Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Five killed in Oman after vehicles swept away by floodwaters, civil defense says

Oman Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said ⁠seven people were rescued after a vehicle carrying 10 people was swept away in a wadi in the Wilayat of Barka, while the other three were found dead
Oman Civil Defence and Ambulance Authority said ⁠seven people were rescued after a vehicle carrying 10 people was swept away in a wadi in the Wilayat of Barka, while the other three were found dead
At least five people have died in Oman over the past 24 hours after vehicles were swept away by floodwaters, authorities said on Monday.

Oman's Civil Defense and Ambulance ‌Authority said ‌seven people were rescued ‌after ⁠a vehicle carrying ⁠10 people was swept away in a wadi in the Wilayat of Barka, while the other three were ⁠later found dead.

In ‌a ‌separate incident, two citizens ‌died after their vehicle was ‌carried away by floodwaters in a wadi in the Wilayat of Al-Maawil, ‌with their bodies later recovered.

Authorities said the ⁠deaths ⁠came as heavy rains affected parts of the country.

Oman has experienced deadly flooding in recent years, including in April 2024 when flash floods killed at least 20 people and inundated large areas.


Snowflake

Heavy snowfall blankets Kars, Türkiye - 2 meters deep

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Despite the arrival of the spring season, heavy snowfall continues to grip the high altitudes of Turkish city of Kars, creating challenging living conditions for local residents. Besides, Houses, barns, and vehicles in Kayadöven village had been almost entirely submerged under the thick snow layer with freezing temperatures continues to disrupt daily life across the province's rural areas.


Comment: From the video description translated by Google:
[...]
Due to intermittent snowfall in Kars, snow depths in higher elevations have exceeded 2 meters.
[...]



Cloud Lightning

Evacuations ordered on Hawaiian Island as Wahiawa Dam at "imminent risk of failure"

WAHIAWA DAM hawaii fail flooding
© COURTESY HONOLULU FIRE DEPARTMENTControlled-water spillage from Wahiawa Dam was captured by a Honolulu Fire Department drone March 21, 2026. The dam may fail due to a series of heavy storms that have hit the Hawaiian Islands
"Potential life-threatening flooding"

Evacuations are underway on Hawaii's Oahu island after torrential rainfall caused dangerous flooding.

A dam could potentially collapse because of the flooding, local officials warned.

"WAHIAWA DAM HAS NOT FAILED BUT IS AT IMMINENT RISK OF FAILURE. Potential life-threatening flooding of downstream areas," Oahu Emergency Management said.

"Evacuation order still in effect," it added.

Comment: The Daily Mail adds:
Residents fleeing the area have been advised to carpool if possible as traffic during the evacuation has been extremely heavy.

The National Weather Service in Honolulu has also issued a flash flood warning for all of Honolulu County.

Nearly one million people live in the county, which encompasses the entire island of Oahu, and that number quickly grows to more than 1.1million after accounting for tourists visiting Hawaii.

Honolulu officials warned in a statement at 4.37pm ET: 'Radar indicated heavy rain continuing to move over east Oahu. Rain was falling at a rate of 1 to 2.5 inches per hour.'

The first powerful Kona storm hit Hawaii from March 10 to March 16, dumping record amounts of rain, including up to 46 inches in some spots, such as Maui and parts of Oahu.

However, AccuWeather meteorologists have warned that this second Kona storm, which began on Thursday, could quickly lead to devastating damage on Oahu because the ground is still saturated from the earlier storm.

AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson warned: 'The ground is still saturated in the wake of the recent storm, which will lead to rapid runoff that can easily trigger small stream and urban flooding, as well as increase the risk of mudslides and debris flows.'



Arrow Down

Car buried by sudden landslide on Turkish coastal road

sudden landslide buries car ..
Sudden landslide buries car
Dashcam footage captured the moment a landslide buried a vehicle on a highway in southern Turkey on Saturday, March 21.

The incident occurred on the Mersin - Antalya road in the Aydincik district, when soil and rocks suddenly cascaded from a hillside onto the road.

Footage shows debris from the side of the cliff engulfing a moving car in a matter of seconds.

The 44‑year‑old driver sustained minor injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment, according to local authorities.


Seismograph

Best of the Web: 3 shallow earthquakes of magnitudes 6.2, 6.3 and 6.2 in 24 hours - South Pacific Ocean off Samoa on March 22

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A very strong magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred in the South Pacific Ocean 184 km (114 mi) from Samoa in the late afternoon of Sunday, Mar 22, 2026 at 7.15 pm local time (GMT +13). The depth of the quake could not be determined, but is assumed to be shallow. The quake was reported felt by some people near the epicenter.

Earthquake details

Date & time Mar 22, 2026 06:15:36 UTC
Local time at epicenter Sunday, Mar 22, 2026, at 07:15 pm (GMT +13)
Status confirmed (manually revised)
Magnitude 6.2
Depth 10 km
Epicenter latitude / longitude 15.3824°S / 173.0468°W Samoa
Seismic antipode 15.3824°N / 6.9532°E Niger
Quality 42 seismic stations
Shaking intensity VII Very strong shaking near epicenter
Felt 2 reports
Primary data source USGS (United States Geological Survey)

Comment: Details of the other 2 from Earthquake Track:
6.3 Magnitude Earthquake 0.0 km from Si'umu, Tuamasaga, Samoa

UTC time: Sunday, March 22, 2026 15:30 PM
Your time: Sunday, 22 March 2026 at 15:30 GMT
Depth: 10.0 km
No tsunami statement issued
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.3 - 144 km NE of Hihifo, Tongae
6.2 Magnitude Earthquake 0.0 km from Hihifo, Niuas, Tonga

UTC time: Sunday, March 22, 2026 15:27 PM
Your time: Sunday, 22 March 2026 at 15:27 GMT
Depth: 10.0 km
No tsunami statement issued
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.2 - 149 km SSW of Lotofagā, Samoa
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 persons



Volcano

Kanlaon Volcano in the Philippines erupts all morning - continuous ash plumes for hours (Mar 21, 2026)

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This timelapse video shows ash emissions from Kanlaon Volcano recorded on the morning of March 21, 2026, using monitoring cameras in Canlaon City and Mansalanao, La Castellana.

According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), ash emission activity occurred from 5:58 AM to 9:02 AM local time, producing ash plumes rising up to 500 meters above the summit and drifting toward the south and southwest.

This activity follows a series of four ash emission episodes that began at 9:02 PM the previous evening, with individual events lasting between 43 and 184 minutes.

Kanlaon remains under Alert Level 2, indicating moderate unrest and the potential for further sudden explosive activity. Authorities strictly prohibit entry into the 4-kilometer Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) due to hazards such as ashfall, ballistic fragments, rockfalls, and pyroclastic density currents.

Standing 2,465 meters (8,087 ft) above sea level, Kanlaon is the most active volcano in the Visayas and continues to show persistent low-level eruptive activity.

This footage provides a clear view of sustained ash venting from the summit crater during the morning hours.


Comment: Also active recently on March 15th: 5 kilometer-high eruption column at Kanlaon Volcano in the Philippines


Tsunami

Thousands affected as heavy rains trigger widespread flooding in central Colombia

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Heavy and continuous rainfall has triggered severe flooding in the central region of Colombia, leaving more than a thousand families affected in and around the municipality of Facatativá, local authorities said.

The downpour, which began on March 18, caused rivers and streams—including the Río Botello—to overflow, inundating neighborhoods such as Los Manzanos and La Selva, located approximately 40 kilometers west of the capital Bogotá.

According to local reports, floodwaters reached levels exceeding one meter inside homes, forcing widespread evacuations as emergency teams rushed to the affected areas.


Snowflake

Roads restricted by snow, ice and fog in Troodos Mountains, Cyprus

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Three roads leading to the Troodos mountains are restricted to vehicles fitted with snow chains or four-wheel drive, police have warned, as the area is affected by dense fog, snowfall and ice.

The Platres - Troodos, Karvounas - Troodos and Prodromos - Troodos roads remain open only to suitably equipped vehicles. Drivers are advised to keep a safe distance from vehicles ahead and to drive with their headlights on.

Separately, one lane on the road from the Agia Marina Xyliatou dam towards Kannavia has been closed following landslides. Authorities are urging drivers to take extra care when passing through the area.


Tsunami

Flash flood warnings due to heavy rainfall in the United Arab Emirates

Flash flood warning in UAE as intense rain continue
© storm_aeFlash flood warning in UAE as intense rain continue
Rainfall affected several parts of the UAE on Saturday with the National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) warning of rainfall accumulation and potential flash floods in some areas due to the unstable weather conditions.

The NCM urged the public to exercise caution, avoid valleys and low-lying areas where water may accumulate, and stay away from flood-prone locations, particularly in mountainous regions.

A rainfall accumulation alert was issued for some coastal and internal areas from 10:30am until 8:30pm, while a separate flash flood warning for mountain areas was in effect from 1:15pm to 8:30pm.


Seismograph

Shallow 6.7-magnitude earthquake hits the Atlantic Ocean

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The epicenter of the earthquake
A strong earthquake measuring 6.7 has struck the North Atlantic Ocean, roughly halfway between Puerto Rico and Africa, according to seismologists. No tsunami warnings were issued.

The earthquake, which struck at 12:16 UTC on Saturday, hit the Atlantic Ocean about 1,360 miles (2,189 kilometers) to the northeast of Puerto Rico, or 1,846 miles (2,972 kilometers) west of Mauritania.

Seismologists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) put the earthquake's magnitude at 6.7, down from an earlier estimate of 6.9. They said it struck at a shallow depth of about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles).

No tsunami alerts were issued.

"Based on earthquake information and historical tsunami records, the earthquake is not expected to generate a tsunami," the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center said in a bulletin.

Because it happened so far from land, no damage is expected and it's unlikely anyone could have felt the earthquake, which is the second-biggest so far this year. Last month, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Malaysia, with no reports of casualties.