Earth ChangesS


Tsunami

Peru: Heavy rainfall caused extensive damage across 16 districts in Arequipa


andina.pe
Fri, 20 Feb 2026 15:36 UTC
mmmmm

The torrential rain that struck Peru's southern Arequipa province on Thursday left a devastating toll: two people dead and extensive material damage across 16 of the 29 districts in the jurisdiction, according to the National Emergency Operations Center (COEN).

The COEN said the Disaster Risk Management offices of Arequipa's local governments are carrying out Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (EDAN).

The work follows emergencies reported on the afternoon of February 19, triggered by intense rainfall that activated ravines and caused flooding across the province.

In that regard, it said Arequipa's Regional Emergency Operations Center (COER) reported that the districts affected by this event are: Alto Selva Alegre, Cayma, Arequipa, Cerro Colorado, Chiguata, Jacobo Hunter, Jose Luis Bustamante y Rivero, Mariano Melgar, Miraflores, Paucarpata, Pocsi, Sabandia, Sachaca, Socabaya, Uchumayo, and Yanahuara.

Read More...
Arrow Down

Best of the Web: Europe's mounting avalanche death toll: 86 so far this winter with record downfalls burying ski resorts

Eliana Silver
Daily Mail
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:26 UTC
An avalanche on Tuesday in the Zermatt region of Switzerland
An avalanche on Tuesday in the Zermatt region of Switzerland
Europe's avalanche crisis is escalating, with 86 people including at least four Brits killed this season as severe snowfall and unstable mountain conditions wreak havoc across the Alps and beyond.

France has recorded the highest toll so far with 25 deaths, followed by Italy with 21 and Austria with 14, while Switzerland has lost nine and Spain eight.

Slovakia reported four deaths and Slovenia three, with a single death in Andorra.

The vast majority of victims were caught in wind slab avalanches or collapses linked to persistent weak layers buried deep within the snow, often triggered after fresh downfalls.

Most were skiing off piste or travelling in backcountry terrain, with others killed while mountaineering, climbing or hiking.

Read More...
Binoculars

Canada sees its first European robin

Danielle Beurteaux
The Guardian
Tue, 10 Feb 2026 13:00 UTC
The European robin has appeared in the middle of a freezing Montréal winter.
© Sabrina JacobThe European robin has appeared in the middle of a freezing Montréal winter.
On a quiet Montréal street of low-rise brick apartment buildings on one side and cement barrier wall on the other, a crowd has gathered, binoculars around their necks and cameras at the ready. A European robin has taken up residence in the neighbourhood, which is sandwiched between two industrial areas with warehouses and railway lines and, a few blocks away, port facilities on the St Lawrence River.

Ron Vandebeek from Ottawa, Ontario, is here on a frigid February morning hoping to see the rare bird, which was first spotted at the beginning of January.

This is the first recorded sighting of a European robin in Canada, and only the fifth or sixth in North America. That it has taken up residence in Quebec is a source of delight but also consternation for birders. How did it travel thousands of kilometres from its home territory, and will it survive a very cold Montréal winter?

The bird's normal home range is western Europe, from Scotland to Turkey and as far north as Sweden during breeding season, and visiting Iceland on a seasonal migration stop.

Read More...
Doberman

Dog attack inside home leaves man dead in Independence, Missouri - officers fatally shoot animal

Robert A. Cronkleton
The Kansas City Star
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:24 UTC
PIT BULL ATTACK
A man died after a dog attacked him inside an Independence home Wednesday afternoon, and responding officers shot and killed the animal when it became aggressive toward them, a police spokesman said.

Officers responded to a disturbance about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 700 block of North Mohican Drive, said Officer Bryan Conley with the Independence Police Department.

There, officers found a dog attacking a man inside a home. In response to the dog's aggressiveness and the severity of the wounds to the victim, one of the officers fired a gun, striking the animal. The dog then "addressed the officers in an aggressive manner," Conley said.

The officers, fearing for the public's safety if the dog escaped, fired again, fatally wounding the animal, Conley said. Officers then attempted lifesaving measures to the man wounded in the dog attack. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from his injuries, Conley said. No one else was injured during the incident.

Detectives and crime scene investigators responded to the scene, along with Independence Animal Control. There were no previous calls to the address for aggressive animals prior to Wednesday's fatal dog attack, Conley said.

The attack remains under investigation.

Read More...
Attention

Dead whale washes ashore in Newport Beach, California


KTLA 5
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 11:54 UTC
Dead humpback whale washes ashore at Newport Beach
Dead humpback whale washes ashore at Newport Beach
A dead humpback whale washed ashore along a popular stretch of Newport Beach on Wednesday afternoon, drawing crowds of onlookers and prompting safety warnings as authorities work to determine how the massive marine mammal died.

Read More...
Attention

Over 10,000 dead seabirds wash up on the coasts of the UK, France, Spain and Portugal after recent storms

Lisa Young, Tamsin Melville
BBC
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 15:31 UTC
Puffins wintering at sea have been unable to feed due to storms
© Cornwall Wildlife TrustPuffins wintering at sea have been unable to feed due to storms
Thousands of dead seabirds have washed up on the south west coast, Channel Islands and French beaches, a wildlife trust has said.

The majority of the birds are puffins which had become starved and exhausted due to not being able to feed during the recent storms.

Alderney Wildlife Trust (AWT) said it had received reports of puffins stranded on the island's beaches and more than 10,000 of the birds had perished and washed up on beaches in France, Spain and Portugal.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust (CWT) said 262 puffins had washed up on Cornish beaches in January and February while only two had been reported last year.

Read More...
Arrow Down

18 avalanches reported in 24 hours as skiers flock to snow-covered mountains in Utah

Derick Fox
kjzz.com
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:50 UTC
The aftermath of an avalanche following a late-season winter storm on Feb. 18, 2026.
© Utah Avalanche CenterThe aftermath of an avalanche following a late-season winter storm on Feb. 18, 2026.
Nearly two dozen avalanches were reported across Utah's mountains over the last 24 hours, and several were determined to be human-triggered.

The Utah Avalanche Center reported 18 avalanches on Wednesday, eight of which were human-triggered.

This comes after several warnings of increased avalanche dangers across the state as winter made its return with more than a foot of snow falling on Utah's mountains.

Leading up to Wednesday's storm, the Utah Avalanche Center issued an "Avalanche Watch," which was upgraded to a "Warning" the next day.

Forecasters said the heavy snow from the storm overloaded widespread fragile layers of weak, faceted snow that formed during the winter dry spell.

Read More...
Snowflake

Heavy snowfall blankets Bucharest and other areas of Romania - transport services disrupted


Euronews
Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:42 UTC
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions across central, southern and eastern Romania on Wednesday forced widespread school closures, disrupted air, rail and road traffic and left tens of thousands without power, authorities and news reports said.
Heavy snow and blizzard conditions across central, southern and eastern Romania on Wednesday forced widespread school closures, disrupted air, rail and road traffic and left tens of thousands without power, authorities and news reports said.
Heavy snowfall and strong winds disrupted road, rail and air traffic in southern Romania, with delays reported in Bucharest and flights diverted from the capital's airport.

Read More...
Snowflake

Winter storm brings heavy snow and disrupts travel in Moscow - 70% of monthly average snowfall in a day


The Moscow Times
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:33 UTC
mmmmm
© Vasily Kuzmichyonok / Moskva News Agency
Moscow was walloped by a powerful winter storm between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, bringing heavy snow and strong winds that created treacherous road conditions and led to flight delays and cancellations.

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the Russian capital was expecting more than 70% of the monthly average snowfall throughout Thursday alone.

"Winter is breaking all records. The snowfalls are relentless... Snow will continue throughout the day, the night, and into tomorrow," Sobyanin wrote on Telegram.

Meteorologists said snow cover in Moscow stood at 175% of the daily average snowfall for Feb. 19, but it still fell short of a daily record broken in 2024. Blizzard conditions are forecast to continue into Friday morning, they said.

Read More...
Arrow Down

Deadly snow slide kills rescuer and 2 climbers in North Caucasus, Russia

Tamilla Hasanova
Caliber.Az
Thu, 19 Feb 2026 14:27 UTC
mmmmm
A deadly avalanche struck the Arkhyz ski resort in Russia's Karachay-Cherkessia on February 19, claiming the lives of three people, according to emergency services and regional media cited by Russian media.

The snow slide occurred in the area of the Orlyonok ravine, where both rescue personnel and a group of climbers were operating at the time. Preliminary information indicates that two rescuers were caught beneath the snow mass: one died at the scene, while the second was injured and taken to the hospital.

The avalanche also swept over three climbers. One managed to escape independently and was hospitalised, while the bodies of the other two were later located and transported to Arkhyz.

Authorities also reported that part of the avalanche reached the nearby settlement, partially covering two private houses. Residents were evacuated quickly, and no casualties were recorded among the local population.
Read More...