Earth Changes

Florida on fire: 125 active blazes, 'Worst wildfire season'

Sherri Lonon
Tampa Patch
Mon, 08 May 2017 17:16 UTC

With more than 125 active wildfires burning across Florida, including one that spanned more than 2,200 acres in Pasco County, state officials issued a plea to residents and visitors on Monday, urging caution.

"Florida is in the middle of its worst wildfire season in years - with no end in sight," Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Commissioner Adam Putnam said in a May 8 statement. "With such an active wildfire season and much of Florida experiencing significant drought conditions, residents and visitors should take every precaution to help prevent wildfires."

May is traditionally one of Florida's driest months, Putnam said, and forecasters anticipate conditions will only get drier and warmer heading into late spring and early summer. Considering the dangers, Gov. Rick Scott issued a wildfire-related state of emergency declaration on April 11. That declaration remains in place. The last time the state had to issue an emergency executive order related to wildfires was June 2011, Putnam said.

Unseasonably strong spring storm hits San Diego, bringing record cold and rainfall

Gary Robbins
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Sun, 07 May 2017 20:30 UTC

An unseasonably strong spring storm hit San Diego on Sunday, postponing a Padres game for only the third time in the history of Petco Park, setting a number of rainfall records and dusting local mountain peaks with snow.

The system moved ashore late Saturday. By 7 p.m. Sunday, more than 2 inches of rain had fallen in Fallbrook while Valley Center got 1.56 inches and Kearny Mesa got 1.18 inches.

The National Weather Service said that 10 inches of snow had fallen on Palomar Mountain, and about an inch in Julian. The Palomar reading broke the snow record for May 7 by 7 1/2 inches. The previous record was set in 1964.

San Diego had recorded 0.65 inches of an inch of rain by 7 p.m., breaking the May 7 record of 0.32 set in 1971.

"This is basically a winter storm that happens to be occurring in May," said James Brotherton, a weather service forecaster.

"There's snow in the mountains, rain everywhere else, and cold air."

The daytime high temperature only reached 59 degrees Sunday in San Diego — almost 10 degrees below its seasonal average. It was the coldest May day in 64 years, according to the National Weather Service. The high hasn't been below 60 in May since May 15, 1953, when it was 58.

Last week, the region was in the middle of a warm spell.

Alligator attacks girl in Orange County, Florida

Christal Hayes
Orlando Sentinel
Mon, 08 May 2017 14:22 UTC

Alligator

The 10-year-old attacked by an alligator at an Orange County park Saturday was able to get free after prying open the reptile's jaws, records show.

The girl was sitting down in 2-foot-deep water in a designated swimming area at Moss Park about 2:30 p.m. when the 8-foot, 9-inch gator attacked her, according to a report by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The girl was in Lake Mary Jane with four family members, who were also in the water about 10 feet away, an accident report shows.

The gator bit the girl's calf and knee, but she was able to pry open its jaws to get her leg free, the report states.

Montreal declares state of emergency as floods continue to rage

RT
Mon, 08 May 2017 14:26 UTC

People row a boat in a flooded residential area in Gatineau, Quebec

A state of emergency has been declared on the island of Montreal, Canada, for the first time since 1998, due to devastating flooding caused by torrential rains and melting snow. The measure allows authorities to order forced evacuations of homes.

Several streets and bridges in the Montreal region have been closed due to flooding. More than a dozen schools were told to remain closed on Monday, Montreal Gazette reported.

Nearly 1,900 homes in 126 Quebec municipalities have been flooded, with more than 1,000 residents leaving the affected areas, the Canadian Press reported, adding that some 1,200 troops were deployed to help evacuate local residents.

Huge sinkhole swallows two lorries in Russia

Fiona Parker
Metro (UK)
Fri, 05 May 2017 13:56 UTC

Horrified lorry manufacturers could no nothing but watch in despair, as two brand new trucks descended into a massive sinkhole.

The shiny red trucks were parked in a line with several others at a storage park in Naberezhnye Chelny, central Russia.

But surreal CCTV footage shows the moment that tarmac beneath two gave way, causing the large Kamaz vehicles to slip into the depths below the ground.

The extreme force of the drop is made clear, when part of the rear bracing on one of the lorries flies through the air as it is snapped off.

It is believes the hole must be at least 20 ft deep.

Earthquake hits central Alaska, third to hit during weekend

Yahoo! News
Mon, 08 May 2017 00:00 UTC

The Alaska Earthquake Information Center says a magnitude 3.8 earthquake hit the central part of the state.

The center says the earthquake had an epicenter 27 miles (43 kilometers) north of Pleasant Valley, a town of about 700 residents at 9:09 p.m. local time Sunday. The earthquake had a depth of 6.8 miles (11 kilometers.)

The earthquake was the fourth to hit Alaska over the weekend.

Lightning bolt kills woman and her horse in Sedalia, Colorado

Ann Schmidt
Daily Mail
Mon, 08 May 2017 08:34 UTC

A lightning bolt struck this oak tree and killed a 37-year-old woman and her horse who were nearby. Police say the woman was 10 feet away from the tree when she died

A 15-year-old girl was left fighting for her life after a lightning bolt struck a tree near her and killed a woman she was with in Colorado.

The two were riding horses on an equestrian trail between the community of Sedalia, Colorado and the Roxborough State Park on Sunday afternoon.

After a lightning bolt struck an oak tree, the 37-year-old woman and her horse died.

The girl was 'conscious and breathing' when paramedics found the pair and the girl was taken to the hospital where she was treated for electrocution, according to Denver7.

Tropical Cyclone Donna becomes Category 5 storm, worst May storm on record in South Pacific

New Zealand Herald
Mon, 08 May 2017 00:31 UTC

Cyclone Donna is now the worst-ever tropical storm to hit the South Pacific in May after reaching Category 5 this morning.

Weatherwatch.co.nz said according to CNN's Severe Weather Team Donna now had sustained winds of 215km/h gusting up to a ferocious 260km/h, making it the strongest May cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Hemisphere.

It eclipses Tropical Cyclone Nadu which struck in 1986.

New Caledonia is next in Donna's firing line as the vicious storm heads south but it's still not clear if it will bring havoc to our shores.

The Fiji MetService is yet to officially confirm any change in storm category. New Zealand's MetService says the Fijian weather agency is responsible for the cyclone and there is no expectation the storm will be upgraded in the its next update due around 1pm.

As Donna ramps up, forecasters are closely watching its projected path across the Pacific.

While it's expected to weaken as it moves down towards New Zealand both MetService and Weatherwatch.co.nz say it's unlikely there will be a direct hit.

Flash floods sweep away 18,000 livestock in Samburu, Kenya

Josphister Lengarpatei
Citizen Digital
Sat, 06 May 2017 20:23 UTC

Livestock farmers in Samburu County are counting losses after an estimated 18,000 head of livestock were swept by flash floods following a heavy downpour in the county.

Livelihoods are now under threat in an area that has suffered the blunt of drought that has left hundreds of livestock dead due to starvation.

Speaking to Citizen Digital on phone, area Member of Parliament, Alois Lentoimanga said that the most affected areas by floods are Nyiro, Ndoto, Elbarta, Nachola, Angata and Baawaa wards where households have also been swept away by the floods.

Lentoimanga is now appealing to the government and the Kenya Red Cross to intervene, describing the situation as dire.

According to Joseph Lekaato, a resident of Bendera village in Samburu North Sub County, this is the worst loss that has never been experienced in the region.

Late snowstorm hits California mountains

losangeles.cbslocal.com
Sun, 07 May 2017 20:04 UTC

Lake Arrowhead

An unusual spring storm delivered a blast of winter weather to many parts of the Southland late Saturday and early Sunday morning, including snow to higher elevation areas.

A steady rain fell overnight Saturday from downtown Los Angeles all the way to the Grapevine, which winds through the San Gabriel and Tehachapi mountains. Temperatures in the Grapevine flirted with freezing and conditions were slick along Interstate 5. However, the freeway remained open and there were no major accidents.

Meanwhile, several inches of snow fell in the San Bernardino Mountain area of Lake Arrowhead. Caltrans was requiring chains for drivers on State Route 18, from Heaps Peak Dump to Big Bear Dam.