Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Lightning bolt kills 100 farm animals in Kashmir, India


Kashmir Life
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 08:31 UTC
100 Animals Perished In Lightning
100 animals perished in lightning strike
At least 100 cattle head, mostly sheep and goat, were burnt to death when lightning struck a herd in Kalgai, a remote Uri location closer to the LoC, reports reaching here said.

Reports said that when it started massively raining, two herdsmen Nazir Ahmad Piswal and Mohammad Sharief located a shed on a hill and took their herd there. The shed belonged to JKPCC. They had barely got the herd in and were hunting for some shelter for themselves that the lightning struck the same shed.

The two herdsmen barely had a providential escape. Later some revenue officials moved to the spot and assessed the damage. "We now know that Piswal lost 90 goat-heads and Sharief 10," local revenue official Nazr Din said. "I visited the two and assessed the losses personally."

The spot is located almost 10 km from Uri on way to the Kaman Post. The area is prone to thunder and lightning. Police have also been informed for registration of a formal case.
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Attention

40-tonne sperm whale found dead on Kwale beach in Kenya

Andrew Kasuku
The Star
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 08:19 UTC
Residents mill around the dead 40-tonne sperm whale on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Kaya Waa beach, Kwale county on Sunday.
© Andrew KasukuResidents mill around the dead 40-tonne sperm whale on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Kaya Waa beach, Kwale county on Sunday.
Researchers are investigating the death of a rare male sperm whale found on the shores of the Indian Ocean near Kaya Waa beach, Kwale county on Saturday.

The 16-meter 40 tonne whale was found by fishermen who are part of a science network called 'Kenya Marine Mammal Network".

Michael Mwang'ombe who works as Marine Mammal Project Coordinator at the Watamu Marine Association said the whale might have spent a week in the waters before being washed offshore.

The remains of the fish only found in deep seas are still at the shores after residents cut off huge chunks of the mammal for food.

Its size and resting position on the beach has made it difficult to carry it away.
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Cloud Precipitation

Florence death toll at 16 as heavy rains ravage the Carolinas


Sputnik
Mon, 17 Sep 2018 01:15 UTC
Hurricane evacuation
© AP Photo/David GoldmanAssisted living evacuation, Fayetteville, N.C.
Hurricane Florence was demoted to a Tropical Depression overnight but remains dangerous due to extremely large rainfall figures and the risk of flooding.

At least 16 people were killed in incidents related to Tropical Depression Florence (which only recently was a Category 4 hurricane), including a man and a woman who died from carbon dioxide poisoning, CBS News reports.

The victims include a mother with child, who died after a tree fell on their house, the New York Times reported. A woman of 61 died when her car hit another tree in the road.

Winds generated by Florence have slowed to some 35 mph, but the historically heavy rains and subsequent flooding is presenting the biggest danger.

Some 15,000 people are staying in emergency shelters deployed across the state of North Carolina, according to Governor Roy Cooper. In South Carolina, some 4,000 people are stationed in shelters, according to the New York Times.

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Bizarro Earth

Record rainfall from Hurricane Florence causes spill at Duke Energy coal ash landfill near Wilmington, NC

Jason Linkins
Think Progress
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 17:40 UTC
coal ash ponds north carolina
Coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal, poses an environmental threat to areas in the path of Tropical Storm Florence.
The intense rainfall from Tropical Depression Florence has caused the collapse of a slope at a coal ash landfill managed by Duke Energy near Wilmington, North Carolina late Saturday.

The slow-moving storm which made landfall on Friday as a Category 1 hurricane has dumped record amounts of rain - potentially up to 40 inches in some areas - and continues to flood rivers and highways. In Florence's path are also numerous coal ash ponds from power plants - the waste can contain toxins such as mercury, arsenic, and lead.

As Michael Biesecker of the Associated Press reported:
Duke [Energy] spokeswoman Paige Sheehan said Saturday evening that about 2,000 cubic yards (1,530 cubic meters) of ash, enough to fill roughly 180 dump trucks, have been displaced at the Sutton Plant and that contaminated storm water likely flowed into Sutton Lake, the plant's cooling pond.

The company hasn't yet determined if the weir that drains the cooling pond was open or whether any contamination may have flowed into the swollen Cape Fear River.
In a statement Saturday, Duke Energy said "the company does not believe this incident poses a risk to public health or the environment. The company is conducting environmental sampling as well."

Comment: Duke Energy has a history of contaminating North Carolina's waterways:
Last year's huge coal ash spill in North Carolina may cost Duke Energy $100M or the cost of a permit

Duke told North Carolina regulators that more than 3 million gallons of toxic chemicals were leaking near local rivers and lakes every day. The leaks have been traced to 200 different seeps at 14 coal-fired plants. Two seeps in particular leak almost 1 million gallons of waste a day.


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Seismograph

Rare earthquake, magnitude-5.6, rocks southwestern Australia


ABC News
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 20:09 UTC
earthquake australia 2018
© Le resau sismologique de Noevelle-CaledonieThe earthquake struck about 1:00pm local time.
A magnitude-5.6 earthquake has hit near the West Australian town of Walpole, about 430 kilometres south-east of Perth, with tremors felt as far away as Perth and Albany.

The earthquake happened about 1:00pm (WST).

Walls were cracked at two homesteads in the Lake Muir region, but there were no other initial reports of damage.

The Bureau of Meteorology WA said there was no tsunami risk to Australia. It said the quake was centred near Lake Muir and forecasters working in its West Perth headquarters felt the building sway.

Senior Geoscience Australia seismologist Phil Cummins said it was the second earthquake to hit the region in a week.

"It occurred roughly between Walpole and Kojonup on the south coast, it was felt all the way from Albany up to Perth," he said.

"It is quite a large earthquake, it is large enough to cause damage but it's unlikely to have done so because it occurred in a relatively remote area."
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Windsock

Best of the Web: Watch as Super-typhoon Mangkhut wreaks havoc in Philippines, Hong Kong and southern China


RT
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 08:17 UTC
typhoon mangkhut
© Jason Lee / ReutersShenzhen, China, September 16, 2018
Terrified residents are holed up inside trembling buildings in southern China, as Typhoon Mangkhut approaches from the Philippines. Winds were seen tearing apart buildings, causing flooding, and flipping over vehicles.

Hong Kong and nearby Macau issued a rare No. 10 warning signal - the highest level possible - for the typhoon on Sunday. The cities are almost entirely shut down and one of Macau's main attractions, local casinos, were ordered to close for the first time in history, CGTN reports. The disaster has already left five people injured in Macao, according to local media.


Comment: The Day After Tomorrow? A record 7 named storms are whirling across the globe

More footage of typhoon Mangkhut:










And check this out - apparently around the same time of the Typhoon, a tornado was reported:




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Attention

Kilometers-long cracks dry up water reserves in Kerala, India, following worst flooding in a century


Strange Sounds
Sat, 15 Sep 2018 12:00 UTC
kerala crack
© ManoramaManjeri assistant geologist Subhesh Thottiyil and V Amrita inspecting the crack.
A total of 491 people were killed in monsoon rains in Kerala since May 29. But, now the flood-hit state has to face a new problem. Giant earth cracks are drying up rivers and wells. Geologists were sent to investigate the strange post-flood phenomenon.

Pamba River is now almost dry after overflowing during the devastating monsoon rains in Kerala since May 2018.

A series of issues including soaring mercury level, unprecedented dip in water level of rivers, sudden drying-up of wells, depletion of groundwater reserves and mass perishing of earthworms have caused widespread concern in various parts of Kerala after the devastating deluge last month.


Comment: Kerala food stocks down by a third following worst flood in a century


The flood-battered Wayanand district, known for its rich biodiversity, recently experienced an unprecedented mass die-off of earthworms, causing concern among farmers who attributed it to the rapid drying up of earth and change in soil structure.

Comment: According to this video, this has been going on in Kerala since at least May 2018, which is when the monsoon rains were reported to have begun:

All around the world bodies of water are disappearing below ground due to earth movements: And below you can see just some of the monster sinkholes, gaping fissures and devatating landslides reported recently:

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Cloud Precipitation

Tropical Storm Florence leaves 11 dead as it dumps 'epic' amount of rainfall on North Carolina

Sharon Marris
Sky News
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 07:26 UTC
New Bern floods
There are still rescues underway in the North Carolina town of New Bern

Towns have endured more than two feet of rain and forecasters say that more than three feet of water could bring more flooding

Tropical Storm Florence has left at least 11 people dead as it continues to dump an "epic" amount of rainfall on North Carolina.

Rivers are rising towards record levels as thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate the US state.

President Donald Trump has issued a disaster declaration amid fears North Carolina will experience its most destructive bout of flooding in history.

Some towns have endured more than two feet of rain and forecasters say that more than three feet of water could bring major flooding further inland in the coming days.

A mother and her baby are among those who have been killed by Florence, which was initially categorised as a hurricane with 120mph winds.

By Saturday morning the winds weakened to 50mph but the storm's slow speed means that communities in North Carolina are receiving a prolonged battering by torrential rain.

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Cloud Precipitation

Walnut-sized hail and flash floods hit Turkey's northern provinces


Daily Sabah
Thu, 13 Sep 2018 06:38 UTC
Walnut-sized hail hammered Turkey's northern Kastamonu province
© IHAWalnut-sized hail hammered Turkey's northern Kastamonu province on Sept. 13, 2018.
Provinces across Turkey's Marmara and Black Sea regions were hit with flooding and hailstorms on Thursday afternoon and evening, as rain and thunderstorms are predicted to continue into Friday.

In northern Turkey near the Black Sea, the city of Kastamonu was hit with walnut-sized hail for 20 minutes, smashing windows of vehicles and buildings, and puncturing walls and roof tiles.

The city lost electricity amid the storm. Downed trees blocked road transport.

Firefighters and Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) were working to assess and respond to the damage.

The Marmara city of Bandırma in Turkey's northwestern Balıkesir province experienced disastrous flooding, as social media users shared videos of streets that were turned to rivers.

Numerous businesses and homes were flooded by the deluge. Several houses were also struck by lightning, city officials said.

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Tornado1

Typhoon Mangkhut heading for China as Philippines death toll rises to 28

Hannah Ellis-Petersen
The Guardian
Sun, 16 Sep 2018 05:47 UTC
Typhoon Mangkhut damage
© Armed Forces of the PhilippinesRescue workers clear debris from the road after Typhoon Mangkhut swept through the Philippines.

Storm moving towards Hong Kong and China's heavily populated south coast with winds of more than 177km/h

Typhoon Mangkhut killed at least 28 people in the Philippines as it obliterated homes and crops and caused massive flooding, and is now on course to plough into China's coast.

The storm, which was the strongest the world has seen this year, was not as ferocious as feared, though due to the remote areas where the typhoon hit, the full death toll and extent of the destruction is still unknown.

By Sunday morning, it was hurtling towards China's heavily populated southern coast with winds of 177km/h (110mph). It will first pass by Hong Kong, where storm warnings have been raised to their highest level and hundreds of people have been evacuated to storm shelters, with businesses boarded up and most flights cancelled.

The category 5 "super" typhoon hit the northern end of the Philippine island of Luzon early on Saturday morning, with the high winds ripping the roofs off houses and pulling down trees and electricity pylons, and the rains causing fatal landslides and flooding. More than five million people were in its path.

The island is a key agricultural area in the Philippines, producing most of the country's rice, corn and others vegetable crops, and the storm left them ruined a month before harvest, damaging the livelihoods of thousands in the region.


Comment: The Day After Tomorrow? A record 7 named storms are whirling across the globe

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