Earth Changes

Tropical storm may have carried corn tar spot disease into U.S. farm belt from Latin America

Tom Polansek
Reuters
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 19:18 UTC

A tropical storm could have carried the corn disease tar spot into the heart of the U.S. farm belt for the first time, as winds and rain blew in from Latin America, researchers told Reuters.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has confirmed cases of tar spot in at least four locations in Indiana and three in Illinois. The fungal disease has been a problem for years in Mexico and in Central and South America, with farmers fighting infections that can lower yields.

Tropical Storm Bill, which brought rain to the central United States in June after spinning through the Gulf of Mexico, may have transported the disease, said Bill Dolezal, a research fellow for seed company DuPont Pioneer.

"It looks like it came up out of that area," Dolezal said.

The USDA is working with experts in Indiana and Illinois to determine how tar spot entered the country.

Bees swarm Arizona street, four hospitalized

Henry Austin
NBC News
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 21:39 UTC

Six residents were injured when thousands of bees swept through an Arizona neighborhood, firefighters said - including a three-year-old boy who was stung up to 100 times.

When rescue crews arrived on scene in Gilbert, a small town to the southeast of Phoenix, the huge swarm made it difficult for them to get to the injured, Deputy Chief Michael Connor of the Gilbert Fire Department told NBC News.

The three-year-old was stung anywhere between 75 and 100 times and had been "rushed to hospital," he said.

A 14-year-old girl and 22-year-old woman from the same house were also hospitalized, according to NBC station KPNX.

To reach the boy and his family, firefighters had to go through the backyards of homes from one street over and the crews used ladders to make it over fences, the station reported.

Update: street has opened. 6 total patients, 4 taken to hospital. A firefighter was also transported.
— Gilbert Fire Rescue (@GilbertFireDept) September 23, 2015

A firefighter was also injured but he was treated at the scene along with two others with minor injuries, Connor said, adding that he had never seen such a big swarm, he said.

Police also made reverse 911 calls to residents in the area advising them to stay inside and close any open windows or doors, until the scene was secured.

Eventually, firefighters were able to overcome the bees using fire suppression foam, Connor said. They believe the bees had a hive in a tree on a front lawn.

Arctic sea ice cover has increased 47% since 2012 minimum

Steven Goddard
Real Science
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 00:00 UTC

We have just passed the date of the 2012 Arctic sea ice minimum, and the extent of ice is up 47% from that date. Green shows gain, red shows loss since 2012.

Comment: So much for all the dire predictions, however don't expect the global warming crowd to go down without a fight. It will be interesting to hear what ridiculous explanations they cook up next.

Boy fights off shark in Fernandina Beach, Florida; 4 bitten in 3 days

Dan Scanlan
The Florida Times-Union
Mon, 21 Sep 2015 17:51 UTC

© Bruce.Lipsky
Josh Bitner, 12, of Sparks, Georgia, retold the his story of being bit by a shark, on Fernandina Beach, at UF Health on Monday. Bitner punched the shark that bit him on his right knee.

Josh Bitner Jr. was playing Sunday in the waist-deep surf off Fernandina Beach when he yelled to his parents to show them a big seashell, and "something grabbed my leg and turned me around."

The 12-year-old Georgia boy screamed "shark," but his father thought he was fooling around. Then it turned him around again biting him a second time, Josh told reporters Monday at UF Health Jacksonville.

"I was going backward dragging my foot," he said. "I pushed myself out of the water until people saw I was split open, then they lifted me out of the water."

Josh was treated by paramedics for lacerations on his leg, then taken to UF Health for stitches. He is in good condition, hospital officials said.

This was the first shark bite reported in Fernandina Beach this year. But another was reported Sunday at Vilano Beach, plus two more Thursday at Jacksonville Beach and Little Talbot Island, bringing the total to seven in Northeast Florida since June.

Three US tourists hit by lightning at Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

ICR News
Mon, 21 Sep 2015 17:40 UTC

The forked stuff

Three tourists from the United States were taken to the hospital in serious condition after being struck by lightning while visiting the Poas Volcano on Saturday.

The incident took place around 12:30 p.m. as a significant thunderstorm moved through the area.

The victims, all from the United States, were identified by the Red Cross as Jorge Teller, 32; Javier Carpio, 30; and Shelby Suminsky, 28.

Suminsky suffered multiple first-degree burns across her body, while Carpio received multiple second-degree burns and a head wound. Teller was burned on his right leg. Only one of the victims was able to walk on their own, according to a Red Cross spokesperson.

Tennis ball-sized hail strikes near Stanton, Nebraska

Andrew Ozaki
ketv.com
Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:41 UTC

The big stuff

A viewer shared a photo of Stanton County that shows the weight of the thunderstorm that swept through.

The storm left tennis balls-sized hail in some locations, such as resident Danielle Gallup's yard.

"Hail is hitting hard," Gallup said.

The fall storm subjected the area north of Stanton to dangerous hail stones Tuesday morning.

"Honestly, it sounded like we were at a shooting range, cause it was hitting off the roof and vehicles, everywhere," Gallup said, referring to some video she captured on her phone.

Gallup said it scared her and damaged her friend's truck, along with the side of her house.

Huge sinkhole opens up in Haikou, China

Strange Sounds
Mon, 21 Sep 2015 16:07 UTC

So what's happening when our Planet Earth is in bad mood?

She starts devouring parking lots, cars and the ground.

On the same day than the massive M8.3 Chilean earthquake, Sept 16, 2015, a parking lot in Haikou, the capital of south China's Hainan Province, collapsed due to a mini-landslide.

Cars have been swallowed by the Earth. But one seemed to have been more lucky as it is seen tilted on the edge.

Photographer has close shave as lightning strikes

Sputnik
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 16:08 UTC

A photographer trying to capture images of a lightning strike nearly gets hit by one.

Brian Skinner is seen standing on the beach in Newcastle Australia with his camera as a fierce storm passes over the area. He turns around to the video camera and smiles nervously when the first lightning strike hits nearby. But the second one comes even closer, striking the water's edge and making the ground shake beneath him, forcing him to abandon his camera.

According to the LiveLeak description, the lightning's current traveled through the water and to the camera, burning the photographer's hands.

Comment: The incidence lethal and near lethal lightning strikes appears to be on the rise.

Massive waterspout seen off Phuket, Thailand

The Phuket News
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 15:50 UTC

Construction workers at Supalai Lagoon in Koh Kaew dropped their tools when they spotted a gigantic waterspout off the east coast of Phuket this morning (Sept 23).

Site manager Sakrit Kaewpon, who was installing water pipes at the site, told The Phuket News that the towering "water twister" appeared at about 10am several miles off Sapam Beach.

"The waterspout remained in sight from the coast for about 10 minutes, before finally disappearing," he said.

Mr Sakrit managed to capture several photos of the gigantic waterspout.

"It was raining before the waterspout appeared. I didn't know about it until my co-workers shouted out, 'Look at that!" Mr Sakrit said

"We were so excited to see a real one so close. Most of us have only ever seen photos of them online."

Flash floods wreak havoc in Bodrum, Turkey

Todays Zaman
Wed, 23 Sep 2015 13:02 UTC

A massive amount of rain late on Tuesday caused flash floods in Turkey's tourist resort town of Bodrum, inundating the area with so much water that cars were floating in the streets.

The three-hour downpour was so intense that flash floods quickly enveloped many streets in Bodrum, an Aegean resort town in Muğla province, causing significant physical damage as the tourist season comes to a close.

The damage was mostly visible in Şakir and Dere streets, where at least 20 cars were dragged away by flash floods.

Access to streets was also blocked due to the floods.

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Earth Changes

Tropical storm may have carried corn tar spot disease into U.S. farm belt from Latin America

Bees swarm Arizona street, four hospitalized

Arctic sea ice cover has increased 47% since 2012 minimum

Boy fights off shark in Fernandina Beach, Florida; 4 bitten in 3 days

Three US tourists hit by lightning at Poas Volcano, Costa Rica

Tennis ball-sized hail strikes near Stanton, Nebraska

Huge sinkhole opens up in Haikou, China

Photographer has close shave as lightning strikes

Massive waterspout seen off Phuket, Thailand

Flash floods wreak havoc in Bodrum, Turkey

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