Earth Changes
Chile's National Emergency Office said the explosions occurred at 3:20 a.m. (0720 GMT), and television images showed the fiery volcanic rocks shooting into the sky above Llaima, about 435 miles south of the capital Santiago.
Local authorities said they were evaluating further evacuations from around the sparsely populated base of the volcano. About 50 people were evacuated last week after lava spilled down one of its slopes.
Cool and unsettled weather will continue through the rest of this work week. Temperatures will slowly moderate by this weekend but there will be a continued threat for showers and thunderstorms into early next week.
The owners of the house are away, but a friend who was house sitting was inside when the lightning hit.
Neighbors told 13 News they heard the lightning hit, but didn't realize it had caused a fire until the woman staying at the house started knocking on doors yelling for help. Though she wasn't hurt, the woman was shaken up.
Hazmat Crews did respond to the scene as well as the Amarillo Fire Department and Potter County Fire and Rescue. St. Francis at the intersection of FM1912 all the way to the plant is still blocked off at this time.
There were talks of evacuating the plant but officials say that did not happen. No injuries were reported.
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© Chris Doolittle |
Northeastern San Bernardino, California, as the wildfires light up the night sky. |
Last Thursday, in the late afternoon, I stared up at the blood red sun, brown and soot gray clouds enveloping it, and watched ash fall in flurries. I suddenly flashed on the rejiggered city limits sign in "High Plains Drifter." It read: "Welcome to Hell."
Hell had come to California, once again, and, once again, it was in my backyard.
Perhaps our Guvunator Arnold Schwarzenegger summed up the past few weeks the best over the weekend. "I've been driving up and down the state of California going to all the various different fires, and you can imagine, this state is very prepared for fire, but when you wake up one morning and have 500 fires across the state, it was a real shock to me...only to find the next morning there were 1,000 fires, and the next morning 1,400 fires, and then 1,700 fires igniting over 14 days."
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©University of Exeter |
New research has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. |
Four weeks since the shocking incident that led to the death of 26 dolphins near Falmouth, research sheds new light on the extent of the problems facing Cornwall's marine mammals.
A study by the University of Exeter and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, published in the journal Biodiversity and Conservation (July 7, 2008) has revealed a disturbing rise in the number of whales, dolphins and porpoises found dead on Cornish beaches. The frequency of these mammals, collectively known as cetaceans, found stranded on beaches in Cornwall has increased with a sharp rise in the last eight years. After analysing nearly 100 years of data, the researchers believe this could, in part, be due to more intensive fishing.
An Eden couple took photographs of the mammals while on a pleasure cruise off Eden's Twofold Bay.
Researchers identified the pod as a species that exclusively inhabits the cold, southern waters.
David Donnelly from the Dolphin Research Centre says the sighting remains a mystery.
Mills Lake is approximately 2.8 miles from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. Park rangers responded and contacted three people who were reportedly struck by lighting. Initial reports indicate three males and one female were struck. After investigating, park officials confirmed there was not a fourth victim, according to e-mails from Kyle Patterson, Public Information Officer for Rocky Mountain National Park.
Two males and one female were walking down the trail when they were contacted.
Eight people were standing near Mills Lake when the lightning strike occurred, Patterson wrote.
Three out of this group were apparently struck by lightning. The Park Service hopes to have ages and hometowns confirmed later today.