LEAD, S.D. - Residents of the northwestern Plains on Thursday started to dig out from this week's spring blizzard, which dumped up to 5 feet of snow, cut power and threatened to flood low-lying areas.
The heaviest snow was reported in the city of Lead in western South Dakota, near the Wyoming line, where the weather service reported 59.4 inches.
Crews struggling with the weight and volume of snow also had to find a place to put it after scooping it up, said Pat Milos, Lead's city administrator.
Earth Changes
NEW ORLEANS - Mother Nature has outdone herself with this cruel joke: Southern Louisiana, much of which was underwater not so long ago, is in the throes of a severe to extreme drought.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita accounted for most of the rain the region has seen in more than a year, weather experts say. Southeastern Louisiana is on pace for its driest January-though-April ever.
According to the Lincoln, Neb.-based National Drought Mitigation Center, southern Louisiana is under conditions of either severe or extreme drought - with the extreme conditions closer to the coast.
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita accounted for most of the rain the region has seen in more than a year, weather experts say. Southeastern Louisiana is on pace for its driest January-though-April ever.
According to the Lincoln, Neb.-based National Drought Mitigation Center, southern Louisiana is under conditions of either severe or extreme drought - with the extreme conditions closer to the coast.
| DATE | TIME (GMT) | MAG | COMMENTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 06/04/20 | 12:20:42 | 4.3 | NORTH OF ANGUILLA, LEEWARD ISL. |
| 06/04/20 | 17:50:43 | 5.5 | NEAR S. COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN |
| 06/04/20 | 23:25:05 | 7.7 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/20 | 23:38:49 | 5.4 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 00:06:13 | 5.1 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 00:32:36 | 5.1 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 00:39:45 | 4.5 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 00:42:00 | 4.5 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 00:51:12 | 5.2 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 01:12:08 | 4.6 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 01:30:05 | 4.9 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 01:44:12 | 5.1 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 04:32:45 | 6.1 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 07:32:28 | 4.7 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 07:40:05 | 5.0 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 08:57:37 | 4.6 | NEAR E COAST OF KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 09:46:15 | 4.8 | EASTERN XIZANG |
| 06/04/21 | 11:14:20 | 5.7 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
| 06/04/21 | 11:19:50 | 5.2 | KORYAKIA, RUSSIA |
JAKARTA - Flash floods and landslides triggered by monsoon rains in Indonesia's East Java have killed at least 23 people, the state Antara news agency said as mopping up operations got underway.
The disaster is the latest to strike on the island of Java, one of the most densely-populated in the world, where scores of people have been killed this year in rain-related catastrophes.
The disaster is the latest to strike on the island of Java, one of the most densely-populated in the world, where scores of people have been killed this year in rain-related catastrophes.
VLADIVOSTOK, Russia (AFX) - A massive 7.9-magnitude earthquake rocked Russia's northeastern Kamchatka peninsula on the Bering Sea, the local emergency situations ministry officials said.
In the last two weeks, birders have seen, and in some cases, photographed, eight different species of birds not seen in the states for years or decades or, as it turns out, ever.
These include sightings of a mountain plover (not seen in North Dakota since the 1930s), a Eurasian wigeon, two great black-backed gulls, an anhinga, a mountain chickadee, a gray jay, a red-shouldered hawk and an eastern meadowlark.
Eight accidentals in two weeks is remarkable. "Typically, maybe one or two a month over a year. To see eight in two weeks is pretty unusual," Corey Ellingson, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Bird Club and the reporter for the North Dakota Birding Society, said to the local media.
These include sightings of a mountain plover (not seen in North Dakota since the 1930s), a Eurasian wigeon, two great black-backed gulls, an anhinga, a mountain chickadee, a gray jay, a red-shouldered hawk and an eastern meadowlark.
Eight accidentals in two weeks is remarkable. "Typically, maybe one or two a month over a year. To see eight in two weeks is pretty unusual," Corey Ellingson, president of the Bismarck-Mandan Bird Club and the reporter for the North Dakota Birding Society, said to the local media.
Tornadoes can occur almost anywhere in the world, but the United States is the country with the highest frequency of tornadoes.
Each year there are about 1,200 tornadoes in the United States, causing about 65 fatalities and 1,500 injuries nationwide.
As of Friday, April 7 there had been 445 so far this year.
This is the fastest start for the first three months of the year since 1999, and it is in sharp contrast to last year when only 96 tornadoes had formed by April 3. Yet last year ended with exactly 1,200 twisters, according to NOAA. June was the busiest month in 2005.
Expect more.
Each year there are about 1,200 tornadoes in the United States, causing about 65 fatalities and 1,500 injuries nationwide.
As of Friday, April 7 there had been 445 so far this year.
This is the fastest start for the first three months of the year since 1999, and it is in sharp contrast to last year when only 96 tornadoes had formed by April 3. Yet last year ended with exactly 1,200 twisters, according to NOAA. June was the busiest month in 2005.
Expect more.
Brussels - In a move hailed by environmentalists, the European Commission agreed Wednesday to tighten rules on testing genetically-modified foodstuffs before they can go on EU shelves.
But militants against biotech foods, who claim they threaten both human health and the environment, said that the European Union's food safety agency must be even more strict in policing food coming into the continent.
But militants against biotech foods, who claim they threaten both human health and the environment, said that the European Union's food safety agency must be even more strict in policing food coming into the continent.
Comment: Comment: Did you catch how those opposed to GM foodstuffs were labeled "militants"? Interesting choice of words, eh? Nevermind that despite the fact that no one has conducted a thorough, long-term study of the health effects of the consumption of GM foods, such "frankenfoods" have spread like wildfire across the globe.
IOWA CITY, Iowa - Severe storms ripped through eastern Iowa on Thursday night, spawning tornadoes that crushed homes and cars and killed one person.
The National Weather Service said the fatality occurred in Muscatine County, where a tornado toppled the victim's mobile home in Nichols. The victim's name was not released.
Twisters, high wind and hail toppled trees and cut off power to thousands across the region. No other injuries were immediately reported.
The National Weather Service said the fatality occurred in Muscatine County, where a tornado toppled the victim's mobile home in Nichols. The victim's name was not released.
Twisters, high wind and hail toppled trees and cut off power to thousands across the region. No other injuries were immediately reported.
CAIRO - An 18-year-old Egyptian girl died of the H5N1 strain of bird flu, the fourth fatal case in the country, a health official announced.
"It was an 18-year-old woman from the Menufiya governorate. She was already in bad heath when she arrived to hospital," said Nasser Kamel, a spokesman for the Supreme National Committee to Combat Bird Flu.
"It was an 18-year-old woman from the Menufiya governorate. She was already in bad heath when she arrived to hospital," said Nasser Kamel, a spokesman for the Supreme National Committee to Combat Bird Flu.
Comment: Comment: The area of this quake is directly across the beiring straits from Alaska and on the same "ring of fire" that connect to California's fault lines. As such, California's 21st century "big one" can't be far behind.