Earth ChangesS


Bizarro Earth

Untouched by quake, Haitian city hit by flooding, mudslides


Agence France Presse
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:02 UTC
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© Esteban Felix/APA woman walks with an umbrella at a survivors camp during heavy rains in Port-au-Prince
Port-Au-Prince - Flooding and mudslides in southwestern Haiti Saturday killed one person and forced the evacuation of 500 prisoners, officials in this quake-hit nation told AFP.

The deluge occurred in and around Les Cayes, Haiti's third-biggest city, which escaped the earthquake devastation that trashed the capital Port-au-Prince January 12.

Haiti's civil emergency services unit told AFP that one person was killed in the nearby town of Baraderes, according to the local mayor.

It also said 500 detainees in Les Cayes's prison were being evacuated by UN peacekeepers and Haitian police as 50 centimeters (20 inches) of water inundated the facility.

There was up to 1.5 meters (60 inches) of water in Les Cayes, a coastal city on a peninsula 160 kilometers (100 miles) west of Port-au-Prince.

Witnesses said houses had also collapsed.
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Bizarro Earth

Tsunami Waves from Chile Quake Reach New Zealand


Reuters
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:11 UTC
The first waves of a tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile reached New Zealand on Sunday, authorities said, but there were no reports of any injuries or damage.

Hundreds of residents on the country's east coast were evacuated to high ground and ships moved out to sea as authorities warned that surges from the tsunami might be felt for most of the day.

Chile was hit on Saturday by a powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake, which killed at least 214 people, knocked down buildings and triggered a tsunami that threatens Pacific coastlines.

The first waves were reported at the remote Chatham Islands, around 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of New Zealand, with surges measured at up to 1.5 meters, the Civil Defense Ministry said.
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Bizarro Earth

Chile Quake Similar to 2004 Indian Ocean Temblor

Alicia Chang
The Associated Press
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:26 UTC
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© AP PhotoResidents look at a collapsed building in Concepcion, Chile, after an 8.8-magnitude struck central Chile.
Scientists say the major earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile was a "megathrust" - similar to the 2004 Indian Ocean temblor that spawned a catastrophic tsunami.

Megathrust earthquakes occur in subduction zones where plates of the Earth's crust grind and dive. Saturday's jolt occurred when the Nazca plate dove beneath the South American plate, releasing tremendous energy.

The U.S. Geological Survey says 13 temblors of magnitude-7 or larger have hit coastal Chile since 1973.

The latest quake occurred about 140 miles north of the largest earthquake ever recorded.
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Bizarro Earth

Quake-Triggered Tsunami Rushes Ashore in Hawaii

Jaymes Song and Audrey McAvoy
The Associated Press
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 18:37 UTC
A tsunami triggered by the Chilean earthquake sent a surge of water ashore in Hawaii, California and islands in the South Pacific on Saturday as the waves continued onto Alaska and parts of Asia.

There were no immediate reports of widespread damage, injuries or deaths in the U.S. or in the Pacific islands, but a tsunami that swamped a village on an island off Chile killed at least five people and left 11 missing.

In Hawaii, water began pulling away from shore off Hilo Bay on the Big Island just before noon, exposing reefs and sending dark streaks of muddy, sandy water offshore. Waves later washed over Coconut Island, a small park off Hilo's coast.

The tsunami was causing a series of surges that were about 20 minutes apart, and the waves arrived later and smaller than originally predicted. The highest wave at Hilo measured 5.5 feet (1.7 meters) high, while Maui saw some as high as 2 meters (6.5 feet).
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Bizarro Earth

Tsunami Waves Hit French Polynesia After Chile Quake


Reuters
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 14:21 UTC
The first small waves of a tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile reached French Polynesia on Saturday, authorities said.

Residents were asked to move away from the shores and seek high ground while schools were shut down and most roads closed.

The first waves hit Gambier Archipelago at 10:50 a.m EST and Tahiti at 12:50 p.m. EST but Tahiti's seismological center said the waves were only 36 centimeters high.

The tsunami is expected to hit Bora Bora at 1:15 p.m. EST, the French Polynesia High Commissioner said in a statement.

French Polynesia President Gaston Tong Sang sought to reassure residents saying the territory was used to cyclones and hurricanes.
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Snowman

Snowmageddon comes to Moscow: Russia hasn't seen this much snow in 40 years


Russia Today
Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:51 UTC
The winters showing no signs of letting up in the Russian capital, where relentless snowfall has broken a record that's stood for almost 50 years. And as the white stuff continues to come down, Moscow's working to prevent the winter fairytale from turning into a nightmare.

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Alarm Clock

Hawaii blasts sirens, warns of possible tsunami

Jaymes Song
Associated Press
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:08 UTC
Ewa Beach - A tsunami triggered by the Chilean earthquake raced across the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, threatening Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast as well as hundreds of islands from the bottom of the planet to the top.

Sirens blared in Hawaii to alert residents to the potential waves. Nine small planes equipped with loudspeakers flew along the shoreline, warning beachgoers. On several South Pacific islands hit by a tsunami last fall, police evacuated tens of thousands of coastal residents.

The first waves in Hawaii were expected to hit shortly after 11 a.m. Saturday (4 p.m. EST; 2100 GMT) and measure roughly 8 feet (2.5 meters) at Hilo. Most Pacific Rim nations did not immediately order evacuations, but advised people in low-lying areas to be on the lookout.
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Bizarro Earth

Massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Chile


BBC News
Sat, 27 Feb 2010 15:19 UTC

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© Martin Bernetti/AFPA destroyed pharmacy in Vina del Mar
A massive earthquake has hit central Chile, killing at least 82 people, the interior minister says.

The 8.8 magnitude quake struck at 0634 GMT about 115km (70 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 325km south-west of the capital, Santiago.

President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in affected areas and appealed for calm.

Tsunami warnings have been issued for Hawaii, Australia, New Zealand, Central America and Pacific island nations.
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Igloo

US: 3rd major blizzard in less than a month wreaks havoc in Northeast

Michelle Nichols
Reuters
Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:31 UTC
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© David Boe/APPeople shovel snow off a sidewalk in front of businesses as pedestrians make their way during a snowstorm in the Brooklyn Borough of New York, Friday, Feb. 26
New York - A record-breaking winter storm slammed New York and much of the U.S. Northeast on Friday, forcing businesses, schools and transportation systems to shut down as nearly two feet of snow fell in the city.

Commuters struggled in the absence of suburban train and bus services into New York City, where the National Weather Service said more than 20 inches of snow had fallen so far with the storm set to become the third heaviest on record.

The heaviest storm to hit New York was in February 2006 when 26.9 inches blanketed the city. The latest storm took New York City's total snowfall for February to more than 36 inches, making it the snowiest month on record.

"Enough is enough -- I am tired of shoveling," said retired Ron Rigo, 62, as he tried to dig out his car in a Manhattan street. "It's the worst winter in recent years."
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Snowman

US: Florida freezing weather moving in

Cary Williams
abcactionnews.com
Thu, 25 Feb 2010 09:34 UTC
Tampa -- Arctic air will settled into the Bay area Thursday, setting the stage for a night of freezing temperatures for much of the region.

The high only made it to around 57 degrees, which is about 20 degrees below average for this time of year.

Small craft advisories are in effect.

The National Weather Service has issued a Freeze Warning for the entire Tampa Bay area, with the exception of Pinellas County. The Freeze Warning will be in effect from 4 a.m. until 8 a.m. Friday morning.

A Freeze Warning is issued when three or more hours of temperatures between 27 and 32 degrees are expected over a widespread area.
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