Earth ChangesS


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Moment of massive avalanche in British Columbia captured on drone camera

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© MACTAC/YOUTUBE/SCREENGRABThe footage captures an avalanche in British Columbia, Canada.
A Victoria photographer says it was 'pure, dumb luck' that he was able to shoot some rare drone video of a British Columbia avalanche.


Snowflake

California statewide snowpack is over 300% of average

Current regional snowpack from automated sensors.
© cdec.water.ca.govCurrent regional snowpack from automated sensors.
It is no secret that the winter of 2022/23 will go down in history as one of the best ever. 18 resorts throughout the western United States set snowfall records, many of them in California.

The banner year continues to leave a lasting impression as the current snow water content as of May 8 for the entire state of California is at 304% of normal. Most impressive is the Southern Sierra which is currently at 401% of normal. The Northern Sierra/Trinity area is at 258%, while the Central Sierra is at 295%.


Fire

21 die as fires rage in swaths of Russia's Urals (UPDATE)

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Raging wildfires blot out Sun, turn sky red in Kurgan Region, Russia.
Raging fires have consumed swaths of Russia's Urals mountains, killing at least four people, razing hundreds of homes, forcing evacuations and spurring investigations, officials said on Sunday.

Wildfires are common in late spring and summer across Russia's vast forests and grassy steppes, but some recent blazes have fanned suspicions of negligence.

The fires spread to some settlements in the southern region of Kurgan, prompting a visit by Alexander Kurenkov, the emergency minister, early on Monday.

"A difficult situation has developed," Kurenkov said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.


Comment: Update May 9

The Associated Press reports:
The death toll from wildfires in Russia's Ural Mountains rose to 21 Tuesday, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing local emergency service agencies.

Wildfires have raged in the Kurgan region of the Urals and in Siberia all week. A resident of western Siberia's Tyumen province died while attempting to extinguish a fire.

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According to local authorities, most of the deaths occurred Sunday in the Kurgan province village of Yuldus, which is located on the border between the Ural Mountains and Siberia.

"The death toll may increase," regional emergency service officials said.

A state of emergency was introduced in the province, where more than 5,000 buildings have burned down. Fires also have engulfed thousands of hectares (acres) in Sverdlovsk province, and in Siberia's Omsk and Tyumen provinces.

During a Monday visit to Kurgan province, Russia's emergency situations minister of Emergency Situations said settlements were no longer at risk from the blazes, though local media reported Tuesday that fires still burned there, as well as in Sverdlovsk and Tyumen.



Doberman

Indiana woman dies after vicious dog attack

dog attack
In Indiana woman was killed and her son hospitalized after being mauled by a dog, according to police.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) officers were alerted to reports of an aggressive animal on Forsythia Drive at about 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 9.

When officers arrived, they spoke with a neighbor who said someone had been attacked by a dog at a nearby home, according to Fox59. Police made their way into the home, and they found a woman on the ground inside the nearby garage.

There were 81 fatal dog attacks across the U.S. in 2021, with 17 being registered in the Midwest, according to DogsBite.org. This was a noticeable increase in such deaths from the year before, when there were 62 fatal dog attacks, with 18 registered in the Midwest.


Snowflake

Peru: Hundreds of passengers stranded after heavy snowfall in Cusco

Meteorological DANA causes unusual snowfall in Cusco and low temperatures in the southern sierra
Meteorological DANA causes unusual snowfall in Cusco and low temperatures in the southern sierra
Hundreds of passengers and tourists, both domestic and foreign, were affected by the delay of flights at Alejandro Velasco Astete International Airport in the city of Cusco, due to the heavy snowfall recorded in the area.

Since early in the morning, visitors from Europe, North America, and South America have awaited the resumption of their flights, particularly connecting flights.

It should be noted that the resumption of flights is likely to occur as weather conditions improve.

Although no one has issued a communiqué on the impact of the snowfall, various airlines maintain and will resume their services in the following hours.


Snowflake

Heavy May snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, India: Tourists rescued, 500 stranded vehicles moved to safer areas

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Five tourists from Delhi trapped in heavy snow in Lahaul and Spiti were rescued, while over 500 vehicles stranded between Atal Tunnel Rohtang and Dhundi in Himachal Pradesh have been moved to safer places, police said on Tuesday.

The vehicles started skidding on the road on Monday following heavy snow. The Kullu district police supervised the rescue operation on Monday night as temperatures dropped significantly.

The commuters were advised not to apply brakes and asked to move at a snail's pace in first gear to avoid skidding, Deputy Superintendent of Police KD Sharma, who supervised the rescue operation on Monday night, said.


Cloud Precipitation

Heavy rain in southwest Germany floods basements, forces train routes to temporarily close

FLOOD
Heavy rains in southwestern Germany have flooded roads and basements, forced train routes to close temporarily and left some residents trapped in their homes.

In Zollernalbkreis county in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, hundreds of firefighters were on duty late Sunday after thunderstorms led to creeks bursting their banks and flooding streets, German news agency dpa reported Monday.

Several families in the town of Balingen were unable to leave their homes because floodwaters had risen around the buildings, according to dpa. They had to flee to upper floors where they waited until firefighters rescued them using ladders.


Snowflake

Northern Japan's Iwate prefecture observes latest snow on record on May 8

Carp streamers that were set up for Children's Day on May 5 are seen next to a field blanketed in snow in Ichinohe, Iwate Prefecture, on May 8, 2023.
© Mainichi/Shin YamamotoCarp streamers that were set up for Children's Day on May 5 are seen next to a field blanketed in snow in Ichinohe, Iwate Prefecture, on May 8, 2023.
The northern Japan prefecture of Iwate saw its latest snowfall on record on May 8 as a front brought unusually cold weather to the area.

According to the Morioka Local Meteorological Office, a low-pressure system and front off the Sanriku coast brought cold air into the region, resulting in snow mainly in and around the mountains. It was a complete change from the warm spring and early summerlike temperatures the prefecture has been seeing recently.

The Iwate Prefecture town of Ichinohe recorded 3 centimeters of snow on May 8, the first day after the Golden Week holidays in Japan. Since statistics began, there is no record of snow at observation points in the prefecture after May 3, and this year's snowfall is believed to be the latest ever.


Arrow Down

At least 130 killed in landslide in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, as country battered by flash flooding

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At least 130 people have been killed after a landslide at a mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the country is battered with flash flooding.

Search operations have baredly started but officials believe there are already 130 dead at the mine in Rubaya, North Kivu in the DRC.

Terrifying footage shared on social media show a mass of people sprinting across the mountainside as the ground comes loose and buries them underneath.

It comes amid devastating flooding in eastern Congo which was thought to have killed close to 400 people as of Sunday. That number will rise to 530 after today's tragedy.


Comment: DR Congo - Almost 400 dead after floods cause "Immeasurable Damage" in South Kivu


Cloud Precipitation

New Zealand - More floods in Auckland after 50mm of rain in 1 hour

Flooded road in Northland, New Zealand, May 2023
© Civil Defence NorthlandFlooded road in Northland, New Zealand, May 2023
Authorities in Auckland, New Zealand, declared a state of emergency in response to the threat of flooding and landslides caused by very heavy rainfall on 09 May 2023.

Auckland and parts of New Zealand's North Island saw severe flooding after record rain in late January this year, and again following Cyclone Gabrielle in February.

MetService New Zealand reported rain rates of 40-50mm per hour in areas of Aukland. Fire and Emergency reported 277 weather-related calls, including 19 calls in Northland and 258 calls in Auckland. Around 100 of the incidents were considered serious, and included responding to landslides, falling trees and trapped cars.

Civil Defence in Aukland opened shelters for evacuees in Massey and Albany.