Earth ChangesS


Cloud Lightning

8 die in severe storms in Arkansas, raising 2008 toll to 24

SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. - With a pep talk from Gov. Mike Beebe, emergency workers fanned out across Arkansas to help residents cope with another bout of violent weather that pushed the state's storm death toll to 24 for the year.

Tornado Damage
©AP/Orlin Wagner
Homes damaged by severe thunderstorms are viewed from the air over Gladstone, Mo., Friday, May 2, 2008. Severe thunderstorms with straight line winds damaged over 200 homes and businesses.

Bell

California to consider rationing water this summer due to drought

Two parched years - punctuated by the driest spring in at least 150 years - could force districts across California to ration water this summer as policymakers and scientists grow increasingly concerned that the state is on the verge of a long-term drought.

Bizarro Earth

May blizzard shuts down parts of S. Dakota

The mayor of Rapid City, S.D., Friday pleaded with residents to stay home as a May blizzard closed down streets and highways in parts of the state.

Attention

Chile: evacuation as volcano dormant for 450 years erupts

A volcano has erupted in southern Chile, scattering ash over the surrounding area and forcing more than 1,000 people to leave their homes.

The eruption of the Chaiten volcano caught local authorities by surprise, as experts say it has been dormant for at least 450 years.

Chile Volcano
©AP/Christian Brown, Intendencia Regional de los Lagos
In this photo released by Intendencia Regional de Los Lagos, a large column of smoke and ashes comes out from the Chaiten volcano after it erupted Thursday night, causing 60 minor tremors in the Los Lagos region, 1,200 kms (750 miles) south of Santiago, Friday, May 2, 2008. Chilean government declared a state of emergency early Friday, evacuating about 250 people from the Pacific towns of Blanco and Chana, closing schools throughout the region and urging other residents to stay inside.

Cloud Lightning

Storms kill 7 in Arkansas, damage homes around Kansas City



Arkansas storm
©Unknown

Severe storms that rolled across Arkansas early Friday killed at least seven people, including a teenager crushed by a tree while she slept in her bed. The deaths came after earlier storms seriously damaged homes and businesses in the Kansas City, Mo., area. Tornadoes were also reported in Oklahoma and Texas, although there were no immediate reports of severe damage.

Fish

All salmon fishing banned on US West Coast

Salmon fishing was banned along the West Coast for the first time in 160 years Thursday, a decision that is expected to have a devastating economic impact on fishermen, dozens of businesses, tourism and boating.

Target

6.4 Earthquake Hit Between Vanuatu, New Caledonia

A magnitude 6.4 undersea temblor occurred today between Vanuatu and New Caledonia, the U.S. Geological Survey, based in Denver (Colorado) said.

Target

Moderate earthquake hit southern Mexico

Mexico City -- A moderate earthquake of a preliminary magnitude of 5.8 on the Richter scale rocked southern Mexico Sunday, but no major injuries or damages have been reported.

Arrow Down

Hundreds of Ducks Dead After Landing in Pond Owned by Canadian Oil Sands Company

Alberta's environment minister said the provincial government's efforts to allay environmental concerns about its booming oil sands industry will be hurt by the deaths of hundreds of ducks that landed on a pond filled with toxic waste.

Environment Minister Rob Renner concedes the deaths have put a dent in Alberta's efforts to counter the message being spread by environmental groups that Canada's oil sands projects are taking a toll on the environment.

Bizarro Earth

4.2-magnitude quake shakes area near Palm Springs

PALM SPRINGS - A moderate earthquake has shaken an area near Palm Springs.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the 4.2-magnitude quake struck at 8:55 p.m. 14 miles east-southeast of Anza and 27 miles south of Palm Springs.

USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin says the quake was felt from the Palm Springs area south to the El Centro area along the Mexican border.