Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

US New York: Heavy Rains Floods, Disrupt Power in Westchester, Putnam

Greg Clary and James O'Rourke
lohud.com
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:31 UTC
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© Vincent DiSalvio / The Journal NewsVehicles were trapped in a municipal parking lot entirely flooded along with Memorial Park in Spring Valley June 23, 2011.
Rockland County took the brunt of Thursday's fierce thunderstorms, but the rest of the region had to withstand waves of rain that washed out local roads and rail lines, popped manhole covers and pushed high school graduations indoors.

Scattered power outages, mostly in northern Westchester and Putnam counties, caused some schools to send students home early.

With a chance of showers and thunderstorms again today after 10 a.m., the weather service has issued a flash flood watch through tonight for the entire tri-state area. Full forecast for today and the weekend.

Downtown Nyack looked like a small version of the Mississippi Delta, with a river running down Broadway faster than cars and trucks usually travel.

"We've been hit pretty hard," Rockland Fire and Emergency Services Coordinator Gordon Wren Jr. said of the downpour that started just before 11:30 a.m. Thursday. "The ground being saturated makes matters worse. We're getting pounded."

The rain that fell so ferociously and the flooding that followed was likely the worst since Hurricane Floyd in 1999, leading Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef to declare a state of emergency.
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Bizarro Earth

Philippines: Phivolcs Warns Against Activity Near 3 Volcanoes

Tetch Torres
Inquirer News
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 14:28 UTC
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Manila, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has warned against any activity near the Taal, Mayon and Bulusan volcanoes as rockfalls and ash explosions may occur due to bad weather.

In its 8:00 a.m. bulletin, Phivolcs said that while Taal volcano was still on alert level 2, magma could be seen rising towards the surface as shown by the continuing high emission rate of carbon dioxide being released in the main crater lake and sustained seismic activity.

Phivolcs advised the public to stay away from the main crater, Daang Kastila Trail and Mt. Tabaro, as sudden hazardous steam driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate, which are lethal to humans and animals.

Phivolcs reiterated that the entire volcano island remains a permanent danger zone.
On the other hand, Mayon volcano and Bulusan volcano are under alert level 1.

But Philvocs said in the same bulletin that while no eruption was imminent in Mayon, the public should not enter the 6-kilometer radius permanent danger zone due to the continuing threat from sudden small explosions and rockfalls from the upper and middle slopes of the volcano.
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Cow Skull

Floods to North, but Drought Spreads in U.S. South

Carey Gillam
Reuters
Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:27 UTC
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Sweltering summer heat and a persistent lack of rain have deepened an historic drought gripping Texas and surrounding U.S. southern states.

And despite heavy rains and flooding to the north, there is little relief in sight for the South, according to a report issued Thursday by U.S. climatologists.

The "Drought Monitor" report released Thursday from a consortium of national climate experts said that over the last week, the worst level of drought, called "exceptional drought," expanded to cover more than 70 percent of Texas.

And 91 percent of the Lone Star State suffers from either exceptional drought or the second-worst category, "extreme" drought.

"We've had extraordinarily high temperatures and really high wind. It is still bad," said Don Conlee, acting state climatologist for Texas.

Arizona likewise has more than 70 percent of its land in extreme and exceptional drought, up from 68 percent. Louisiana saw exceptional drought spread to 65 percent from 28 percent in the week, while Oklahoma saw it spread to a third of its land from a tenth.
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Bizarro Earth

UK: Bovey Tracey Earthquake Shakes Devon


BBC News
Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:36 UTC
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© IrishWeather OnlineBovey Tracey, Devon, England
An earthquake has been reported in Devon that reached a magnitude 2.7.

The epicentre of the quake, which struck at 1445 BST, was near Bovey Tracey, the British Geological Society (BGS) said.

Police said there had been no reports of injuries but some people said their properties shook.

The BGS said it was an "unusual occurrence", with approximately 10-12 quakes of this magnitude felt in the UK per year.

Radio Devon Listeners said they felt the tremors in Okehampton, Bridford and at Moretonhampstead.

Pat Fleming, from Poundsgate near Ashburton, felt the quake and said: "Huge shakes went right through our granite house.

"We thought that something had exploded."

The last earthquake of a similar magnitude in Devon centred on Dartmoor in 1995, the society said.
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Cloud Lightning

China, Taiwan Warn of Strengthening Tropical Storm


ajc
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 09:41 UTC
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© The Associated Press / Bullit MarquezLocal rescuers prepare to ferry people near the swollen Marikina River in Marikina city, east of Manila, Philippines, Friday, June 24, 2011, after heavy rains inundated the capital overnight. The heavy rains, brought about by Tropical Storm Meari (locally called Falcon) triggered flash floods and rough seas, forcing classes to be suspended Friday, government offices shut and dozens of flights canceled.
China alerted Shanghai and four coastal provinces Friday evening that a tropical storm is expected to intensify and become the season's first typhoon to strike China.

Storage depots were opened to prepare to distribute emergency supplies as China already struggles with disastrous seasonal flooding that has put scores of reservoirs near their limits.

The Civil Affairs Ministry ordered Shanghai, along with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian and Shandong provinces to monitor Tropical Storm Meari and to issue timely warnings to the public.

Taiwan also cautioned its residents that torrential rain could hit the eastern and southern parts of the island Saturday.
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Stop

US: Churchill Downs Horse Racing Canceled After Tornado

Steve Robrahn
Reuters
Thu, 23 Jun 2011 01:47 UTC
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© Reuters / John Sommers IIPeople survey the damage to barns at Churchill Downs after an apparent tornado struck the track in Louisville, Kentucky, June 23, 2011.
Racing and training were canceled on Thursday at Churchill Downs, a day after a tornado hit the thoroughbred racetrack famed as home of the Kentucky Derby, according to track officials.

"Considering the damage, which is extensive, it is amazing -- borderline miraculous -- that there were no injuries to either humans or horses," said John Asher, Churchill Downs spokesman.

There was no damage to the grandstand or the track's iconic twin spires.

Churchill Downs is most famous for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby, the first leg in U.S. thoroughbred racing's Triple Crown of events, which also includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.

Asher said crews on Thursday were inspecting the surface of the race track for storm debris, including nails, that might have been tossed onto the usually carefully manicured racing surface from the passing twister.

Six barns and a portion of a seventh were damaged severely enough they cannot be used, Asher said. Two others that had damage from the storm had been restored to service Thursday. As a result, 30 horses would be transported to Lexington where Keeneland raceway had offered temporary shelter.
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Bizarro Earth

US: Surprising Threat Looms for Wildfire-Scorched Arizona: Rain

Andrea Mustain
LiveScience
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:27 UTC
Wallow Fire
© Jayson Coil, U.S. Forest Service.The Wallow Fire burns near the Alpine Divide in the Apache National Forest.
The Wallow Fire in Arizona is the largest in state history, and has scorched more than 532,000 acres. And although firefighters have the blaze more than 65 percent contained, once the flames are finally extinguished the danger may not be over.

"Monsoon" season is on the way, and instead of providing sweet relief for a region in the grip of a years-long drought, the coming rain could spell disaster, bringing a spate of landslides and floods to the parched and burned landscape.

"It's kind of a one-two punch sort of thing," said Ken Waters, the aptly named warning coordination meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Phoenix. "You always have problems with runoff after a big fire."
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Bizarro Earth

Santa Cruz Islands - Earthquake Magnitude 6.3


USGS
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 13:39 UTC
Santa Cruz Quake_240611
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date and Time:
Friday, June 24, 2011 at 06:33:06 UTC

Friday, June 24, 2011 at 05:33:06 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
10.919°S, 165.945°E

Depth:
62.6 km (38.9 miles)

Region:
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS

Distances:
25 km (15 miles) SSE of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Isl.

444 km (275 miles) E of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, Solomon Isl.

677 km (420 miles) ESE of HONIARA, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

2280 km (1416 miles) NE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia
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Attention

More than 53,000 Flee Storm in Philippines


Agence France-Presse
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 00:00 UTC
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© Noel Celis/Agence France-PressePedicabs pedal customers down a flooded street after heavy rains in Valenzuela City, north of Manila.
More than 53,000 people were in evacuation centres in the Philippines on Friday after fleeing their homes following days of torrential rains caused by Tropical Storm Meari, officials said.

More than 7,000 people fled their homes overnight in the capital Manila alone as the storm added to seasonal monsoon rains, bringing massive flooding to city streets, the civil defence agency said.

The swift evacuation of Manila residents as the waters rose overnight prevented any deaths, said Benito Ramos, executive director of the official National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

"It is a good thing we pre-positioned rubber boats. Thankfully, people reacted well. When we told them to evacuate, they evacuated," Ramos said.

However 11 people were still missing in or near the less-developed Bicol peninsula southeast of Manila, which bore the brunt of Meari as it brushed past the eastern side of the country, the council added.
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Arrow Down

16 Dead in Landslides in Northeast India


Herald Sun
Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:08 UTC
Sixteen people in northeast India have been killed by landslides triggered by heavy monsoon rains, a senior police official said today.

The deaths occurred overnight in villages perched on steep mountain sides near the town of Pelling in the scenic Himalayan state of Sikkim.

"Fourteen people were buried alive when rolling debris piled on their houses," senior police officer Jasbir Singh said by phone from Gangtok, capital city of Sikkim.

Singh said a second landslide in the same town claimed two lives, damaged property and disrupted communications.

Source: Australian Associated Press
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