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Deadly winter storm kills at least 5 in California


PressTV
Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:43 UTC
Image
© Unknown
A stretch of Interstate 17 in northern Arizona seen with an unaccustomed blanket of snow on December 31, 2014.
A severe winter storm across the western United States has taken five lives in the state of California.

The New Year in the US has started with a winter system bringing very cold temperatures, heavy snow and freezing rain from southern California through the southern Plains, the National Weather Service reported Thursday.

Strong gusts toppled trees in Northern California, killing two people in the town of Paradise on Tuesday. Another person was killed by a tree early Wednesday in Redding.

Two other people died and a third was missing after storm winds up to 40 miles an hour broke boats loose from moorings at Santa Catalina Island off the Southern California coast Tuesday night.

Comment: See also: 'Unusually cold storm' to bring snow, rain and a freeze through most of California and the Desert Southwest

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Windsock

Freak 'tornado' hits Pasadena festival

Ian Hughes
Daily Mirror, UK
Thu, 01 Jan 2015 15:44 UTC
Image

Gust: A large gazebo is sent flying through the air in Pasadena, Northern California
Four people were injured as tents and marquees were sent flying through the air when a freak tornado-like wind tore through a US music festival.

The violent gust was caught on camera at Fan Fest, in Pasadena, as terrified crowds ran for cover near The Rose Bowl outdoor athletic stadium.

People can be heard screaming shortly after a black gazebo is whipped up into the air.

It spirals in the wind, surrounded by smaller pieces of debris - and then smashes into a parked car.

The festival tent is then followed into the skies by much larger marquees, including one inflatable which flies around 30ft into the air.

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Snowflake

Freezing temperatures and snow in Greece, Turkey and the Balkans

Everton Fox
Al Jazeera
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 14:45 UTC
greek snow

Icy weather and heavy snowfall has hit a large part of Greece, resulting in many roads closing in northern and central Greece, as well as near the capital.
Cold air has made its way across much of Europe over the past week bringing snow to many parts. The snow was probably most welcome when it made its way across the Alps, finally allowing the long awaited ski-season there to get underway.

The wintry weather has since dug further south. It now extends across the Balkans into Greece, Turkey and the Hungarian Plain.

There has been widespread travel disruption in Greece with snow forcing the closure of several roads, especially in the north and over the central mountains. Athens hasn't been as badly affected, but there has been a healthy dusting of snow across the nation's capital.

Comment:

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Candle

Massive fire erupts in Philippines, destroys about 2,000 buildings


Sputnik
Thu, 01 Jan 2015 12:31 UTC
A huge, quickly spreading fire erupted in Quezon City, Philippines, Thursday morning.

A massive fire broke out in Quezon City, Philippines, burning around 2,000 buildings to the ground Thursday morning and threatening to destroy even more, Rappler reported.

The fire broke out around 6:45 a.m. local time (23:45 GMT Wednesday). Two people have been injured and their life is not threatened.
Image
© Unknown
According to the news website, around 4,000 people have been affected by the fire. The fire in Quezon City, making up Metro Manila, Philippines' National Capital Region, was only declared under control three and a half hours after it broke out.

The cause of the fire is still unknown as an investigation is underway by police.

Comment: Earlier this week, the Philippines were hit by tropical storm Jiangmi, leaving at least 54 people dead and 13 missing.

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Fish

Thousands of fish, animals dying in Turkey Creek, Florida

Dan Billow
Wesh.com
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:29 UTC

Palm Bay - Thousands of fish and animals are dying in a local waterway, and longtime residents say it's not just an ordinary fish kill.

Turkey Creek in Palm Bay is known for its clean, fresh water. It flows into the Indian River Lagoon downstream, and it's there in the lagoon where most fish kills happen, not in the creek.

Chris Jones grew up along Turkey Creek.

"You can get out and be in old Florida, natural Florida, the way it was hundreds of years ago before people were here," said Jones.

But now, catfish have been dying for weeks.

People have reported dead animals including an alligator and some raccoons and turtles. They've taken pictures of a film on the water.

"I've never seen catfish or any fish die off to this extent," said Jones.
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Cow

Calf rescued from sinkhole in Alachua County, Florida

Cindy Swirko
The Gainesville Sun
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 21:19 UTC
Image
© John Haven, UF College of Veterinary Medicine
An Alachua County firefighter descends into a sinkhole to rescue a 2-day-old calf that fell in.
A mama cow's mournful lowing for her lost newborn ceased and was replaced with a joyful gallop after a team of Alachua County firefighters and staff at the University of Florida veterinary college rescued a 2-day-old calf from a sinkhole Saturday.

The technical rescue team members put training to the test when the calf slid into a newly formed sinkhole about 15 feet deep and 15 feet wide at a Newberry farm.

"If you could have seen the cow, the mother, come running past when we turned that calf loose," Alachua County Fire Rescue District Chief Jeff Harpe said. "She just goes running by like she was being chased by cowboys. As soon as we turned the calf loose, it looks around like, are you my mama? And then wanders off. Then here comes the galloping of the mother."

Comment: A short distance away from the above incident: Horse rescued from a sinkhole in Oxford, Florida field

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Arrow Down

Large sinkhole appears on street in Bangor, Maine

Allison Arbo
wabi.tv
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 20:54 UTC
Image
© News Center
A 12 to 15-foot sinkhole that's 30 feet deep in the middle of Bangor's Hammond Street downtown.
Drivers are avoiding one big pot-hole on Hammond Street Tuesday

Public Works says a sinkhole developed overnight.

They say it's about 8 to 9 feet deep, 30 feet long, 15 feet wide and it's still growing.

No one was driving on the road when part of it collapsed around 1 A.M.

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Horse

Horse rescued from a sinkhole in Oxford, Florida field

Sadie Whitelocks
Daily Mail, UK
Tue, 30 Dec 2014 20:34 UTC
Image

Bizarre scene: Owner Maryann Marsh tries to comfort Nate the horse after he was found in a sinkhole in his pasture in Oxford, Florida
There was no time for horsing around at a stable in Florida last Friday after a sinkhole nearly swallowed up one of the equines.

Nate, a 30-year-old nag living at TMMA Farms in the rural community of Oxford, was found with his head poking out of a grassy pasture while the rest of his body lay trapped below ground.

It took a team of around ten people - including fire personnel - more than two hours to haul the large animal to safety.

Video footage of the rescue shows how workers dug earth out around Nate's body in a bid to free him.

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Attention

Dead humpback whale washes up on Little Cranberry Island, Maine

Beth Brogan
Bangor Daily News
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:58 UTC
Image
© Erin Fernald
Triomphe, a humpback whale born off the Dominican Republic, was found dead recently on a Little Cranberry Island beach.
Scientists from the College of the Atlantic have identified the carcass of a 36-foot humpback whale that washed ashore on Little Cranberry Island on Christmas Day as Triomphe, a nearly 7-year-old male.

"The pigmentation on the flukes was sufficient to identify the individual," said Rosemary Seton, research associate and Marine Mammals Stranding Coordinator at the college's Allied Whale Program. "He was in our catalog, born in 2008 to a female humpback named Spar."

The whale was discovered on the afternoon of Dec. 25 and showed some signs that it had been entangled in fishing gear, Harbormaster Bruce Fernald said.

"There were some entanglement signs, but nothing I saw that was deep," he said. "You could just see a little groove in about two or three places on its tail - it was nothing that I would think would kill a whale, but I don't know."

Seton said it might be impossible to determine a cause of death.
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Binoculars

Rare Eurasian kestrel appears in Nova Scotia, Canada


cbc.ca
Wed, 31 Dec 2014 15:56 UTC
Image
© Kyle Shay/Nova Scotia Bird Society)
Eurasian kestrels are quite common across their home range of Europe, Asia and parts of Africa, but very rarely seen in North America.
Bird watchers in Nova Scotia are being treated to a rare sight.

Birders are flocking to Hartlen Point in Eastern Passage to try and catch a glimpse of a rare Eurasian kestrel. The bird was first spotted in the Eastern Passage area in November and is still there.

Blake Maybank with the Nova Scotia Bird Society says it's a male.

"Presumably this bird just got caught up in the wrong weather, not a storm per se, but they tend to follow tailwinds and it got carried over, but when, we can't be sure," he said.

Maybank was one of many bird watchers in Eastern Passage on Tuesday hoping to catch a glimpse of the rare sight. He found the Eurasian kestrel lunching in a spruce tree.

According to the National Audubon Society, the birds are larger than their North American cousins, American kestrels.


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