Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Lightning strike kills three in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

strike
Three people, including two children, have died after their home was struck by lightning during stormy weather in Ofafafa, KwaZulu-Natal.

The three were struck on Wednesday.

Spokesperson for the department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in KZN Senzelwe Mzila says the victims all belonged to one family.

"Yesterday, we learned with shock and sadness of the tragic incident that occurred in Ofafafa, in the uBuhlebezwe Local Municipality, where a lightning strike killed three people in the Mzobe family."

Snowflake

Snow totals from Colorado's eastern plains show up to 18″ fell

snow
Monday was a tough travel day on the eastern plains of Colorado as a wind-driven snow created slick roads and white-out conditions at times. Some places along Interstate 70 near the Kansas state line reported more than a foot of snow.

Heavy snow also fell in parts of southern Colorado in the vicinity of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. Travel was difficult along Interstate 25 between Pueblo and the New Mexico state line for several hours.


The following snow totals are from the National Weather Service and the CoCoRaHS network. Be sure to click here and check out the snow reports from CoCoRaHS. If you don't see a report on the map where you live, considering becoming an official observer.

Tornado2

Millions take shelter as storms and series of tornadoes hit Southern USA

New Orleans: One killed as tornado tears through suburbs
New Orleans: One killed as tornado tears through suburbs
A series of tornadoes hitting the USA on March 21st and today March 22nd 2022.

Over 30 million residents have been advised to take shelter as a series of storms hit across a number of American states, including Texas, Alabama, Tennesse, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Louisiana.


Seismograph

6.7-magnitude earthquake rattles Taiwan

Taiwan earthquake
© AFPTaiwan earthquake
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake that struck off the coast of Taiwan early Wednesday rattled buildings and roused people from their sleep, leaving one injured and causing a half-constructed bridge in the island's east to collapse.

Taiwan is regularly hit by earthquakes as it lies near the junction of two tectonic plates. It does not issue tsunami warnings unless a quake registers at more than magnitude 7.0.

The US Geological Survey initially estimated the 1:41 am (1741 GMT Tuesday) quake to be magnitude 6.9, but downgraded it to 6.6 before finally assessing it back up to 6.7.

It also revised the depth from an initial 10 kilometers (six miles) to 24 km.


Comment: About an hour earlier a 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge.


Seismograph

6.7-magnitude earthquake hits northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge: USGS

graph
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 jolted northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge at 16:35:08 GMT on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 10.819 degrees north latitude and 43.392 degrees west longitude.

Comment: Just over an hour later a 6.7-magnitude earthquake rattled Taiwan


Attention

This week in Volcano News - Problems at 9 Alaskan volcanoes - La Soufriere update

St Vincent La Soufriere Volcano
La Soufriere Volcano

Right now, there are 49 volcanoes actively erupting on the planet. This week's top story regards a group of 9 volcanoes in Alaska, whose alert levels were just changed. The list of volcanoes with a changed alert level includes the infamous Novarupta volcano, which produced the planet's largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century in 1912.

Meanwhile, in Russia, the Bezymianny volcano produced a paroxysm that created pyroclastic flows. And, on the island of Saint Vincent, the alert level at the La Soufriere volcano was lowered from yellow to green.

This video will discuss these volcano related news stories, as told and analyzed by a volcanologist.


Cloud Precipitation

Mozambique - Death toll from Cyclone Gombe rises to more than 50

Floods in Mozambique after Cyclone Gombe, March 2022.
© National Institute for Disaster Risk Management and Reduction (INGD)Floods in Mozambique after Cyclone Gombe, March 2022.
Over 50 people have now lost their lives in Mozambique as a result of severe conditions brought by Tropical Cyclone Gombe. Satellite imagery shows over 500 km2 of land in Nampula and Zambezia provinces was under water.

The Southern Region of Malawi was also severely impacted, with over 100,000 people displaced according to Red Cross reports.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Gombe made landfall over the coastal area of central Nampula province in the early hours of 11 March 2022, with strong winds and heavy rain.

As of 14 March, 100,441 people had been affected in Nampula and Zambezia provinces, with 50 people and 15 fatalities.

These figures have increased dramatically over the last few days as access to affected areas has opened and damage assessments carried out.


Doberman

Girl aged 17 months killed by dog at home in St Helens, UK

PIT BULL ATTACK
A 17-month-old girl has died after being attacked by a dog in her home.

The toddler died in hospital after the attack in St Helens at about 15:50 GMT on Monday, Merseyside Police said.

Officers said her "absolutely devastated" family had only bought the dog a week ago.

Police will carry out tests on the animal, which was killed by officers, to see if it was an illegal breed, as well as trying to identify its previous owners.

The attack happened at the family's home in Bidston Avenue in the Blackbrook area of St Helens.


Doberman

Security footage shows woman mauled by pit bull in horror elevator attack in Cúcuta, Colombia

dog attack
Graphic security camera footage has captured the moment a woman was savagely mauled by a pit bull in the elevator of an apartment complex in Cúcuta, Colombia.

In the minute-long video, the 25-year-old woman is already on the floor being attacked as she crawls backwards into the elevator while struggling with the large animal.

She attempts to push the dog away as it continues to bite her in the neck, legs and arms, eventually managing to reach up with her bloodied hand to press the elevator button.

When the elevator doors open the dog then latches onto the woman again, dragging her out backwards leaving a pool of blood on the floor.



Arrow Down

Avalanche kills backcountry skier near Steamboat Springs, Colorado

This photo provided by Colorado Avalanche
This photo provided by Colorado Avalanche Information Center shows the area of an avalanche, top right, that killed a skier on Saturday, March 19, 2022, near Steamboat Springs, Colo. Andrew Hyde, 49, a backcountry skier from Steamboat Springs, was found swept up against a tree and not breathing after the avalanche Saturday, according to a preliminary incident report for the Colorado Avalanche Information Center.
Colorado authorities say a backcountry skier has been killed in an avalanche in the Buffalo Pass area northeast of Steamboat Springs.

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) says a second skier was able to reach his companion, who had been swept up against a tree and wasn't breathing.

The Routt County Sheriff's Office said man was able to call 911. The man performed CPR for an hour until help arrived. He was airlifted by helicopter.

On Sunday, the sheriff's office confirmed the man's identity as 49-year-old Andrew Hyde of Steamboat Springs.


Comment: Colorado March snowstorm dumps up to 17 inches of snow