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High winds stoke fires across Northern California

Don Thompson, Jordan Robertson in San Jose, Tom Verdin in Sacramento, Jason Dearen in San Francisco and Martha Waggoner in Raleigh, N.C
Associated Press
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:52 UTC
PARADISE - High wind on Saturday continued to stoke fires across Northern California that had destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee.

At least 66 homes had been destroyed with 17 others damaged in the Butte County town of Paradise, about 90 miles north of Sacramento. The fire had contributed to at least one death - an elderly woman who suffered a heart attack while evacuating.

Only 35 percent of the fire was contained Saturday, and it had charred more than 36 square miles. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries.

That blaze was just one of a series vexing firefighters across Northern California. A wildfire in Monterey County continued to chew through the Los Padres National Forest, and flames in the Santa Cruz County kept hundreds of residents away from their mountain homes.

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Info

Cedar Rapids flood recedes; Des Moines levee fails

Michael J. Crumb, Jim Suhr, Allen G. Breed and AP Writers Melanie S. Welte in Des Moines and Jim Salter in Iowa City, Charles Babington in Quincy, Ill.
Associated Press
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:46 UTC
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The dark, filthy water that flooded Iowa's second-largest city finally started to recede Saturday after forcing 24,000 people to flee, but those who remained were urged to cut back on showering and flushing to save the last of their unspoiled drinking water.
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Better Earth

Even The Antarctic Winter Cannot Protect Wilkins Ice Shelf


Science Daily
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:36 UTC
Wilkins Ice Shelf has experienced further break-up with an area of about 160 km² breaking off from 30 May to 31 May 2008. ESA's Envisat satellite captured the event - the first ever-documented episode to occur in winter.

Wilkins Ice Shelf
©ESA Envisat
Wilkins Ice Shelf, a broad plate of floating ice south of South America on the Antarctic Peninsula, is connected to two islands, Charcot and Latady. In February 2008, an area of about 400 km² broke off from the ice shelf, narrowing the connection down to a 6 km strip; this latest event in May has further reduced the strip to just 2.7 km.

Wilkins Ice Shelf, a broad plate of floating ice south of South America on the Antarctic Peninsula, is connected to two islands, Charcot and Latady. In February 2008, an area of about 400 km² broke off from the ice shelf, narrowing the connection down to a 6 km strip; this latest event in May has further reduced the strip to just 2.7 km.

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Cloud Lightning

Early And Intense Tornado Season Could Be Record


Science Daily
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 18:25 UTC
This year may set records for tornadoes and tornado-related deaths. "We have already seen more than 115 tornado-related deaths, making this the deadliest tornado season since 1998," said Greg Carbin, a meteorologist at NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, OK.

Tornado in Kansas
©Chris Foltz, NOAA
Tornado in Kansas on May 22, 2008.
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Extinguisher

California firefighters still struggling with blaze


Associated Press
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:43 UTC
PARADISE - As a wildfire bore down on his home of 15 years, hopscotching between properties here, Larry Knifong decided to take his chances and stay - that is, until the flames raced up a ridge toward this ranch-style house.
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Cloud Lightning

River slowly dropping, but Iowa town still flooded


Associated Press
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 11:38 UTC
CEDAR RAPIDS - Days after it rose out of its banks on its way to record flooding in Cedar Rapids, the Cedar River has forced at least 20,000 people from their homes, officials said Saturday.
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Arrow Up

Death toll in north China landslide rises to 19


Xinhua
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 09:16 UTC
The death toll from a landslide in north China's Shanxi Province rose to 19 as rescuers recovered three more bodies in the early hours on Saturday, emergency headquarters said.

Rescuers found the three bodies at around 2 a.m. Saturday at the landslide site at a brick factory near Shang'an village, Lvliang City. The landslide occurred at around 10:20 a.m. Friday, destroying the factory's workshops and burying 20 workers.

Image
©Xinhua
Two young sisters Wu Nana and Wu Shasha hold a picture of his father Wu Chunping who died among 19 workers at a brick factory buried by landslide in Shang'an village of Lishi District of Luliang, north China's Shanxi Province, June 14, 2008. Their mother Wang Fenglian and elder brother Wu Huihui were also killed by the landslide that occurred at 10:20 a.m. of Friday. The investigation is underway.
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Fish

Egypt fishermen's livelihoods under threat


IRIN
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:29 UTC
Thousands of Egyptian fishermen constantly getting skin diseases caused by polluted water.

egypt fishermen
©IRIN
Threatening the livelihoods of some 78,000 people

Ahmad Issa, 41, has been fishing in Lake Maryut [also spelt Maryout or Marriout] near the port city of Alexandria for the last 30 years. Like thousands of other fishermen, Issa said he was constantly getting skin diseases caused by the polluted water.
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Evil Rays

At least three killed in Japan earthquake


Hurriet
Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:19 UTC
A 7.2-magnitude earthquake centered in the northern state of Iwate about 250 miles northeast of Tokyo, rocked a rural, mountainous area of northern Japan, killed at least three people and injured more than 100 on Saturday, TV channels reported.

One of the people killed was caught in a landslide, Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura told reporters. A second man was hit by a car after running out of a building and a third was killed by falling rocks at a dam construction site.

Seven people were trapped in a hot-spring resort inn hit by a landslide but police had rescued five and were trying to get the other two out, NHK public TV reported.
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Frog

90 per cent of pandas in jeopardy after China earthquake

Jane Macartney
The Times
Fri, 13 Jun 2008 23:45 UTC


panda
©N/A

Nearly all of China's endangered pandas are in jeopardy after the earthquake last month devastated the remote mountain corner that is their last remaining habitat.
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