the magnitude as 5.3.

There were no immediate reports of any damage or injuries.

Lightning strike kills goatherd and 15 goats in Tamil Nadu, India

The Hindu
Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:41 UTC

The goats were grazing in the field on the outskirts of the village when lightning struck them.

A 53-year-old goatherd and more than 15 goats were killed after being struck by lightning at Saduperipalayam village near Arani town in Tiruvannamalai on Wednesday.

Police said that K. Markandeyan took more than 15 of his goats for grazing in the open land on the outskirts of the village. Around 2 p.m. when rain poured in the village, he rushed to a small room near his house along with his goats to take shelter.

However, all of sudden, the room was struck by lightning. Along with his goats, Markandeyan died on the spot. Based on the alert, Arani taluk police reached the spot and sent the body to the Government Taluk Hospital in Arani town. A case was registered.

Shallow 6.7 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia's Banda Sea - 2nd major quake in area within 10 hours

NDTV
Thu, 09 Nov 2023 12:16 UTC

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's Banda Sea on Wednesday, the United States Geological Survey said, hours after a stronger tremor hit the region, with no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

The shallow quake, located far from the coast, hit at 8:02 pm local time (1302 GMT), the USGS said. No tsunami warning has been issued.

Daryono, an official at Indonesia's Meteorological, Climatological and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), said the second quake was one of 23 aftershocks following the earlier one.

Comment: Details of the earlier quake: Indonesia's Banda Sea rocked by shallow 7.1 magnitude earthquake

Underwater volcanic eruption gives birth to new island in the Pacific

Sascha Pare
Live Science
Wed, 08 Nov 2023 15:54 UTC

A volcanic eruption off Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 30 led to the formation of a 330-foot-wide island just north of the explosion site.

© The Asahi Shimbun via Getty Images
Earth and sand are sent into the air above a new islet that appeared after a volcanic eruption off the coast of Iwo Jima.

An underwater volcanic eruption on Oct. 30 has birthed a new island in the Pacific after the explosion flung huge chunks of rock into a pile off the coast of Japan's Iwo Jima island.

An aircraft belonging to the Japanese newspaper Mainichi Shimbun spotted the first signs of an eruption in the southern part of the Izu-Ogasawara arc, roughly 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) south of Tokyo, around midday local time. Explosions occurred every few minutes as red hot magma hit water below the surface, throwing large blocks of rock more than 160 feet (50 meters) into the air, according to a translated statement.

The eruption breached the ocean surface in at least two locations, researchers at the University of Tokyo said in the statement, with explosions occurring only off the southernmost tip of Iwo Jima. Rocks also piled up north of the explosion site, however, forming a round and rugged island about 330 feet (100 m) across. Waters surrounding this new island were discolored and littered with pumice, a type of extremely porous rock that forms during explosive volcanic eruptions.

"Floating pumice and discolored water occur from the entire periphery of the island, suggesting that magma is erupting from this location," researchers wrote in the statement. Rocks on the island formed a concentric pattern, they noted, but there was no sign of a crater on the surface.

Several underwater eruptions have been recorded in this region in recent years. Known as phreatic eruptions, these events are characterized by explosions of steam and volcanic material at the surface. They are triggered when water comes into contact with sizzling magma, lava, rocks or other scalding deposits.

Heavy snow covers 60 pct of Mongolian territory

Xinhua
Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:20 UTC

Nearly 60 percent of the Mongolian territory has been covered after heavy snow hit the country, said the National Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.

"Around 60 of the country's territory has so far been covered by snow. Our country is expected to experience a harsh winter," the agency said in a statement.

Over the last weekend, heavy snow and blizzards hit large parts of Mongolia, killing eight herders.

Mongolia's climate is strongly continental with long, frigid winters and short summers. A temperature of minus 25 degrees Celsius is normal during winter in the country.

Comment: Eight women herders killed in Mongolia due to snow storms

'Exceptional' floods hit dozens of towns in northern France

France24
Wed, 08 Nov 2023 12:06 UTC

An aerial view shows a flooded area as the La Liane River overflows in Pont-de-Briques, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, after heavy rain caused flooding in northern France on November 7, 2023

© Pascal Rossignol, Reuters
An aerial view shows a flooded area as the La Liane River overflows in Pont-de-Briques, near Boulogne-sur-Mer, after heavy rain caused flooding in northern France on November 7, 2023.

Two rivers -- the Aa and the Liane -- were placed on red alert for flooding in the northern Pas-de-Calais department after heavy showers overnight from Monday to Tuesday.

Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said on X (formerly Twitter) that seven people were injured but did not provide further details. He said that more than 1,500 firefighters were mobilized in the region.

Coming on the heels of Storm Ciaran which battered Western Europe last week , the floods "impacted" around 60 municipalities, causing "significant" damage, said the prefecture, adding that dozens of schools have been closed.

Vigicrues, the official river flooding watchdog, described Tuesday's floods as "exceptional".