Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

Typhoon Krathon continues to batter parts of Taiwan

A damaged wooden archway due to strong winds from Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on October 3, 2024.
A damaged wooden archway due to strong winds from Typhoon Krathon in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on October 3, 2024.
Typhoon Krathon brings with it heavy rainfall and gusts of wind, killing two and injuring over hundreds in its wake.

It is being dubbed as a 'weird' typhoon due to its hovering off the coast before reaching the land and its rare storm route.

Authorities have declared high alert and asked residents to take shelter.

Schools and businesses are closed for the second consecutive day and all domestic and international flights stand cancelled.


Cloud Lightning

Best of the Web: Hurricane Helene slams Florida, Georgia and other states with flooding, power outages - at least 200 dead, 600 missing (UPDATES)

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A tornado killed two people in the US state of Georgia, the governor said, as Hurricane Helene churned into the state after causing one death in the neighbouring state of Florida, where it barrelled ashore in the southeastern United States.

Helene weakened to a Category 1 hurricane early on Friday with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph), according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), but it left a deadly trail of destruction in both states.

More than 55 million people in the US have been placed under some form of weather alert.

As of Friday morning, broadcaster ABC reported two deaths in Georgia's Wheeler County, while Florida confirmed one death, after a sign fell on a car on a highway in Tampa City.

The hurricane made landfall in northwestern Florida as a Category 4 storm as forecasters warned that the enormous system could create a "nightmare" storm surge and bring dangerous winds and rain across much of the southeastern US.


Comment: Update September 28

Newsnationnow.com reports:
After making landfall in Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, Helene is continuing to track inland as a weakened tropical storm, bringing flooding and leaving millions without power in the Southeast.

There have been at least 44 reported fatalities from the storm across five states after catastrophic flooding and storm surge that left destruction in their wake, according to The Associated Press.

Deaths have been confirmed in Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Multiple deaths have been attributed to drowning, while some were the result of trees falling. State officials say dozens more are still trapped inside their homes, The Associated Press reports.

In Florida, crews have been working to rescue people stuck in floodwaters with some areas experiencing up to 9 feet of flooding. Crews are also dealing with downed powerlines and other hazards from the storm.

As Helene barreled through Georgia, wind gusts over 90 mph were reported with sustained winds at 60 mph. Headed toward the Carolinas, there are flood warnings across the Southeast, including North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and southern Illinois and southern Indiana.






In Western North Carolina, significant flooding and road closures were reported with the Lake Lure Dam in Rutherford County at imminent risk of failure. Those in the area were being advised to evacuate immediately.

The flash flood emergency remains in place until 2 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Rising floodwaters and a mudslide washed out the interstate near the North Carolina-Tennessee state line. The closure occurred around 12:30 p.m. Friday and is expected to reopen by 5 p.m. Saturday, NewsNation local affiliate WJZY reports.

Millions have also been left without power thanks to the storm.

More than 595,000 people in Florida are left without power, along with 860,000 outages reported in Georgia, more than 1.16 million in South Carolina and more than 812,000 in North Carolina.

As the weakened system makes its way north, power outages are following. Virginia is reporting more than 220,000 without power, while Ohio has more than 315,000.
Update September 29

AP reports:
At least 64 dead and millions without power after Helene's deadly march across the Southeast

Massive rains from powerful Hurricane Helene left people stranded, without shelter and awaiting rescue Saturday, as the cleanup began from a tempest that killed at least 64 people, caused widespread destruction across the U.S. Southeast and left millions without power.



"I've never seen so many people homeless as what I have right now," said Janalea England, of Steinhatchee, Florida, a small river town along the state's rural Big Bend, as she turned her commercial fish market into a storm donation site for friends and neighbors, many of whom couldn't get insurance on their homes.

Helene blew ashore in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday with winds of 140 mph (225 kph).

From there, it quickly moved through Georgia, where Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that it "looks like a bomb went off" after viewing splintered homes and debris-covered highways from the air. Weakened, Helene then soaked the Carolinas and Tennessee with torrential rains, sending creeks and rivers over their banks and straining dams.
Update September 30

CBS News reports:
The number of storm-related deaths climbed past 100 across the Southeast on Sunday as authorities rushed to airdrop supplies, restore power and clear roads after massive rains from the powerful Helene left people stranded and without shelter.

Helene left at least 116 people dead, CBS News has confirmed, and caused widespread destruction.

Thirty fatalities were reported in Buncombe County, North Carolina — in one of the states hit hardest by the storm.

Helene knocked out power to several million customers. More than two million still had no electricity early Monday, according to utility tracker Find Energy.

But But Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Sunday night that 99% of the state's homes and businesses had had power restored.
Update October 1

ITV reports:
At least 133 people have died as Hurricane Helene continues to devastate the United States causing widespread flooding along its south east coastline.

Flood-stricken North Carolina has suffered significant damage, with reports of 30 people having been killed in the mountain city of Asheville.

President Biden has said he will travel to North Carolina on Wednesday.

There are fears the death toll may continue to rise as rescuers and emergency workers continue to explore areas isolated by collapsed roads, failing infrastructure, and widespread flooding.

During a briefing Monday, White House homeland security adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall suggested that as many as 600 people haven't been accounted for, noting that some of them might be dead.
Update October 2

CNN reports:
Climbing death toll: At least 182 people have died across six states and officials fear the death toll could rise following Hurricane Helene.

Many more remain missing, perhaps unable to leave their location or contact family where communications infrastructure is in shreds.

Power and infrastructure outages: Hundreds of roads remain closed, especially in the Carolinas, hampering the delivery of badly needed supplies. Some areas are so inaccessible supplies are being delivered by mules and by air. More than 1.2 million customers are without power, according to PowerOutage.us, most in the Carolinas, where "major portions of the power grid... were simply wiped away."
Update October 3

AP reports:
Hurricane Helene's death toll reached 200 on Thursday and could rise higher still, as searchers made their way toward the hardest to reach places in the mountains of western North Carolina, where the storm washed out roads and knocked out electricity, water and cellular service.

Officials in Georgia and North Carolina added to their states' grim tallies, padding an overall count that has already made Helene the deadliest storm to hit the U.S. mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.



Tsunami

15 killed in flash flood in Iran

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Fifteen people have been killed in a flash flood in the southeastern Iranian province of Kerman, the official news agency IRNA reported on Tuesday.

The flood occurred on Monday afternoon as heavy rainfalls caused Halil River in Jiroft County to overflow its banks, the report quoted Jiroft Governor Ahmad Bolandnazar as saying.

The governor added that 16 teams of the provincial Red Crescent Society as well as voluntary forces and local people had been searching for the 15 people missing in the flood since Monday evening, and all the bodies were found by Tuesday.

According to Bolandnazar, all the victims, except one, were Afghan nationals who were swimming in the river when the flood took place, Xinhua news agency reported.

Afshin Salehinejad, Jiroft's public and revolution prosecutor, said a lawsuit had been filed to take legal action against those potentially culpable, including government organizations such as the province's meteorological organization, the IRNA reported.

IANS


Snowflake Cold

Up to 13 centimeters of early snow fell in the Carpathians, Ukraine

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In the highlands of the Ivano-Frankivsk region, the snow cover in some places reaches 13 centimeters.

This was reported by the State Emergency Service with reference to the data of the Ukrhydrometeorological center.

According to forecasters, the snow cover in the Carpathians ranges from 2 to 13 centimeters. At the same time, on the highlands, on the night of October 2, temperatures from -2 to 3°С are forecast, and during the day - from 8 to 13°С.

The State Emergency Service urged Ukrainians to refrain from hiking until the weather conditions improve, despite the fact that rescuers are constantly patrolling the mountains.


Attention

Four whales dead after washing up on Kent coast in the UK

The first whale was confirmed dead on Tuesday morning
© CHRISSIE REIDY/BBCThe first whale was confirmed dead on Tuesday morning
Four whales have died after they became stranded off the Kent coast.

The pod of nine whales became trapped on mudflats at low tide in the Swale estuary near Sittingbourne on Monday night. One whale was found dead on Tuesday morning, while three others were confirmed dead just before 15:00 BST.

A rescue operation to save the stranded whales was called off after "varying inaccurate reports of the location", the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said.

At about midday on Tuesday, rescuers said the remaining whales had become stranded again and that it was assessing the situation.

One whale was refloated with the help of a police launch but said to be tilted to one side somewhat.

Lightning

Lightning strike kills 5, injures 22 in South Sudan

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The local authorities in Awerial County's Bunagok Payam in Lakes State have confirmed that a lightning strike killed 5 people and injured 22 others over the weekend during a traditional marriage at the payam headquarters.

The deputy administrator of Bunagok Payam, Martha Aluet Deng, said the incident happened on Saturday when it was raining and identified three of the five deceased as Angui Mathiang, Thokluel Nyanahol Ngut, and Manyuan Abuk Madul.

"People were celebrating and the small storm started with light rain, everyone ran to seek refuge under a tamarind tree when lightning struck and killed 5 of them and injured 22 others who are now in the hospital," she said.

According to Aluet, over 40 people, including children and women, fled into the bushes after the strike.

For his part, James Majok, a health officer at the Bunagok Primary Health Care Center (PHCC) also confirmed the deaths and said more than 20 people were admitted to the facility after they sustained injuries and shock while they were running away from the scene of the lightning strike during a traditional marriage.

He said most of the patients at the facility are receiving normal saline drips and antibiotics for minor injuries.

Seismograph

Shallow 6.6-magnitude earthquake hits Pacific Ocean near Tonga

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A strong and shallow earthquake with a magnitude of 6.6 has struck the Pacific Ocean near Tonga, according to seismologists, but no tsunami warnings were issued.

The earthquake, which struck at 9:05 a.m. local time on Wednesday, was centered about 154 kilometers (96 miles) southeast of Neiafu, a town on Vavaʻu island.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.6. It struck about 10 kilometers (6 miles) below the surface, making it a very shallow earthquake.

"Based on all available data, there is no tsunami threat from this earthquake," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said in a statement. No tsunami alerts were issued.

Seismograph

6.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia

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A 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia on Tuesday, according to the US Geological Survey.

With a depth of 588 kilometers (365 miles), the epicenter of earthquake was in Banda Sea, some 262 kilometers (162.7 miles) off Baubau city of southeastern Sulawesi province.

There was no immediate report of losses or tsunami warning.

Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes as it is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a tectonic belt of volcanoes and earthquakes.

A magnitude 6.2 quake jolted Sulawesi island in January 2021, killing over 100 people and leaving thousands homeless.

Some 2,200 people were killed after a separate magnitude 7.5 quake and subsequent tsunami in 2018.

Cloud Lightning

Typhoon lashes northern Philippine islands, flooding coastal villages

Rescuers help residents as they negotiate
© Bernie Dela Cruz/APRescuers help residents as they negotiate floods caused by powerful Typhoon Krathon locally called "Typhoon Julian" at Bacarra, Ilocos Norte province, northern Philippines on Monday, September 30, 2024.
A powerful typhoon was lashing the northernmost islands of the Philippines Monday, prompting officials to evacuate villagers, shut down schools and inter-island ferries and warn of "potentially very destructive" damage to coastal villages.

Typhoon Krathon was last tracked over the coastal waters of Balintang island off the provinces of Cagayan and Batanes with sustained winds of up to 175 kph (109 mph) and gusts of up to 215 kph (133 mph), according to government forecasters.

The slow-moving Krathon was blowing westward and could strengthen into a super typhoon when it veers northeastward Tuesday toward Taiwan, they said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.


Cloud Lightning

Best of the Web: 17 dead after John hits Mexico's Pacific coast as major hurricane, 2nd time as tropical storm - 17 inches of rain in 24 hours (UPDATED)

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Two people are dead after former Hurricane John barreled into Mexico's southern Pacific coast, blowing tin roofs off houses, triggering mudslides and toppling scores of trees, officials said Tuesday.

John grew into a major hurricane in a matter of hours Monday and made landfall about 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of the resort of Acapulco before declining to a tropical storm after moving inland.

John came ashore near the town of Punta Maldonado late Monday night as a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph (190 kph). It weakened back to tropical storm status early Tuesday with maximum sustained wind speeds of 40 mph (65 kph) and was expected to weaken rapidly.

Evelyn Salgado, the governor of the coastal state of Guerrero, said two people died when the storm sent a mudslide crashing into their house on the remote mountain of Tlacoachistlahuaca (TLAH-ko-chis-tla-waka), further from the coast.


Comment: Update September 26

CNN reports:
'Zombie' Hurricane John regains strength in Pacific, flooding parts of Mexico's southwestern coast

Towns along Mexico's southwestern coast are dealing with torrential rain, flooding and landslides after tropical storm John strengthened back into a Category 1 hurricane on Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

John is considered a "zombie" storm - a term referring to systems that dissipate before strengthening back into a storm. After slamming into Mexico as a deadly Category 3 hurricane on Monday night, it dissipated before returning as a hurricane, battering Mexico's Pacific coast. Even after initially dissipating, remnants of the storm continued to move along the coast, bringing continuous rainfall.

In the resort city of Acapulco, which still hasn't fully recovered from the destruction of Hurricane Otis last year, several neighborhoods were flooded and residents in at-risk areas were told to evacuate to temporary shelters. Parts of the city have received over 500mm of rain this week, and 431mm over just the past 24 hours.

Update October 1

PA News Agency reports:
Along Mexico's southern Pacific coast, floodwaters receded on Monday, leaving behind devastated towns and 17 dead, after John struck the coast once as a hurricane and again as a tropical storm last week.

Desperate residents in the town of Coyuca de Benitez, about 35 miles west of the resort city of Acapulco, organised volunteers to go to outlying areas to burn the bloated bodies of farm animals that drowned.

The carcasses could become a health risk, so teams of townspeople set out with cans of diesel to help them in their grim work.

The Mexican army began delivering aid packages to families in the town that were hit last year by Hurricane Otis and then last week — twice — by John.