Earth ChangesS


Bizarro Earth

US: Historic Tornado Outbreak: 3 Days, 241 Tornadoes, 14 States

Tornadoes
© National Weather Service Forecast OfficeThis image, courtesy of the National Weather Service Forecast Office in San Diego, Calif., shows tornado reports April 14-16, 2011 as of 12:00 p.m. EDT Sunday April 17, 2011.
From Thursday, April 14, 2011 to Saturday, April, 16, 2011, devastating tornadoes rampaged across communities of the southern United States. Cities and towns from Oklahoma to North Carolina were assaulted by the deadly twisters.

The tornado outbreak led to a total of 241 tornado reports in 14 states over the three-day period. This will likely rank this tornado outbreak among the largest in history.

Tragically, the death toll has risen to 39 people so far with dozens of others injured. The number of fatalities could rise as investigations continue. This tornado outbreak already ranks as the most deadly outbreak since the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak.

In North Carolina alone, close to two dozen people were killed on Saturday, while seven people were killed in Alabama on Friday.

One of the reasons for the deadly outcome of this tornado outbreak is likely due to the highly populated areas of the nation that were hit. The weather pattern can explain why these highly populates areas were struck.

Bizarro Earth

Preparing for the Big One - In Central US? Earthquake Drill April 28

Image
© AP Photo/Sergey PonomarevA Japanese worker gets on his earthmover in the area devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami in the town of Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, Friday, April 15, 2011.
A first-of-its-kind drill in the central U.S. will have millions of people simulating the shaking of "the big one." The Great Central U.S. ShakeOut is an earthquake drill that will be at 10:15 a.m. April 28 and is being organized by the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and dozens of partners. The ShakeOut is modeled after a similar drill that California has conducted the past three years.

Brian Blake, earthquake program coordinator with the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium, said the earthquake drill will have 1.9 million people participating in 11 states - about 100,000 Illinoisans have pledged to participate. He said anyone can participate in the self-guided drill by taking a couple of minutes to Drop, Cover and Hold On - the recommended action to protect yourself during an earthquake. At the designated time April 28, participants practice what their reaction would be if an earthquake struck.

Cloud Lightning

US: At least 25 dead in 6 states after storm's rampage

Mississippi storm
© Associated PressThe remains of a wooden swing dangles in a tornado damaged neighborhood of Clinton, Mississippi, Friday, April 15, 2011. The state was hit by a line of severe storms that spawned at least one tornado causing extensive damage and multiple injuries.
A furious storm system that kicked up tornadoes, flash floods and hail as big as softballs has claimed at least 25 lives on a rampage that began in Oklahoma days ago, then smashed across several Southern states as it reached a new and deadly pitch in North Carolina and Virginia.

Emergency crews searched for victims in hard-hit swaths of North Carolina, where 62 tornadoes were reported from the worst spring storm in two decades to hit the state. At least a half dozen people died just in the Carolinas and Virginia and authorities warned the toll was likely to rise further Sunday as searchers probed shattered homes and businesses.

Authorities said at least five people were killed in North Carolina and at least three more in neighboring Virginia during the storm's passage Saturday before the sprawling, potent storm bands moved eastward over the Atlantic.

Arrow Up

Philippines: 20 volcanic quakes in Taal recorded in last 24 hours

taal
© Agence France-PresseWater in the crater of Taal is reportedly heating up while the volcano's emissions of carbon dioxide have risen
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) maintained the Alert Level 2 hoisted over Taal Volcano, as 20 volcanic earthquakes were recorded during the past 24 hours.

Alert 2 status means present activities could eventually lead to an eruption, according to Phivolcs.

Phivolcs said there was a noticeable increase in seismic activity of the volcano. Water temperature at the Main Crater Lake also slightly increased from 29.8°C to 30.1°C.

Phivolcs advised the public to keep away from the Main Crater, Daang Kastila Trail and Mt. Tabaro because sudden hazardous steam-driven explosions may occur and high concentrations of toxic gases may accumulate.

Cloud Lightning

India: Rain worries wheat growers in Punjab, Haryana

As wheat harvesting picks up in Punjab and Haryana, recent rain and windy weather has left farmers in the states worried.

Hailstorm lashed Jalandhar yesterday, while Amritsar, Phagwara, Nawanshahr and Balachaur received showers, which was accompanied by strong winds. Showers also lashed isolated places in Haryana, while windy weather prevailed in Chandigarh.

The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rains or thunder showers are likely to occur in parts of Punjab and Haryana over the next two days.

Chalkboard

Nevada, US: Swarm of Quakes have Experts Concerned

Nevada Seismologists are keeping a close eye on an area southwest of Hawthorne, Nevada where hundreds of earthquakes have been detected since Sunday.

" It's a little bit concerning in a sense.. The largest earthquakes in these sequences are pretty large in size." Graham Kent is Director of Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada Reno. He says there have been hundreds of earthquakes southwest of Hawthorne over the past few days. The largest-- recorded at a 4.4 in size.

"These are the biggest in a sequence we've seen at least in the last couple of years." Kent says unlike the 2008 quakes in Somersett that damaged so many homes, these earthquakes are fortunately not underneath a community.

Fish

Vermont, US: Massive fish kill in Lake Champlain

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© wcax

Quite a sight along the shores of Lake Champlain-- there's been a massive fish kill.

Alewives have washed ashore at the sandbar in Milton.

Vermont Fish and Wildlife biologists estimate that tens of thousands of the nonnative species have died due to stress caused by frigid temperatures.

Ice fishermen have been noticing Alewives popping through the ice in recent months. Now that the ice is melting, they're washing ashore. They've also been spotted in Georgia, Vt.

Cloud Lightning

100 twisters spotted U.S. storms kill more than 40

Powerful storms that have ripped across the Southeast killed more than 40 people over the past three days, according to the National Weather Service and reports from several states.


A CNN meteorologist called the storms' impact on North Carolina "epic."

Among the worst hit areas was Bertie County, North Carolina, a rural area in the northeast part of the state. The weather service reported 14 deaths in the county. Zee Lamb, county manager, said there were 11 fatalities.

Alarm Clock

Australia: Aftershocks shake north Queensland

Queensland Quake 1
© Reuters: Vincent KesslerThere have been several aftershocks with one registering a magnitude 4
Several aftershocks have been felt by residents in parts of north Queensland following a 5.2-magnitude earthquake.

The quake, one of the largest to hit the state in many years, was recorded 60 kilometres west of Bowen just after 3.30pm (AEST) Saturday.

The rumblings were felt in several towns throughout the region, but police say there are no reports of damage or injuries.

There have been several aftershocks, with one registering a magnitude 4.

Evil Rays

People in Canterbury, New Zealand are being warned of more earthquakes and aftershocks for years to come

The Natural Hazards Manager at GNS Science, Kelvin Berryman, says it is impossible to tell for sure how long the aftershocks will continue.

But he says previous earthquakes, in this country and overseas, have been followed by seismic activity for up to 30 years.